NICKY NOOK

 NICKY-MANJARO   5+ MILES

WALKERS :-  Athos, Porthos, Aramis & D'Artagnan

No ! No ! No !   They're Musketeers. We need Meanderthaleers.

OK . If you insist  :-  Anthony, Danny, Mike and John W.

TODAY'S ROUTE

Our Battling Boys (Boys ?😖) parked close to the "Apple Store" cafe and set off to tackle Nicky Nook. It was another grey, damp day.

Our first few hundred yards were through a rather striking stretch of woodland.

The path through the wood eventually led to the road rising steeply towards Nicky Nook.

At the top of the road a kissing gate led to the steep path up to the top of Nicky Nook.

Many years ago, when we first climbed this minor fell , young strong limbs made this an easy climb. Now with all of us in our late seventies it has become a real challenge. Hence your writers likening it to Kilimanjaro and subsequently the "Comedy " title of this week's blog .😔 It took us quite some time to "Conquer" what is actually quite a small hill.

But here we are (I am) nearing the highest point.

Of course no self respecting fell is without it's Ordnance Survey post.

Though not many have a "Floating" one.

As we paused for a while next to the post another group of four elderly men, whom we had met earlier , arrived at the post.

We took a photograph of them and they reciprocated by taking a photo of us.

Having climbed the steep path up to the top we now began the equally steep trek down.

As this photo shows the ground throughout our walk was "Sodden".

Someone's lost a dog lead !

As we topped the brow of the hill the Grizedale Reservoir came into view.

Part way down we stopped at a bench to have our coffee break . As we sat  a lady came past with more than the usual number of dogs. On enquiring she informed us that they were neither simply pet dogs nor working dogs but "Agility Show" dogs and the Brown one had come 4th at Crufts.

They were VERY well behaved dogs !

The path continued steeply downwards.

Someone's lost a glove !

The steep slope eventually took us onto the track by the side of Grizedale reservoir.

We very soon turned off this path and found a bench for our lunchtime break.

Lunch over we set of to follow a permissive path through Holme Wood.

A  mist hung over the reservoir as we began walking again

The edge of the track was lined with an attractive coating of  bright green moss.

The moss, of course, bears witness to the continuous damp.

Our super fit leader is always in the front. So much so that he is liable to disappear from time to time.  Can you see him ?

He is, of course, always waiting to open the gates for we laggards.

And here he is doing just that.

Well, actually, Mike has assumed those duties at this gate.

This "Concessionary" rather than "Permissive " path took us along a really attractive valley.

Still very wet as you can see.

Just before we left the wood we could not resist the charms of this delightful
"Throne"  Far more than just a "Seat" surely.

DANNIUS REX Ist

Turning away from the seat we immediately came to this very striking exit gate set amongst three magnificent beech trees.

Once out of the wood the fields were very wet even to the extent of needing a wooden walk way,

There were some seemingly over complicated gate fasteners . (two way opening)

Where the land was a little drier there were a LOT of moles.

Walking was not easy as water lurked under the grass making the undersoil wet and slippery.

Once across these "Splashing"  fields all that remained was a long ramble along the roads back to the car.......... but more importantly back to the cafe,

And so to home after a  brilliant but tough and tiring walk.

Well done Danny.

JW

p.s.  In view of the thoroughly damp nature of our last two walks may I quote from the last stanza of Gerard Manley Hopkins poem  "INVERSNAID".

Oh what would the world be once bereft

Of wet and of wildness let them be left

Oh let them be left wildness and wet

Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

J M Hopkins, a Jesuit priest, lived for some time in our region at Stonyhurst College.