Found this piccie of Jock

I was browsing around the other day and found this piccie on another site and just had to show it to you all. Its our dear old Jock standing attached to the old A board outside the Moot Hall on a wet morning looking somewhat forlorn, poor fella.





Pete would have been around somewhere but obviously one of the clients took this photo, so if you know who took it please get in touch and let us know when it was and what walk you did. If you have anymore photos of Jock I would love to see them too. I still miss him and Bramble.

I also wanted you all to know that the website will be given a new look fairly soon. The address will still be the same i.e. www.keswickrambles.org.uk but the September Programme can only be seen on this blog until the new site is ready, so if anyone you know wants to view the programme please tell them it is only on the blog at the moment. October is not available yet so please be patient whilst we go through these changes.

You can always contact us by email at armstrongps1@madasafish.com

Jock in Crummockwater

Well the answer to the last posts piccie question was Jock; and to prove it here is the next shot of him in the water. After very dodgy beginnings: as a pup he would walk around puddles for instance, he became a great water lover! He also enjoyed camping after he realised that he was going to be allowed into the tent at night.

So on the subject of camping, Pete is busy organising the camping trip for the 9th and 10th of May and he should be contacting everyone concerned very soon with more details. The venue for the overnight stay has been decided and it is Wasdale opposite the Wasdale Head Hotel. The last time we stayed there a cow decided to moo at its mate across the road for a couple of hours, and I wondered if we were going to get any sleep. Anyway, we went into the public bar and after an hour emerged into a lovely quiet still night as the cows had gone to bed, so we had a good sleep after all.

Spring is around the corner

Well someone had a spring in the step. I was sorting through the photo gallery and I found this amazing photo. It was Crummock Water and one of our 2 Parson Jack Russells, who have both sadly passed on, is bounding through the shallows with glee. So I thought it might be an idea to ask you to guess the dog, is it Bramble or Jock? If you have never walked with us before, or only in the last couple of seasons, you may not have met those rascals Jock and Bramble, so here they both are on the same day having fun as they always did.



Bramble is the smaller bitch in the foreground and Jock is her half brother at the back. They shared the same sire who was the most famous Parson Jack Russell in the USA and over here as he won every top dog show in America. His name? Blencathra Badger; and when his owner the legendary Cumbrian climber Paul Ross came back to live in Keswick he entered Badger for Crufts when they first recognised the breed and allowed them to be showed and of course Badger won that too. So Blencathra Badger was best of breed Parson Jack Russell in the world! Anyway, Bramble and Jock were his siblings and they lived up to their famous father and although not show dogs they were wonderful mountaineers. Jock did the Arran Ridge and Bramble did the Aonach Eagach back on 27th October 1993, when there was ice on the ridge.

They must have climbed Blencathra at least sixty times and never gave up enjoying the fabulous playground which is the Lake District, mind you they also had plenty of fun in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland and we took them climbing in Snowdonia and Ireland too. So we have very happy memories of our two JR's and as I pass tarns and lakes where they used to play and swim I often think of them bounding through the water and barking their heads off! There is nothing to compare with having a thoroughly good dog out on the hills with you and I look forward to this new season knowing that at least 2 Tibetan terriers are coming out again, yes Hamish and Angus are coming back.

Christmas Walks Programme 2008

There seems to be a demand for Christmas walks so in response we've devised a short programme between Christmas and New Year, Pete and Lyn will be leading them together. Our accompanying view of Blencathra shows part of the walk planned for Monday 29 Dec. Lyn and Bella have walked up Mousethwaite Comb from the bus stop at Scales, they're at 345279 and are about to disappear down into the valley of the Glenderatera in front of them. That's the steep grassy flank of Bannerdale Crags on the right; beyond is Blencathra with the bare rock of Sharp Edge leading upwards to the top of snow clad Foule Crag. The route follows the Glenderamakin to the col between Bannerdale Crags and Blencathra at 328292. From there it's a stiff climb to the top of Foule Crag followed by an easy stroll to the summit of Blencathra 868m/2847ft. From there we make a fine airy traverse of the summit ridge to Blease Fell top, then descend to the Blencathra Centre and back to Keswick along the old Railway Track.

Grade A, 9 miles, meet 10am Keswick Moot Hall, £12 each, bus fare extra.



Saturday 29 December's walk starts as usual from outside the Moot Hall in the centre of Keswick; we'll take the launch across Derwentwater to Hawes End then ascend the steep north ridge; there are some surprising rocky outcrops towards the top that need to be negotiated with care, especially in the wet; the views from the ridge are wonderful so we hope for clear weather over the Christmas week. It's about a mile from the summit of Catbells 14181ft to Maiden Moor 1887ft, our second Wainwright peak of the day, then on along the broad ridge between Borrowdale and Newlands Valley to High Spy, highest of the day's tops at 2143ft. We descend steeply from this point south towards Rigg Head then follow Tongue Gill down through the old quarry workings to the valley floor and the village of Rosthwaite for the bus back to Keswick.
Photo: Catbells from Latrigg above Spooney Green Lane last winter.

Grade B, 6 miles, meet 10am Keswick Moot Hall, £12 each, transport extra.


On Wednesday 31December the walk is a circuit of Derwentwater, there's no transport involved, we start and finish walking from the Moot Hall. It's a varied and interesting walk with fine open views. It's just over 10 miles but there are no serious ascents, only the short pull up to Walla Crag at 1234ft the highest point of the outing, then it's easy going down to Ashness Bridge and along the track towards Watendlath, though we turn down through the woods to High Lodore Farm well before the hamlet is reached. We cross the marshy head of Derwentwater by the newly refurbished boardwalk and turn north along the west shoreline of the lake. The path wends its way through fine woodland with ever changing vistas across the lake, it leads past Peter Rabbit's garden to Nichol End and from there it is a short walk through Portinscale back to the bright lights of Keswick on New Year's Eve.

Grade B, 10miles, meet Keswick Moot Hall 10am, £12 each

Photo: Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Lake from Walla Crag last winter.

Thanks to Tess and Ewen

Guess what dropped through the letter box this week? Yep some photos from last years walk taken by Tess of our dear old Jockey. So this posting is for Tess and Ewen to say thanks for the memories and as you particularly liked the one of Jock on his own, well here he is just for you.

Some of you will know that Jock passed away this February at the age of 14 with many many fells bagged and even more Munros. He was a lively, lovely lad and I just wanted to share this photo with you. You may not realise but when he was younger, no butty was safe... I was once on a remote Munro with only one ham roll for sustenance (rations were short that day) and Pete and I were just starting lunch when I glanced aside at something at the same time inadvertently placing my butty on the lunch box lid (uneaten). Well in the next instant it was in Jock's voracious jaws and the tug of war contest which ensued resulted in a 50:50 split.... I was not pleased!

So you see this next photo shows how Jock had mellowed or perhaps Pete (two hand grip) was not in a mood for sharing.

I wonder who the other fellow is? Does anyone know? It's not Tess that's for sure.