~Pendle 366~
14th February 2019
Me at the Top of Pendle Hill (August 2011)
The Challenge: get to the top of Pendle Hill on every different day of the year.
Peter Burgess
Way back in 2011, I was walking up Pendle Hill with Peter (above) and he mentioned in passing "The Pendle 365" and I was left assuming it was a target for a walker to reach the top on every day of one year - now that would be something special and quite unachievable for one with a business to run and a few other matters to take care of. But it got me thinking.
Pendle across Black Moss Reservoir
It takes an average of 17 minutes to drive from home to the nearest starting point for a walk up Pendle. From around 2012 onwards, I started looking at my walk records database and occasionally choosing one date ahead of another to tick off a "new" date and the idea caught on. I think I had about 80 dates ticked off when the plan got underway.
Pendle Summit
My favourite things are the fresh air; the physical test; the views; the broad, flat summit; the bonhomie amoung the kindred spirits and the sense of achievement after every journey home. By 2015 gaps in the diary were shrinking and I'd passed the half-way mark during the year. New family addition, Molly was wholeheartedly up for the challenge.
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Early Days |
Happy Days! |
My strange behaviour at home was noticed and I had to own up to my scheme in order to explain why I was missing a sunny day and going up on a cloudy day; sometimes going up in the rain. Sometimes holidays were booked carefully to leave "need" days free. Did you collect "Football Cards": needs, gots and swaps? Addictive, obsessive behaviour...
The Sunday Ladies
This group are frequently seen on Sunday mornings. Have they climbed Pendle on every different day in the year? Well, even if they managed every Sunday for 10 years, they'd still be a few dates short of the target. Work it out for yourself.
Summiteers
It's great to see so many folk aiming for the top of Pendle. The trig point is frequently repainted and provides a great target for fellwalkers of all ages. But don't linger! Summit Hogging is unfair on others and it is a tad selfish, move along quickly. This photo was taken in 2015 and the gentlemen did not hang around.
Christmas Day 2013
Christmas Day is joint 2nd (along with New Years Eve and February 19th) with five logged ascents; Boxing Day is out in the lead with six. Not sure how February 19th has got in on the act, but the others are all typically holidays and so work doesn't get in the way.
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By the end of 2016, I'd reached 293 different dates; end 2017: 327; end of 2018: 360. In 2018, from March onwards I was determined to mop all remaining "need" dates; a holiday was booked in May carefully avoiding any crucial days. The weather was very kind and has continued to be so, I don't think I've had any poor weather on these target days for well over a year now.
The Stile (dec'd)
Alas, the stile has been discarded in the name of progress. A kissing-gate has been built into the wall - it was so much fun watching folk slip and struggle on the greasy rungs and the criss-cross on top was fodder for many sunset photographs.
Busy Pendle
No problem with large numbers heading up Pendle, it is easy to find quiet times if that's what you need. My No.1 hate on this and many other walks is....discarded pooh bags - what is that all about? I've nothing but contempt for folk who bag their dog's business and then chuck the bag away, or stuff it into walls. No.2 is all other sorts of rubbish. No.3 is any form of misuse of the landscape: scrambler motorbikes come to mind in this category; cyclists should stick to the bridleways and tarmac. At No.4, I haven't finished yet, are dog owners who chose not to control their dogs - don't blame the dogs!! No.5 are those summit-hoggers; worst of all those with mobiles in selfie-mode who are addicted to taking odd photos of themselves from all angles. I don't care much for drones either.
Hmmmm?
Dog under control, selfie in progress - this is OK as long as they move on promptly, I think they did on this occasion.
Karen has joined me on the Pendle walks 29 times; Molly 304; I've reached 550 recorded ascents.
The View from Our Local Fields
Misty February 14th
And so to the morning of Thursday 14th February and an opportunity to tick off the last remaining date in the calendar.
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Sunrise |
Hoggers! |
Oh No! At 0725hrs, a gang of four has taken over the summit. Me n' Molly played ball for 10 minutes or so, but they were still there. So, I decided to march on and ask them to clear out of the way. In the event, the friendly foursome who had come specially to see the sun rise were just too nice to be lectured to on matters of felltop etiquette, so instead I asked them to take a photo of me. I didn't bore them with all the details of why I was there.
Sunrise
Molly
Me on top 14th February 2019
Dates: 15th June 1996 to February 14th 2019
Pendle Ascents: 550 including all 366 calendar dates
Accompanied by: Karen, (canine companions: Molly, Jess, Izzy, Dana & Pluto and Oscar (!)), Peter, Gary, Andy, Aimee, Simon, Libby, Matthew, Peter Burgess and many more from The Online Fellwaking Club, plus plenty of others too numerous to mention or maybe even remember.
Do you have a strange obsession? Do you climb the same fell far too many times? Perhaps you collect train or bus numbers or maybe you run around the same park every Saturday morning? Good on you all!
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2009-2019 ©
Take me back to the start ....