Friday 18th August Day 1
After a 45-minute delay in travelling up North we got a few metres down the road when we were attacked (Suzz & Vez) by the Killer wasp. After Abbott managed to kill the wasp it came back to life later on even though it was cut in half. We survived and continue on to Maccy D's then shortly afterwards arrived at the campsite. We set up camp then scoped the area for Fish & Chips and came across a unique fizzy substance in cans. Ian then drove back to the campsite. A very big turn, a very big lorry, quite a lot of speed, and a near miss with a very large post later, we decided that Jab could have a go at it next time. We finally arrive back at the site all a bit shaken but still in one piece. Jab then takes us on a short relaxing walk up a 90° gradient to get us acclimatised. We all suffered, but it was a nice view when we got there. Then we went off to get some chips, this time JAB drove of course but instead of aiming for the very big lorry or the very large post, he preferred to aim for the wall on the other side of the road. Whilst eating our chips we ourselves were eaten alive, by little black flies then we got high on mosquito repellent and realised why Simon hadn't come. Then it was off to bed.
Saturday 19th August Day 2
We had a nice cup of tea and then we had some porridge, and realised a strange aftertaste from the porridge, it was caused by the bag being stored with the petrol stove for a year. It would have made a good fire lighter! We started breakfast, but the cooker wouldn't work. Luckily Jab had his mini gas stove come rocket booster (Single burner only) to fry our bacon and sausages. Jab breaks the news to us that we have to up the same hill as we did the night before, but a little bit more. After not looking at the map we decided to make our own way, it was this aversion to path that we followed the whole weekend. We got to see a pretty waterfall and had to climb up a rock face and traverse the hill to find the path we should have been on. We used a roaming sheep as our prominent landmark. We then scared a walker by turning up from the middle of nowhere. We headed to have our lunch in the bleakest place on earth, named "Black Hill", where Paul believes they filmed the "Moon Landing". Just then Jab decides to have lunch just as the wind picks up. We had to make our way across the peat bogs following our own path. Then the Pennine Way just pops out of nowhere, paving our way forward. Although we were quite embarrassed to be overtaken by groups of people twice our age. Suzz, tired of the happy feeling of the walk, decides to slip down a hill, and the careful placing of the plaster makes things look slightly desperate. True to form Suzz and Vez managed to find a naked man. Yes really he was standing on the side of a hill shouting with everything flapping in the wind. He was with a mysterious naked partner, sex unknown! He was on "Bare Holme Hill". After that excitement it was time for the long trudge home taking an alternative route back to the campsite. We had got rid of the mosquitoes by lighting about twenty mosquito coils. We then set about making spag bol for five using Jab's single rocket booster burner. That over with we quenched our thirst before turning in for the night.
Sunday 20th August Day 3
Up earlier, cooking mastered, we set off on our second "Big" walk of the weekend. Having parked the bus, we found a nice footpath, lost it again, as it disappeared into a peat bog! However, utilising our newly developed navigational skills and Jab's GPS, we found our way. Giving us one less thing to worry about as we trudged our way through the peat bogs. A few old men and a lost traveller later we hit the "Pennine Way" again somehow. Which proved quick going passing waterfalls, ravines and a whistling old man, complete with vest, braces and tweed flares/ankle flappers. We rejoined the path after lunch and met up with a motley band of new age travellers/art students, with red hair, funny shoes, who were picking up sheep poo!? As our journey came to an end, we discovered the bus was a lot further away than we thought, along a much more dangerous road than we had anticipated. Once back at the campsite we came across what appeared to be a group of travelling entertainers, but it turned out that they were merely beer drinking students! Whilst breaking camp, we discovered just how long Suzz and Vez could take to take a tent down, whilst wondering how all our gear had fitted in the tent and if we had actually used it all. Once all packed up it was time to go home, tight turns, big lorries, and large posts allowing.