Notes from Nick!

Walking to Angels

I have been on holiday recently, so I thought I would go to the Lake District and do some walking. After all 17 million visitors can’t all be wrong!

For the first time this year I was off up the fells. I dropped the car at the Old Dungeon Gill, a mental note for later “Ivor keeps a great pint of Yates’” and off we go. I headed out around the back of the hotel along the Cumbrian Way, up Mickleden. It was still and warm; an amazing spring day.

I passed the Herdwicks, still at winter pasture, and head out towards Stake Pass.
I met a single group of youngsters heading down, they eschewed their urban stereotypes, and all said “Hello” as we passed. Not a hoody in sight.

At the head of the valley, a small foot bridge by a sheepfold and a slate sign, boldly points “Esk Hause/Stake Pass”. I head toward Esk Hause/Rossett Gill. The climb was tortuous, a pitched path, a thousand steps, my Angel Tarn. If this is a ‘Stairway to Heaven’ then move over Led Zepp, I’ll stick to James Blunt, anything for a laid back life!

As I made my slow progress upwards, I had the company of a Skylark, its intermittent song, a contrast to my usual ringtone. Its song thankfully, has never been heard by the techies at Blackberry. ‘Thank Goodness!’

Climbing ever higher, under-foot stirred memories of Inca paths high in the Andes; the solid steps protecting both me and the surrounding landscape. I reached the top of Rossett Gill and gazed down on Angel Tarn. My intention had been to venture further on but I had dallied in bed and at work a little too long and the day was wearing on. Angel Tarn didn’t help matters, it was amazing, the beautiful azure of the sky met by the snowy outline of Esk Hause. I sat a while and ate my lunch, took some photos and phoned the wife. There was no reply! So through the phone book and a call to a friend, still no reply. How could this happen?

There was me having arrived with the Angels and no one to share it with - some “Stairway to Heaven

Regards,

Nick