It was a lovely day as we all got up ready to accompany my dad on his last Wainwright: High Rigg (1163 feet). After 20 odd years, he was now going to have completed all 214 Wainwright fells - can we have a whoop, whoop, please? On the walk there was him and my mum, me, the fell runner, my other brother, a client of my dad's, a friend with whom my dad does the Gable Remembrance Day walk and my uncle (one of the earliest completers who has been mentioned before).
We set off in two cars and parked one of them at Smaithwaite Bridge and the other at the church of St John's in the Vale. We all went up from the bridge and followed the delightful path on to the top. There was much banter and cheerfulness and absolutely no whinging from any party member.
At the top we were surprised to encounter a family who had completed the Wainwrights as a group just a couple of days earlier! We had lots of photos taken and out the champagne came which I had so generously carried up the mountain. We then swapped contact details with the family so that they could meet us on my final Wainwright and headed down to the chuch.
There was a feeling of sadness as we headed home; with 3 completers and one coming up, there was a feeling that a chapter of the book was coming to an end. However, the celebrations began again with a meal out, plenty of ale and excellent company.
2 comments:
Aged parent would like to express a number of misgivings.
Firstly the title "aged parent" is unacceptable - maybe it is strictly accurate but it need not be made so public.
Secondly, aged or not, we know who can come downhill more quickly.
Thirdly "aged parent" did complete the 214 before the school ma'am even though it actually took him over 30 years to achieve.
Finally, the blogwalker has got the dates wrong!
Who did fell running down the mountain, eh, old creaky bones? xx
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