We got the band back together.
I get the impression that Trep actually enjoys her job*, but viewed from afar it seems like she’s been working all the hours that capitalism sends. Thankfully, last weekend we managed to align the stars, and it was two pairs of weary legs that bimbled their way along the valley, doing their utmost to avoid any tarmac.
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We were agreed on a leisurely and relatively luxurious trip, including stopping at a pub for tea**. The first hostelry we hit was only serving food to residents, and a phone call to the next inn said their kitchen was closing in 15 minutes’ time! Erk! This was our only sprint of the trip, as we zoomed alongside the reservoir and arrived in time for a rather good burger, fish n chips, and a couple of beverages each.
Dusk had already enveloped us before we’d sat down, and by the time we were ready to head off again, darkness was all around us. This, combined with a ready supply of beer and the soothing tones of
Stephen Fry reading one of the Harry Potter books over the PA system in the pub toilets*** meant I was rather reluctant to get going again, but a few hundred meters up the trail and I was soon feeling better about things.
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Through the breezy night we bumped our way across the rocks, past a number of isolated tents, and finally down beneath the cover of a rocky overhang, where we unfurled sleeping kit, and brewed up some water for a second dinner (me****) and dessert (Trep).
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And with that, I lay back on my pillow, and drifted off! I'm not sure I even managed to say g'night. A pretty decent night's sleep later, we awoke to the local alarm clocks!
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I sorted myself out with a couple of mugs of coffee before haring off back down the hill to get the bairns to their football matches, whilst Trep had a much more leisurely start to the day.
On our respective ways home we spotted a stoat (me, unfortunately it had been squished by a car) and some rather unprepared and underdressed wild campers (Trep).
2021 BAM 9/12
2021 total bivvies 11
Current streak (months) 34
*Sometimes, at least
**In Trep’s case, including a pot of
***No, we had no idea why either
****"Summit to Eat" 5 bean cassoulet. Pretty tasty, but very trump-inducing