Don't pay the ferryman

The A591 may well now be open but on Monday I tried to take Glebe Road in Bowness out of commission using only my head.  We were running to catch the last ferry back to Lakeside when I tripped & fell head first onto the pavement.  Contrary to popular opinion the road was harder than my head and I ended up in Westmorland General for 2 nights with a severe concussion and a broken right arm.  I'm home now and doing OK but very light-headed and washed out and learning how to type with my left hand - but back to Monday...

The day had started out so well - as a thank you for the April Fool's Day blog the jolly nice folks at Windermere Lake Cruises sent us a free ticket to enjoy and we waited for a clear, sunny day so we could go along and take plenty of lovely photos.

We took the first ferry of the day from Lakeside - our plan was to travel to Ambleside, catch the little ferry across to Wray Castle, explore the castle then walk down to Claife Heights before getting the ferry back to Bowness and then down to Lakeside.  Their excellent Walkers Ticket will let you do a shorter version of our cruise starting and ending at Bowness.

The weather was perfect and the lake looked superb.

Wray Castle is always fantastic fun to visit with games and activities set up in many rooms, an excellent cafe and a great guided tour.

I should stress that the following photos were taken before any head injury occurred - honest!

Then came the lovely sunny walk back along the lake shore - just beautiful!

The last time we'd been to Claife Heights it was all boarded up so we were delighted to find it now fully renovated and offering superb views up and down the lake.

By now time was getting on so we headed for the small ferry back to Bowness.  We somehow managed to miss the Windermere Cruises one so took the chain ferry giving us 10 mins the other side to run back to the pier for the 16:55.

This is the last photo I took before my fall and the following 8 hours remain a complete blank despite the fact I never actually lost consciousness.

Apparently when we reached the other side we started to run for the ferry; Steve was ahead and about half way along he heard a shout followed by a big crack as I hit the deck.  I was clearly very dazed and when he tried talking to me I was spouting more gibberish than usual and he realised that an ambulance was required. (I have no recollection at all of what happened next so the following is based on what Steve has told me). 

As he made the call some lovely people sat with me (I have NO idea who you are but thank you!) and I was stuck in some sort of brain loop with my conversation apparently going something like this...

Me:  Have I been on a ferry?

Ans:  Yes

Me: Oh that explains why I have Don't Pay the Ferryman in my head.

Short pause

Me:  Have I been on a ferry?

Ans: Yes

Me: Oh that explains why I have Don't Pay the Ferryman in my head.

Short pause

Me:  Have I been on a ferry?

And so on until the ambulance arrived - very funny now but probably quite disturbing for those folks who were kind enough to sit with me.

I was taken to Westmorland General where my brain loop continued but with a few added elements now:

Me:  Have I been on a ferry?

Steve: Yes

Me:  That explains why I have Don't Pay the Ferryman in my head

Steve: Yes

Me:  I'm in hospital aren't I?

Steve: Yes

Me: Is it Barrow or Kendal?

Steve: Barrow

Me: Do I have any training courses this week?

Steve: Yes

Me: Oh well we need to cancel them

Steve: I have

Me: OK

Short pause

Me: Have I been on a ferry...

Apparently on one loop Steve got his middle answer wrong and this happened...

Have I been on a ferry?

Me:  Do I have any training courses this week?

Steve: Yes

Me:  Oh well we need to cancel them

Steve:  Yeah, I will do

Me:  So you haven't?  Go and do it now - you need to call them else they'll all be waiting for me...

Steve:  OK

(Good to know I'm a control freak even when I've completely lost the plot!)

The great thing is that it was like GroundHog Day so once Steve knew that one answer was going to bother me, he just changed it on the next loop so I was happy again.

I was CT scanned (all clear but I'm gutted I don't remember it) and X-rayed.  Because of my continued gibberish they clearly weren't letting me out of their sight so I was admitted.  The odd thing was I was processing everything like a dream so when a nurse I'd seen earlier reappeared I'd gaze at her in wonder and tell her I'd had a dream about her and wasn't that amazing?

Eventually they got me up to a ward and although it was late Steve was allowed to stay for as long as we wanted.  By now I was beginning to return to the land of the living and realising what had happened to me I was getting very frightened and upset (I know a bit about brain injures and the dangers of the first 36 - 72 hours).  After I'd calmed down a little Steve headed home (it was now gone 2am) and he left me in the care of Jess who checked my blood pressure and shone a light in my eyes every hour or so.  

I was too scared to sleep and as clarity began to return I was doing whatever I could to keep my brain working - counting the ceiling tiles, pacing the ward, reading all the notices on the ward - anything so I didn't fall asleep.

As dawn broke I heard oystercatchers outside (one of the joys of hospitals up here - there's plenty of green around) and watched herring gulls circling above the warm air vents.

Dawn from the ward

Slowly I was beginning to piece together the day before and I could elaborate on my "Have I been on a ferry?" routine though to be honest, even though I can now recall it all I remember it more as a dream than as an actual event.  Of course what wasn't helping was that when anyone asked what I'd been doing that day (to see how my memory was getting on) my answer started "well, you see I wrote this blog about submarine tours under Windermere..."

The docs decided that I was still confused enough for them to want to keep an eye on me so I stayed put for another 24 hours.  The nurses and the doctors were all absolutely amazing - superb care - I honestly don't know how they do it.  My only teeny tiny, eeny winey complaint is that there were no decaff drinks on offer on the drinks trolley, (there wasn't any G&T either, but that was probably pushing things to be fair) but one of the nurses took pity on me and gave me some of her fruit tea teabags.

I took a wander around the ward and noticed that they were somewhat blunt with their medical notes...

Just glad this wasn't my medical chart

Anyway, the upshot of all of that is that I'm now back at home though still coming to my senses.  If any of you has been unfortunate enough to have a similar style clout on the head you'll know how scary, confusing and disorientating it is.  I know I'm still not processing things properly and I feel tired after doing almost nothing.  

For once I've cleared my diary to give myself time to recover - though being freelance if I don't work I don't get paid so it is a bit of a worry (you could always encourage your friends to buy our book to help fund our "not beans on toast again" coffers :-)  )

I've promised everyone I'm gong to take it easy and I mean it - I've given myself (and Steve) a proper scare and this isn't the time for bravado, this is the time for looking after myself a bit.  It may be a while before I'm back on the high fells but I'm sure I'll still find some fun things to do.  

Meanwhile, there really is only one person who can have the last word on this blog... 

Nearly mist the summit...

It was time for our wonderful Welsh adventure to head south a little.  Next destination was Arthog, not too far from Dolgellau.  This time we were at Graig Wen - a Camping and Caravanning Club listed site with superb facilities and drop dead gorgeous views.  (Yes we are big fans of the C&CC - they have a great variety of sites and, because they welcome tents, the facilities even on the smaller sites are usually excellent).

Our first day there was a little murky so we took a walk into Barmouth for a nostalgic trip along memory lane.  At least it was for me as I took childhood holidays there - for Steve it was just a long soggy walk...  We have an excellent way of passing long flat walks when the weather's not too chipper and you're a bit on the tired side - Random Movie Connections.  The game is collaborative not competitive and involves one person naming 2 random movie stars which we both proceed to try and connect via films only.

Barmouth Bridge

For example Lawrence Fishburne and Samuel L Jackson: Lawrence Fishburne was in The Matrix with Keanu Reeves. Keanu Reeves was in Speed with Sandra Bullock.  Sandra Bullock was in Practical Magic with Stockard Channing. Stockard Channing was in Grease with John Travolta and John Travolta was in Pulp Fiction with Samuel L Jackson.

Our rules are that it's movies only, no TV series or marriages etc. and Google is not allowed - but really, you can make your own rules.  It usually passes a good half hour or so as we shout at each other - "you know - him - he was in the one with wotsit - you know - wotsit - with the hair!" and generally alarm passers by.

The true object of our affections for this leg of the tour was Cadair Idris - a very beautiful sweep of peaks just to the south of Dolgellau.  The weather during the morning had been apocalyptic rain but I had faith in the forecast that it would brighten and I was mostly right...

Info board at the start of the walk

The route follows a very pretty stream up through the woods and out into a stunning cwm.

Llyn Cau

Onwards & upwards - I had faith that the mist on the top would clear but Steve had his doubts.  Steve was right (obviously I'm not going to admit that this happens often and will deny this if anyone reminds me of it.)  :-)

View back down to the Cwm

Summit shelter

We're used to hiking in Cumbria so mist holds no fears - apart from stopping every 10 paces to check you're still on the right route - undaunted we soldiered on round to Mynydd Moel.  I reminded Steve how breathtaking the views out over the sea were from this point.  Steve may have glared at me,  I don't really know - the mist was in the way...

We'd enjoyed the hike but it was with a degree of despondency that we began the trek down.  We paused on a rock about 200m down from the summit for one last view of Llyn Cau and to finish the last of the tea and guess what happened?  The mist lifted - fully and completely - giving crystal clear mountain tops.

Well - there was only one thing for it - shove the flask in the rucksack and race back up there,  We were knackered at the top but it was worth it - even if only for me to gasp "I told you so" in between pants.

After half an hour or so the clouds showed signs of returning so we headed back down again.  I think it's fair to say that the route had suffered from some sort of storm damage and the first section is one of the worst descents we've ever attempted.  (I'm not having a go - that's just life in the hills!)

It became such a long, slow and, at times, tedious, challenge that we completed an epic round of Random Movie Connections - connecting Kevin Spacey to Kevin Costner (*our answer is at the end if you're interested!)

Things picked up lower down as we argued over whether portrait or landscape was the best orientation for this scene.

Job done and holibobs now over it was just a case of getting back to the campsite for a long luxurious shower and a glass or two of "essential muscle relaxant" before beddybies.  We've had an absolutely cracking time in Wales and are already busy planning our next trip - gweld chi y flwyddyn nesaf (possibly - hope that's not rude - I'm relying on Google translate to say See you next year!)

* Here's our answer to the Random Movie Connections: Kevin Spacey was in The Usual Suspects with Benicio Del Toro. Benicio Del Toro was in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with Johnny Depp.  Johnny Depp was in Pirates of the Caribbean with Keira Knightly.  Keira Knightly was in Love Actually with Liam Neeson. Liam Neeson was in Star Wars with Ewan McGreggor. Ewan McGreggor was in I Love You Philip Morris with Jim Carey.  Jim Carey was in Bruce Almighty with Morgan Freeman and Morgan Freeman was in Robin Hood with Kevin Costner.  I told you it was a long descent!

Snowed on Snowdon, 'snow done

Sorry - couldn't resist - Snowdon, which had been snowed on, is now done.  Don't groan, this is the sort of stuff I think about when I'm making my way down off big high mountains.

The main reason for our trip to Wales was to tackle Snowdon so it was great to finally make it.  To be fair we didn't have the greatest weather during the 5 day window we'd allowed for the hike - but we picked the best of the bunch and went for it. The Camping and Caravanning Club Site at Llanystumdwy is the perfect base for exploring Snowdonia and Rhyd Ddu is a straightforward 30 minute drive from the site.

I'd done quite a lot of research,  poring over maps and reading books (I'm half way through Jim Perrin's Snowdon book and it's FAB) and opted for the Rhyd Ddu route on account of the fact that it's generally considered the quietest and the prettiest of the routes.  (For anyone who's interested our exact route was along the Rhyd Ddu path from the station, then on to Bwlch-Cwm Llan, up via Allt Maenderyn and Bwlch Main, then back along Bwlch Main and Llechog - and if you think any of my spelling is dodgy then be thankful you can't hear my pronunciation!)

Down in the valleys it was a very pleasant day but we were very well aware that the summits were wintery and were glad we had come prepared - which is more than I can say for many of the folks we saw at the top who, in thick fog, ice and snow clearly thought the best outfit was light cotton trousers/ denim/ leggings and trainers, but I digress...

Yr Aran

I've spent a lot of time pondering why we hike high hills - is it just to get to the top or is it something more?  We've now "done" the big three (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) and I can honestly say that Snowdon is the one I'd go back to because it's interesting and not just because it's high - in the same way I regularly go back to Blencathra - there's just something about hiking a fine looking mountain that makes it so much more that just another yomp.

Getting across Bwlch Main in the snow and wind was an interesting experience and halfway along we bumped into one of the wardens - who I suspect is a well known figure to those familiar with the mountain with his brightly knitted hat and generally colourful clobber.  We had a good old chat about the mountain and he put my slightly jangled nerves to rest about the remainder of the route.

Even though the trains weren't running due to the weather conditions the summit was absolutely rammed.  The visitors' centre was closed but was still being made use of as a lunch shelter/ smoking hut/ urinal creating an interesting aroma that somewhat put me off of sausage and egg mayo roll.

Even though the route down wasn't all that different to the route up, it was less taxing and gave us some slightly different views to enjoy and some interesting icy rocks to photograph.

 

We'll definitely be back there to try a different route - or maybe give the same one a go in rather better conditions.  I'm not at all sure about the visitors' centre and I'll probably get into trouble with someone whatever I say - but I'm not a big fan - from down in the valley it reminded me of the sort of evil lair a Bond villain might hide out in.  Who knows, maybe it is and the whole "tea and cakes" thing is just a big ruse.  If the railway ever converts to nuclear power - then might be the time to worry...

"I've been expecting you..."