LLC Lakes Weekend 19-21 May 2017
By Lorna Marsland
Members present: Christine Beeston, Sabina Cosulich, Michelle Harvie, Trish Cranston, Bridget Mapleson, Cathy Devine, Linda Crossley and Lorna Marsland.
The Ladies Luncheon Club, an esoteric branch of the KMC, is populated exclusively by ladies for the purpose of having fun. In the early days this often involved rolling up at a crag with a Fortnum’s picnic and aperitifs and sometimes in fancy dress, before shocking all our observers by climbing a respectable number of routes. These days the aging process and family commitments have forced us to adopt less outrageous activities such as cycling, day walks and eating out, the latter being particularly popular. It had been some time since we had engaged in anything active as a group and even longer since we had spent a weekend away, so I felt it was time to remedy this.
The consensus was positive so I began looking for accommodation in the Lakes, as a favourite location. This proved challenging since most accommodation there is arranged in double rather than twin rooms, which was not a popular choice. I did find something which I thought would suit but by the time I got everyone’s deposit, we had lost it. As a last resort I investigated the FRCC reciprocal rights arrangement and that is how we came to spend the weekend at Birkness Barn.
I was asked to write a brief article on this year’s skiing trip to St Anton and if you read it you may recognise a similarity to this in that, on the ski trip, we started with 8 and whittled down to 0. On this trip the reverse was true in that on the Friday night there were just 3 of us and by Sunday morning we’d grown to 8. Only 7 of us staying there in line with FRCC regulations please note!
Christine, Cathy Devine and I travelled up Friday afternoon and spent a pleasant hour in the evening sunshine and getting into the swing of LLC life by indulging in some smoked salmon and prosecco on the banks of Buttermere. Sadly Bridget didn’t get there in time for this, but joined us for the second course of chilli, in the hut (midges biting too zealously at this point). Bridget also brought some apples and raspberries for dessert, so we were all set up, gastronomically speaking, for a day on the hill.
Saturday dawned damply and developed into full-blown rain. There was no hurry, therefore, to get out and we enjoyed a cup or two of fresh coffee made expertly by Sabina, when she arrived at 9.30am. We waited for Trish and Michelle, who’s ETA was 10.00am. But 10.00am came and went and so did 11.00am by which time the rain had eased off and we were high on coffee so set off, leaving them a note.
On arriving at Buttermere village, we collided with them in the car, looking for the hut. Apparently they had been looking along Crummock Water (input from uninvited spouses calling themselves mountaineers) had assured them that the hut was located there. This is an unusual phenomenon among LLC members, who normally resist any male intervention, but sadly not on this occasion. Please note more grid reference tuition required, or did they just need to read the email!
Eventually, having waited some considerable time under a dripping tree, Trish and Michelle appeared without the car or the fell race participants who were occupying all the parking spaces in an around Buttermere, and we set off at noon to walk to Keswick via Whiteless Pike, Wandhope Moss and Coledale Hause. The weather gradually improved as we approached Braithwaite where we saw a bus and jumped on it. This would enable us to have a tea stop in Keswick before catching the 17.30 bus back to Buttermere. Well we weren’t going to walk there and back were we and tea is an integral part of the walking process and a particularly important feature of LLC meets.
And what else happened on this weekend? Well Cathy treated us to a political polemic on Jeremy Corbyn and tracked his rise in popularity over the weekend on her phone, whenever she had a signal, which wasn’t often. In the hut we met 2 elderly FRCC members from Hertfordshire, going green by travelling to the Lakes by train and bus, to spend 2 weeks in The Salving House in Borrowdale and Birkness Barn in Buttermere. They had carried all their shopping in rucksacks on the bus and were grateful for the copious contributions made by the LLC who had typically over-catered. We had all arrived with shopping bags teaming with food, which was surprising given we had planned to eat out! I was wondering at this point how long the lunch stops were going to be! And then Linda Crossley arrived fresh from her ‘pile’ in Matterdale, rocking up on Sunday morning in shorts and tee-shirt, even though it was raining. Apparently it was sunny in Matterdale!
Sunday’s walk saw a prompter start than Saturday’s and at about 10.00am ‘Now We Are 8’, set off for Fleetwith Pike, still clad in rainwear, although this was divested during the rather humid ascent, except by Linda, who wore over trousers all day to keep her legs warm. It was a great opportunity to catch up with Linda, who is spotted less frequently than a peregrine falcon, and consequently there was much chatter and even more noise. Fortunately the rain had kept away many of the tourists who might have been hoping for a quiet walk in the country.
Departure times were set for about 16.00 and as the weather had brightened up considerably since lunch time, we decided to sample the delights of Buttermere - the water not the fleshpots on this occasion. Of course there is an enthusiastic wild swimming contingent in the LLC, and it appeared ready for immersion in wetsuits. Bridget and I were less keen to make this activity a life choice and so were reduced to swimsuits and I borrowed a pair of wet socks from Cathy to prevent cramp, which worked but did nothing for the visuals. IT WAS COLD! There is nothing more to be said. We swam around, moaned about the temperature, appreciated the view from the perspective of the water, posed for team photos and promptly got out. I was numb for about 10 minutes afterwards but it was good to know that we had provided unfettered amusement for those of us still on the shore, unwilling to take the plunge. Wild swimming for softies - not us, or not all of us!
Having dried off and gathered our gear together, we left the hut with lots of happy memories and a few suggestions for the FRCC hut committee in terms of signposting. But we’ll know where it is next time, won’t we!
Thanks to all who came; it was a great weekend.
