Travel Tips

As Some of your already know, I Try to get up to The Top of Great Gable for The Remembrance Day Service every year, I lay a wreath for my local branch of The Royal British Legion and consider this to be a Great Honour
I usually take a group of friends with me, Some Doctors that work for the same "Out of Hours" service that I drive for and a Hotelier Friend of mine form Whitehaven to mention a few.
This year I put a posting on companions2travel to see if anyone wanted to come along with me and Nina from Kent "Volunteered" to join me :-)

Nina had agreed to meet up with myself and the rest of the party that was going up to The Top of Great Gable for The Remembrance Day Service at my home, As It was an early start, 07.15, I had said that if she came around about 07.00 the she would be welcome to some toast and coffee. Well the phone rang and it was Nina to say that she was locked into he hotel where she was staying, So I rang the hotel and the landlady had to get up to let Nina out :-).
So Nina arrived in time for a coffee, then we set off for Wasdale Head and The start of the walk, a total number of five of us, Andy and Pim, two Doctors (Handy) from the Egremont area , Andrew, a Hotelier from Whitehaven, Nina from Kent and Myself. The day was fine but overcast, we parked the cars at the little green at Wasdale Head and started the accent, 2997 feet in total !!
The way starts off gently as you pass the ancient church of Saint Olaf, said to be the Smallest Church in England, then through the farm yard of Burnthwaite and along the valley bottom next to Styhead Beck, after about a mile or so you go through the intake gate and out onto the open fell and start the pull up Styhead Pass, The first photos is Nina leading the way up the Pass. Then the second is of a quick break to have a drink of water.
After about an hour and a half after leaving the car we reached "The Mountain Rescue Box" at the Top of Styhead Pass and had another quick break before joining the human snake up the top, Unfortunately the weather Deteriorated and it started to rain a little and got Very Cold. But eventually we reached the summit, the Memorial Plaque and the Service of Remembrance. There was approximately 1,000 people there and that wasn't bad when you consider that it is an isolated Lakeland fell in the grip of winter!!
The Service is a None religious, None Denominational, None Political one to Remember ALL the Dead from All Conflicts. It is conducted by a member of "The Fell and Rock Club" who originally bought that land that It is held on as a fitting Memorial to their members who were killed in "The Great War" and then handed over in perpetuity to The National Trust so to give Free Access to All.
After the service we made our way down, back to the cars, then a quick freshen up and then to Muncaster Church (Originally The Church of Muncaster castle) for The Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance, followed by Tea and Home-Made cake provided by the Ladies of the parish.
Both Nina and Myself and the rest of our little group Really Enjoyed the day.

I think that Nina Deserves a lot of Praise for reaching the Top of Great Gable, as what I consider to be a fairly easy jaunt up a Lakeland Fell isn't necessarily so simple for someone else, particularly someone that isn't used to Fell Walking and the like :-)

If you are interested and want to take a look at some more Photographs and video clips from this year as well as ones from previous years and also a voice recording that I did for the BBC in 2003 then take a look on The Wasdale Web
Thank You for taking the time to read this.
If you would like to come along yourself next year then please drop me a line and we will see what we can arrange
All the Best
Rob