September’s Aycliffe Fell Walking Club (AFWC) outing took us into the Lake District area of Rydal to Coniston, writes Andy Jakob. As ever, there was a choice of walks from lowland ambles to high peaks challenges with the bulk of the walkers choosing the lower level walks due to the overcast weather conditions.
My group walked from Rydal Hall on the A591 and pretty soon found ourselves going uphill around Loughrigg Fell and fighting our way through heavy bracken and indistinct paths. The rain eased off considerably even before 11am but it was still very damp underfoot and as we descended down towards Skelwith Bridge we encountered fast flowing and swollen rivers. A few of us stopped at Chesters, Skelwith Bridge for a very well deserved cuppa and cake. The blackcurrant and ginger cake was exceptional!
We moved on to eventually pick up a path which took us towards Colwith before returning south to cross the A593 and head over to Tarn Hows where we found a lovely spot with a few benches on which to have some lunch. There we met up with other walkers and joined them for the final stretch down to Coniston. Despite the adverse forecast, the rain stayed away for much of the day or at least until we arrived in Coniston. We enjoyed the usual trappings of the village’s pubs and fish & chips shop and headed back on the coach for the journey home.
After an innocent fall in an enormous quarried cave near Hodge Close, one lady ended up needing medical attention. There was no mobile signal in the area so she was helped to a nearby cottage for assistance. Six students from Leeds University were staying there and they were really helpful. They even drove her to Kendal Hospital (an hour away!) with a suspected broken wrist. We are all incredibly grateful for the kindness those students showed to her. She received further attention in Darlington.
Our next walk is on October 10 and involves walks from the Kirkstone Pass and Windermere to Staveley.
Aycliffe Fell Walking Club is a very friendly walking club. Look at the website aycliffefellwalkingclub.com for further details or if you are interested in joining us. Annual membership of £10 runs from January to December with each walk outing costing £15 to cover the cost of the coach. Feel free to join us on the next walk. We look forward to your interest.
Andy Jakob
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
