Well when one walks with BC there is not much opportunity for personal thoughts because non-stop conversation is the order of the day. BUT, today we had not been long on our walk before BC asked me if I knew what Boatey McBoatey was all about (if you don't know Google). I explained what I knew, but I was not sure if there was more meaning to that name than I was aware of, and made a mental note to Google when back home. That resulted in the name flying round in my head for the rest of the walk like a crazy drone. Back home I did Google, and as far as I can tell it is just a silly name that the perpetrator invented.
The Bannisdale Horseshoe is a long wilderness walk with much more accumulated ascent than a casual look at the map conveys - 2500ft plus and nine Wainwright summits with a few others he doesn't include in his list. At last we have some warm, shorts-wearing, weather which although welcome tends to take its toll.
This was the grand finale for our "winter" campaign to conquer all 116 Wainwright's Outlying Fells. From our first summit, Whiteside Pike, we had a grand view up Bannisdale, but not round the last corner to the lonely farm at Bannisdale Head. Across the valley was Capplefell Crag which caught BC's eye, as did Mere Crag across the way from the head of Bannisdale later on - once a climber always a climber. I am sure he is in collusion with Cicerone Press producing a new issue: "Wainwright's Outytling CRAGS."
So, with much regret that is the end of our little project which I reckon has been more worthwhile than I could have imagined.
**************************
Tomorrow I am off to Chamonix with commenter Gimmer to help with a contract job he is doing there. I don't think we'll get a chance to summit Mt. blanc.
 |
| Across Bannisdale to Capplefell Crag |
 |
| Down into Long Sleddale |
 |
| Minimum effort put into creating this fence crossing - you still had to climb over the lower strand of barbed wire |
 |
| Skeggles Tarn |
 |
| Mere Crag |
 |
| Route clockwise. Start/finish on road at foot of Bannisdale. The other leg to the south is Wainwright's suggestion which adds a couple of miles and more ascent |
The reason you didn't have nonstop conversation today is because I couldn't get my breath keeping up with you, I inwardly blamed the recent 'flu'. Thanks for 'googling' that stupid boating thing, lets just leave it with Sir David. Extremely enjoyable few weeks' romp around Wainwright's eclectic collection.
ReplyDeleteBon séjour en France.
Its been worthwhile following your progress as i now have a few more routes that i have put on the list. Enjoy your trip to France.
ReplyDeleteFor shame you didn't even know enough to get the name right; even sadder that it appears to have passed you by despite impinging on your outdoorsish, Shackletonian and Scottite interests. Saddest of all that even after Googling you could come up with nothing more than "just a silly name" when the real story had to do with an act of collective though harmless mischief which briefly caught the fancy of many. How glum you make it all sound; how bufferish you appear. When you have time look up "picaresque" and reflect on how the word and its implications lie at the heart of this event and of some of England's greatest literature.
ReplyDeleteThis route is on my 'to do' list. Did you get up Mont Blanc?
ReplyDelete