2012-05-06 53 -2

[edit] Location

The hash is on public access land at the top of Winfold Fell in the Forest of Bowland Country Park

[edit] Participants

[edit] Plans

Train to Clitheroe from Blackburn, then cycle north west to the hash. Secure bike at roadside and proceed on foot to summit and hash. Return home via same methods.

[edit] Expedition

On the train journey to Clitheroe, I overheard two teenage girls talking about which animal they'd like to be:

"Dogs are boring. They just sit around the place and they don't have any freedom. I'd like to be a cat so I could go and explore whenever I wanted."

"I'd hate to be a fish. That'd be horrible."

On disembarking the train, I cycled through the beautiful village of Waddington and past a field of llamas. At this point, I discovered Waddington Fell. The road over this beast reaches 1,167ft in under 4 miles and the descent on the other side is a real joy, leading down into the picturesque Newton-by-Bowland. I stopped off Puddleducks at Dunsop Bridge for some Mrs. Dowson's Pear Drops Ice Cream and a can of Whole Earth Ginger before cycling to the locality of the hash.

After shackling my bike to a convenient roadsign, I climbed the 1,427ft fell on foot, and after scrambling over a couple of fences and worrying a few sheep, was atop the hash, from which I could see Heysham Power Station and onwards to rainclouds gathering in Morecambe Bay.

After descending the fell somewhat faster than I climbed it, I found my bike and made my way back to Clitheroe. Entirely unable to attempt the north face of Waddington Fell without some additional sustenance, I stopped at the expensive but welcoming Parker's Arms at the foot of the fell for a glass of Peroni and some soup. This done, short work was made of the final climb. One 44mph descent and another swift pint later, I was back on the train home, content in a job well done.