Friday 10 June 2011

Walk 54a
5.3m 1210' ascent
Time Taken 2 hrs 40 mins

198. LDW-177 Grike 1601'
199. LDW-162 Crag Fell 1716'

Walk 54b
7.9m / 2900' ascent
Time Taken 4 hrs 30 mins

200. LDW-127 Great Borne 2021'
201. LDW-122 Starling Dodd 2077'

Route taken on walk 54a (morning) by Phil G4OBK and Geoff on 10th June 2011
Route taken on walk 54b (afternoon) by Phil G4OBK and Geoff on 10th June 2011
A three day tour of Ennerdale and Wasdale Part 1 - 10 June 2011

After a months rest Geoff and I returned to the Western side of the Lake District for a short break staying at the Ennerdale View B&B in Kirkland, a house we stayed at when we completed Wainwrights  Coast to Coast in 2010.  Prior to driving into Ennerdale my car had been parked in Wasdale at Bowderdale Farm and would be collected in two days time. 
The deforestation taking place below Grike


We decided to split our day into two and save some energy by using Geoff's car to reach the start of the afternoon walk north of Ennerdale Water. Our morning walk was out and back the same way to the summits of Grike (LDW-177) and Crag Fell (LDW-162).  From Blakeley Moss it took less than three hours to visit the summits and complete the activations. Derek 2E0MIX/P was out and we spoke to him on Harter Fell LDW-112. We also completed a contact with Steve M6MNT/P who was on Haystacks LDW-131. We went on to later meet Steve in the afternoon on Great Borne.
Deforestation was taking place on our route up to Grike. AW would have been pleased about that as he was against the forestation of the Lake District.  I completed 18 WOTA contacts split between Grike and Crag Fell. before we return via our outward route, not something I like to make a habit of, always preferring a circular route when possible for variety. 
After returning to Geoff's car we drove to the car park below Bowness Knott on the north side of Ennerdale Water.  


Approaching the Bowness Knott Car park
We misjudged the walk up to and over Great Borne (LDW -127) and Starling Dodd (LDW-122), the walk proved harder and longer than we thought. We set out at 2.15pm and returned to the car at 6.45pm. 


A scrap metal dealers delight - the summit of Great Borne LDW-127
(Thanks Steve M6MNT for the photo)
Unbeknown to me when I left Great Borne was that in error I had left behind my baseball cap which is emblazoned with my callsign G4OBK. On arrival on the summit of Great Borne we met Steve M6MNT, who had been activating day in day out for a week or so, whilst spending his holiday in Lake District, much to the delight of the chasers who had filled him in about what WOTA was all about when they heard him calling CQ from a summit earlier in the week. 
I have to thank Steve for collecting my cap and returning it to me the following week by post - what a fine fellow and I hope we can meet again when he is next in the Lake District. 
After the long walk back along the forestry road on the north shore of Ennerdale Water we returned to the car pretty well fagged out after a day of two walks, but at least we a had another four Wainwrights in the bag. 

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