Hiking
Hiking from Arnside on the northern edge of Morecombe Bay on a weekend organised by the Transpennine group of GOC. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the Arnside peninsular is an area of natural beauty but also an important bird area and has a number of sites of special scientific interest with rare plants, trees and insects including both northern and Mediterranean species in close proximity. My Father made many biology field trips here in the 1930s, I think staying at the same Youth Hostel where we were lodged.
Postcard from some fine spring days hiking in the Lake District with Mike from Keswick. We've been round Loweswater, Borrowdale, Watendlath Tarn, Home Rigg and Kings How and Derwent Water with it mirror-like views of the snow on the peak of Skiddaw.
I hiked on snow shoes (that the French call raquettes) from the top of the Beauregard lift (1647 m.) up from La Clusaz in Haute-Savoie. The mountains are the Chaine des Aravis and the glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif. The skier is going down the cross-country black route down from the lift.
Me, this was the first time I have been to a ski report in winter, let alone getting up on to the snow. I was staying with Arno in Annecy and was trying out hiking using raquettes (Raquettes à neige) that I’d bought just the previous evening. Sure, hiking with raquettes is literally the most pedestrian of the Nordic winter sports, but having the equipment to get away from the crowds at the top of the télécabine and being able to enjoy the winter wonderland at 1450 or 1500 metres or so was a revelation, even without the adrenaline rush of downhill skiing. The clarity of the air, the sheer brightness of the fresh snow and the apparent proximity to big rocks and Europe’s highest mountains was fantastic.
Arriving well after sunset and not really aware of where I had ended up, except that there was a lot of snow, next morning I climbed 120 metres or so above the refuge at the col for a view of the volcanic mountains right opposite in the coloured light of a magnificent sunrise. There was no wind, but the thermometer on my rucksac showed -12°C; every footfall made a loud cracking noise in the stillness. No traffic except the snow plough, spreading grit on the pass road.
We were staying at the Col de la Croix Morand, 1401 m, above the town of Le Mont Dore in the Auvergne in a weekend arranged by the French motorbike club AMA (thanks Édouard, Jean-Paul and Éric). Immediately facing the Buron du Col refuge are mountains of the Puy de Sancy range, the Puy de la Tache, 1629 m., Puy de Monne, 1692 m. and Puy de l’Angle, 1738 m., the highest of the range, which was our stop for lunch.
Varied and rewarding walk along the Thames Estuary starting and returning to Abbey Wood rail station on a circular route comprising paths of the Green Chain and the Thames Path routes. We were surprised and impressed by the quiet grandeur of the river Thames, here fully tidal in the estuary downstream of the Thames Barrier. And there really is a ruined Augustinian abbey in the woods at Abbey Wood!
