After supper in Wetherby we arrived in Triffic Teesdale to the light of the full moon and the welcome of the Youth Hostel Warden - (a very nice man - ask James and Pete). Tea was drunk and sheet sleeping bags entered. Saturday dawned in a claggy sort of manner - walls at ends of fields were just about visible - if you used your imagination. So Keith and Mike got up for a 27km wander to Cross Fell. But the first presidential strop of the year occurred as they realised the gate to the hostel was D-locked, they couldn't get the bus out and the warden was no where to be seen. The response in the circumstances was to read a physics paper. Humph! This luckily gave others a chance to get up and Arcay, Ursula, Hilary and Pamela joined them. From Garrigill they tramped and tramped and tramped - reached Cross Fell, Great and Little Dun Fell then Keith went full pelt ahead to the bus with others nearly in tow.
The Janes, James, Pete, Paul, Richard and Stephen wandered along the Pennine Way to Cauldron Snout and Cow Green Reservoir (nice pipe!) with the clag hanging above us and adding mystery to the wilderness of Teesdale. Passing uninjured through a farmyard where the inhabitants were taking pot shots at tin cans, we wandered up Meldon Hill and had an exciting Kissu shelter lunch experience. Descending to the reservoir after lunch the clag lifted and we could see Teesdale (a rare experience for the Cambridge Hillwalker!). Ah, the space! Ah, the remoteness! Ah, the sun warming our fleeces! Ah, the cup of tea back at the hostel! Andreas and his posse (Silke, Xiang, Andrea, Karin and Richard) also wandered to the reservoir, then returned via the waterfalls - the essence of Teesdale in a day!!
"Steve" (the YH Warden - he looked like a Steve) brought us the cricket scores (what a nice man), supper was consumed and the High Force Hotel descended upon for a good selection of home brewed beers - who could resist a pint of Cauldron Snout? We returned mainly by bus - but the Janes decided the moonshadows were rather alluring, so walked - very good views of Teesdale.
Sunday was a clear sunny day (ha ha all ye who stayed in the flat lands) and eventually folks roused, had a speedy YH clean in which Richard proved himself master of the Dettox, then left. But the YH warden had to be asked what his name was ............ Ewan - hmmm we were wrong. But still a very nice man.
Andreas and his posse took a bus round to do Cross Fell from the Dufton side. Keith went along the Pennine way with Hilary, Ursula and Archady - to the reservoir, Meldon Hill and then to High Cup Nick and Dufton.
The rest of us headed east - Mike, James, Richard, Paul, drove to a old mine near Middleton and wandered round in a horseshoe - taking in James's Hill, Outberry Plain, Raven Seat, Great Eggleshope and back to Hudes Hope. The Janes, Pete and Pamela went for the all foot option and walked to Hudes Hope to meet the others from the hostel. We had great views of Cross Fell and the surrounding area and went via Fendrith Hill, Dora's seat - good views of a ski lift(!) and the 675m trig point which we named Pete's Hill in honour of his love of Teesdale and all things boghopperish (mind you the bog effect was slightly marred by them being a bit frozen).
To sum up then:-
And finally, the Quotes (from the usual provider of them):
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