In November we held out annual winter walking weekend in the Lake District, our 31st such event. For the last few years our friends from Upper Nidd and CCD have joined us in the fun and this year was no exception

Seven of our PLs and APLs plus 7 ex-Scouts now members of the Ellen MacArthur Unit, together with 6 from CCD and Upper Nidd travelled to Keswick in the northern lakes. The girls plus the Explorer unit who are getting soft in their old age stayed in the Youth Hostel, whilst the Scouts and their leaders opted for the more spartan comforts of the stone bothy with a coal fire

For the first time in three years, Saturday dawned fry and sunny. The Explorer unit and young leaders set off for Buttermere to do their walk over Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike.

The Scouts split into two groups and starting from Grange walked to Rigghead Quarries. From here we climbed steeply to the wet ground below Dalehead before swinging right and climbing to the summit cairn on High Spy. Then followed an easy walk along the ridge to Maiden Moor before descending to the Col and our final climb of the day to the summit of Catbells. For many of the Scouts this was their introduction to walking and navigation in the mountainous countryside. They all took on the twin roles of leadership and navigation at some stage of the week, including “Ashley”, our Australian guest fot the weekend and I am please to say they all did extremely well