Leaving Osmotherely, we pass Mount Grace Priory, founded in 1398, this is Englands best preserved Charterhouse. Unlike most monks who took meals and worshipped together, the Carthusian Monks here lived as hermits, and sometimes even having their meals passed to them through cell doors.
well, I can confidently make this statement, of all my long distant hiking, today turned out to be the continuously most challenging day of them all. We left Osmotherly at about 9 am, stopped at the local store and purchased snacks, then headed out on a fantastic dry, sunny, crisp day. Who the hell put all these hills in my way?
Leaving Mount Grace , we climbed through to outskirts of the village and into beautiful farmland.
But before we left, we had a FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST in the restaurant that had our walk painted in the wall. If you have never had a Full English Breakfast, well,,,,,,,,,,,
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| Eggs, bacon, grilled tomato, toast, English sausage, baked beans, grilled mushrooms, blood pudding, potato wedges, HP sause |
The trail started out like most, undulating hills and cows, then more cows. Then we entered the forest for awhile, going along cattle trails and through kissing gates ( it’s an English thing), it could not have been more pleasant-
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| I needed to address that belly, well!!!! After the next guiness |
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| Great walking trail along the valley floor |
Then someone threw in a steep hill, again and again.
This is the highest track in the moors, and it goes along the perimeter rim. Absolutely spectacular scenery all day. We could finally see the ocean from Cringle Moor as we looked north to Middlesbrough.
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| A rare.section of pave stone trail heading up |
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| What I thought was the only mountain top of the day |
Cresting the moor, we came to a Caron, which turned out to be an ancient burial sight
We took a break here before moving on to Break Hills. On the way, we dropped into a valley where we had lunch , the only place to do so today, at Ironstones
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| Lordstones lunch stop |
Now it got to be fun, one brutal climb and descent often another.
A three hundred meter ( 630 ft) climb doesn’t seem much, but five in a row, plus the steep descents, takes it out on your knees and thighs.
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| Of kite surfing just doesn’t work out fir me???? Hmmmmm, then I heard a red haired head voice in the back ground, “ DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT” |
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| Climbing up to the Wain Stones Cliffs |
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| We could see the sea for the first tome |
The last climb of the day was to the Wain Stones, a crag at the top of the climb, which was brutal, but when we got there, it turned into a rock scramble and a maze,
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| View from the Wain Stones |
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| The Wain Stones scramble |
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| The Wain Stones Wall |
It was actually quite dangerous with a patch in your back, most folk we saw were only carrying day packs.
We traversed the rims and headed down to the car park at the base, which was the end of our day today. And I was grateful.
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| Overlooking the bank edge |
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| Crossing the lip along the Cringle Moor Bank |
Let me tell you a story,
All day long, I would stop and wait for Mary Beth on the dangerous sections, “ how are you doing dear”, I’d get the attitude of “ bugger off, Ive got this, I don’t need pampering” she never actually said that, but you know what I mean. Coming down the VERY steep last descent, I thought, “ I should wait a bit”, but I didn’t want to antagonize her either, I though it was dangerous but Mary beth would be fine.
I waited at the bottom, Mary Beth turned up with an upside down smile, “ what wrong honey” I asked. “ I fell in my ass coming down, where were you when I needed you?” Huh! You think the male Praying Mantis has it bad?. I said not to worry, we need to find a ride to the hotel, MB says, let’s ask the two ladies coming down TOGETHER!!! For a ride.
I humble begged forgiveness for not waiting, and we got to the hotel,,,,, quietly
We get a room and I make sure we have a bath, would have been great if we had hit water, I run the bath and hop in, it’s tepid to say the least. The shock of chilly water makes me slip, I land on my ass and water goes everywhere. I hear” what’s wrong honey” and a red haired head looks around the corner, I say “ I slipped and fell on my ass, “ hmmmm , she said in a low tone, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU,I said. The red haired head slightly shook from side to side, looked at me with Superman x-ray eyes, grunted, and the red haired head disappeared.
Seems that being a smart ass doesn’t go down too well either
Dinner was good, Salmon, I had stroganoff, we shared a wine, beer, and finished with a nightcap of Sherry
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| The Wainstone inn, out hotel fir tonight |
Tomorrow we climb to the highest point in the York Moors, and it’s supposed to be raining, yay
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