The annual Remembrance gathering on Great Gable is something
I had heard a lot about, even before I moved to the Lake District. I really wanted to be part of it in 2012 as
what better way could there be to remember those who have given so much for
us? I joined a small group of friends
from previous Twitter walks – Paul, Sian, Jim, Phil and Gary at Honister, with
Tilly the black Labrador keeping us company and looking forward to being spoilt
by everyone.
Several people had told me how popular this gathering was
but I was surprised to see by 8am so many cars in the car-parks there and
already a long snaking line of people making their way up the various routes to
Great Gable. It was a beautiful morning
with sunshine and mist and the autumn browns reds and golds still holding on for
their last hurrah. I realised as I arrived
that I had forgotten my water bottles (too busy packing Tilly’s treats) but
decided it would be ok as it was a cold day and I had coffee. This is not the first time I have forgotten
water (see my “The Knight & the Water” story) – clearly I had not learnt my
lesson.
Our route up was via Green Gable so we headed off, Tilly
leading the way. I walk on my own a lot,
as a couple and with larger groups and I enjoy them all in their own way but
this was something utterly unique. The
volume of people heading to Great Gable was amazing – there must have been
30-40 people nearby for much of the route and there was a real sense of
friendliness and sharing a common goal.
I even managed to overtake people (rare for me as I am usually quite
slow) and found myself on occasions at the front of the group!
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| Tilly's "forgive me" eyes (photo by Phil) |
As we neared Green Gable, I was becoming incredibly thirsty –
it may have been a cold day but walking is thirsty work regardless. Without much hope, I asked the group if any
of them had a spare water bottle. Gary
fortunately did (thank you!) and at that moment, it tasted better than Dom
Peringon would have done (I reserve the right to change my mind about that once
the memory has faded though). Tilly was
enjoying herself thoroughly but she is not the most considerate walker as she
tends to stop unannounced or barge passed to get to the next person with
treats. This seemed to be Phil as Tilly
bounded up to him and tripped him up! Phil fell forwards and bruised his knee
and cracked the filter of his lens. He
was fortunately very forgiving and one look from those deep brown soulful “Tilly
eyes” still got her a dog biscuit. She
is a master I will give her that!
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| Mass scrambling |
On we went to the summit of Green Gable heading into the
mist and then down to Windy Gap and up the final ascent to Great Gable. Here it became rather a bottle-neck as several
paths merge around Green Gable and at Windy Gap and the path from there to
Great Gable is made of rock and scree and takes careful negotiating. With so many people, it was a slow but steady
climb. At least I did not need to
declare “Tanya stops” though. Tilly
found her mountain paws and she jumped and scrambled up the rocks and we finally
arrived at the summit.
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| The busy summit |
I have never seen so many people on or near a summit in my
life. Scafell Pike is nearly always busy
and mountains like Catbells, Loughrigg and the Langdale Pikes usually have a
steady stream of visitors. At this
moment on Great Gable however, there were literally hundreds of people all
waiting on the top and for the next half an hour, probably more than another
hundred arrived. We were scattered all
over the summit and some had even brought tents up for the occasion (I liked
the pink and yellow one best). Other
people we knew came to say hello as they arrived, some from other valleys and
Tilly thought Ray was Father Christmas as he came bearing gifts of dog treats.
There was only ever a fleeting view to other mountains and
valleys but it did not matter. We were
all here for one reason only – to remember those who have given so much for our
defence and freedom. Those people who
have made sure that all of us, whoever we are have the freedom to enjoy such a
beautiful place. It was very moving to
be part of such a gathering and peering through the mist to the occasional tiny
glimpse of other summits and tarns, I felt very fortunate and privileged.
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| View to Buttermere, Crummock & Mellbreak |
A few words were said by a representative of the Fell and
Rock Climbing Club and we observed the two minute silence. Hardly a dog barked during that time. It was a short moment but poignant and then we
all began to make our way down. Again
the scramble was slow to get to windy gap but after that, it was a lovely walk
without anything too arduous back over Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts. On Brandreth, the mist really cleared and we
had views all the way down the Ennerdale and Buttermere valleys. Mellbreak holds special memories for me so
seeing it in the distance was wonderful.
Great Gable looked menacing looking back with its dark crags on display.
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| Tilly finding her mountain paws.... |
Between Brandreth and Grey Knotts is a little tarn and whilst
it was a hundred yards away, Tilly decided she was ready for a swim and bounded
towards it, landing with a not so elegant but very enthusiastic splash. At this moment you know she is a true
Labrador. After hauling herself out she
decided to expend some of that pent up energy (5 summits are clearly not enough
for her nowadays) and started sprinting all around us and making wide circles
on the grassy fell side and rushing up to us and diverting at the last second. At this point, a male black Labrador arrived
and they gambolled around together as we made our way back down to Honister. The only thing that distracted Tilly was Jim
opening some crisps.
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| On the summit of Brandreth |
About three hundred yards from the car-park, I was chatting
away and promptly slipped backwards and ended up in a not very elegant “splat”
on the ground. Not my best look
(although nothing damaged except my ego) and fortunately Phil had not managed
to capture the moment on camera. Dragging
myself back up with all the dignity I could muster, I managed to get back down
to the car-park without further incident.
A really poignant and memorable day – Remembrance Sunday on
Great Gable. Lest we forget.
