A memorable weekend courtesy of Phreerunner

Having now written over 800 posts I have had a wealth of communication on many subjects. Numerous new friendships have been formed, and I have had had the opportunity to meet and walk with many of those people. This last weekend more of the gaps were filled.

That opportunity was provided by Martin and Sue who generously provided for fifteen or so of  us to spend two nights in the excellent Eastfield Lodge in Leyburn, the occasion being a celebration of Martin's GR11 conquest during the summer. Martin provided a superb stew on Friday evening and we all sat round in the lounge,where, if the wine may have been described as a lively river, the conversation would have been a full scale flood of uproarious anecdotes.

Saturday took us on a well planned walk in glorious weather out to Castle Bolton and Redmire, well that was really the Bolton Arms. Here we were joined by latecomer JJ who had parked up at Leyburn and masochistically run to Redmire.

On Saturday evening Martin treated us all to a superb meal at Thirteen in Leyburn.

A further walk was planned for Sunday and I am sure that will be reported on elsewhere.

A big thank-you goes to Martin and Sue for their generosity and brilliant planning. The weekend was undoubtedly enjoyed by all.

Long live blogging, the TGO (which I have never done), and all the hilly tick lists, some of which I am not ashamed to admit to being addicted.

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Martin's excellent book, Another Pyrenean Adventure, recording his GR11 is available at modest cost if he has a few copies left - Click for Martin's blog    You can contact him there via comments.

Just a taste of the Autumn colours on our Saturday walk

JJ arrives at the Bolton Arms

Alan Sloman and I opted out of the visit to Castle Bolton - here is the mob catching us up again, we were too busy talking to walk faster

Our table at Thiteen

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On Sunday, because I was much  more than halfway there from home, I was targeting two Marilyns in the Cleveland hills and afterwards to visit my younger brother who is very sadly in the advanced stages of Alzheimers and in a care-home near Scotch Corner.

Early morning - just out of Leyburn

Viewfinder on the way to Cringle Moor (Drake Howe)

Still a lot more ups and downs to go - the two Marilyns covered 11 miles with 3257ft. of ascent

Cringle Moor summit

Urra Moor (Round Hill) summit. I asked a guy to take this - think he must have had the trembles as well as getting something in the way on the left hand edge