Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club 

             This Weeks Walks

This Weeks Walks

It would be very much appreciated if all walk leaders submitted a description of their walk. Preferably by the Monday preceding the walk. Descriptions can be emailed to 

ramblingclubjohn@aol.com or telephone: 530306

Sunday 23rd October 2016

A Walk

Swatte Fell Circular

10.5 Miles Grade 1

Leader: Ken Halliday

Wednesday 19th October 2016

Lodore Falls - Watendlath

7.5 Miles Grade 3

Leader: Jo Agnew

Sunday 23rd October 2016

B Walk

Devil's Beef Tub-Annandale Way

8 Miles Grade 2

Leader: John McKay

Meet at the Sands at 9.15 or at the National Trust car park OL4 258 148 (or the adjacent village hall car park £3 per day) at 10 O’clock. There are toilets here.

 Sunday 23rd October 2016: Coach Walk: Rosehill 8.50am Sands 9.00am

Sunday 23rd October 2016

C Walk

Moffat Area

5 Miles Grade 4

Leader: Mary Richardson

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We set off from the viewpoint at Eric Stane a few miles north of Moffat on the A701. We go north up the steepish but short climb to the trig point on Annandale Head, which overlooks the Devil’s Beef Tub. It’s called the  Devil’s Beef Tub as it’s where those terrible Scottish Reivers hid all the cattle they stole from the English, I’m so proud of  my ancestors sometimes. Once we reach the trig point the climbing is more or less over for the day. We go east following the wall, along Chalk Rig Edge till we reach the very impressive cairn marking the beginning  or end ( depending on which way you’re walking it) of the Annandale Way. Apart from being very good at stealing cattle we Scots are also very good at building cairns. The Annandale Way is a long distance walk from the cairn to Annan or the other way round but not to worry, we are only going as far as Moffat.  We head south on the Annandale Way down into the glen and somewhere along this stretch, at a suitable spot, we will stop for lunch. We carry on down into the glen and eventually reach a very minor road which will take us back into Moffat. Once in Moffat I recommend the Rumblin Tum for refreshment, it’s one of my favourite cafes. A wonderful walk in a wonderful area, it’s Scotland after all but as Mandy Rice Davies famously said, “He would say that, wouldn’t he”

John

This is a proper, challenging A walk, giving a rare opportunity to reach the top of a Donald (lest you worry about the poor chap’s ability to cope with such an assault, a Donald is a hill in southern Scotland over 2000 ft).

We start at the Ram in the centre of Moffat, and ascend, at first very gently, by town streets, fields and grassy footpaths to the minor road past Moffat Well, a major tourist attraction a century ago, but now a sad remnant of its former glory.  We continue northwards along this minor road and its continuation as farm track and then forest road to the base of Swatte Fell. A steep pull up grassy hillside takes us to the nondescript summit.  This is the furthest point from Moffat, and we turn west and south, initially over Nutberry Moss (damp and tussocky, but NOT MUDDY, Peter,) to the indistinct, and possibly non-existent, Blue Cairn, named, incidentally, not from its colour, but from the language of ramblers approaching it across the aforementioned Moss.  A mile or two of gentle, tussocky and heathery descent leads us to Greygill Head, Hind Hill and the track back into Moffat.

I describe the walk as ‘challenging’.  The challenge, of course, is to arrive back in Moffat before the B and C parties scoff all the scones in the Rumblin Tum.