2012-05-06 53 -2

Location

The hash is on public access land at the top of an unnamed fell in the Forest of Bowland Country Park

Participants

Plans

Train to Clitheroe from Blackburn, then cycle north west to the hash. Secure bike at roadside and proceed on foot to summit and hash. Return home via same methods.

Expedition

On the train journey to Clitheroe, I overheard two teenage girls talking about which animal they'd like to be:

"Dogs are boring. They just sit around the place and they don't have any freedom. I'd like to be a cat so I could go and explore whenever I wanted."

"I'd hate to be a fish. That'd be horrible."

On disembarking the train, I cycled through the beautiful village of Waddington and past a field of llamas. At this point, I discovered Waddington Fell. The road over this beast reaches 1,167ft in under 4 miles and the descent on the other side is a real joy, leading down into the picturesque Newton-by-Bowland. I stopped off Puddleducks at Dunsop Bridge for some Mrs. Dowson's Pear Drops Ice Cream and a can of Whole Earth Ginger before cycling to the locality of the hash.

After shackling my bike to a convenient roadsign, I climbed the 1,427ft fell on foot, and after scrambling over a couple of fences and worrying a few sheep, was atop the hash, from which I could see Heysham Power Station and onwards to rainclouds gathering in Morecambe Bay.

After descending the fell somewhat faster than I climbed it, I found my bike and made my way back to Clitheroe. Entirely unable to attempt the north face of Waddington Fell without some additional sustenance, I stopped at the expensive but welcoming Parker's Arms at the foot of the fell for a glass of Peroni and some soup. This done, short work was made of the final climb. One 44mph descent and another swift pint later, I was back on the train home, content in a job well done.