41 Day 251 – If I Could Look Upon This Scene

41 Day 251 – If I Could Look Upon This Scene.

If I could look upon a single scene everyday for the rest of my life I would choose this place, Wast Water, high in the fells of the Lake District. Wast water is a remote area of stunning beauty, I use the word stunning as that is the feeling you have upon first casting your eyes on this place. I remember so well driving through the lanes as they became smaller and more uneven, cattle grids interrupting the drive and the sensation that your wing mirrors were so close to the dry stone walls, that the slightest deviation from the centre of the road would lead to certain removal of said mirrrors! But, that moment when I drove over another cattle grid and passed the National Trust sign for Wast Water I took such a gasp of breath and promptly stopped the car, walked several paces and simply stood in awe at the view before me . The sheer height of the scree covered slopes rising almost vertically from the deepest darkest waters to touch the crystal skies, the contrast to the flat grassy outcrops manicured by the weather, the far shores framed by the rising majesty of Kirk fell, Red Pike, Great Gable and of course the most celebrated of Lakeland peaks Scafell Pike, Englands highest mountain. No written word could convey that feeling on that day in that place. Beauty yet a sense of foreboding combined in a single landscape, pleasure and pain await the cocky conqueror of its peaks, a place where first you loose your breath and then your heart.

Wast Water by Lucy Gutteridge

http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/wastwater/

Environmental Photographer of the Year 2013 Exhibition

ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR EXHIBITION SET TO STUN LAKE DISTRICT VISITORS

Having received wide acclaim at the Royal Geographical Society in London, the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2013 exhibition comes to Grizedale Forest in the heart of Cumbria’s Lake District.

The annual competition has become an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography and video, honouring amateurs and professionals of all ages.

The exhibition features over 100 astonishing images by international photographers who narrate a poignant story about the fragility of our planet, the pressures on land and resources and the people who are pushed ever closer to the margins by the persistent drive of globalization. Compiled from the very best of 3000+ entries, the exhibition aims to enhance our understanding of the causes, consequences and solutions to climate change and social inequality.

Italian photographer Michele Palazzi was awarded the Environmental Photographer of the Year Award 2013 for his image entitled ‘Gone with the Dust #02’ . Palazzi, who is from Rome, was awarded £5,000 by CIWEM’s President, Paul Hillman, at a private awards ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society on 9 April 2013. His striking and emotive prize-winning image shows a young boy and his sister during a sand storm in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.

The Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (under 18) Award of £1,000, was awarded to Eleanor Bennett who has two works selected for exhibition, ‘Travelling Through’ and ‘Car Damage’. Bennett who is 17 years old is from Stockport, Greater Manchester.

Eleanor Bennett says, ‘I look everywhere for inspiration. To some I may seem comical in my endless tourist-like search for new sights. I was born in Stockport and have lived in Northern England all my life. I feel lucky that I have the time to look to the skies whilst the majority are just looking towards their next pay cheque.’

This year saw a major new partnership with Atkins, one of the world’s leading engineering and design consultancies who are supporting the competition and exhibition.

CIWEM Executive Director, Nick Reeves OBE says, ‘These photographs and videos are some of the most powerful images anyone will ever see. They tell a breathtaking and compelling range of stories on the environment and on the condition in which we live. Shock and awe, beauty and despair – it’s all there.’

Forestry Commission England, Arts Development Assistant, Antony Mottershead says, ‘We are very excited to be hosting such a prestigious exhibition at Grizedale Forest and make these thought provoking photographs visible to an entirely new audience. The photographs bring the ‘edges’ into startlingly clear view but also celebrate the character and resilience of extraordinary people and places around the world’.

Competition judge Dr David Haley HonFCIWEM says, ‘The final selection makes a very strong show with powerful rhythms in the groupings of images. And what emerges from those selected and the many excellent photographs that were not, is the despair, the joy and the passion of such a diverse understanding of our relationship to environment.’

This powerful and thought provoking exhibition of outstanding environmental, social photographs by international photographers and filmmakers will be on display at Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre, Forestry Commission England, in Cumbria from 25 May – 1 September 2013.

For further information visit – http://www.forestry.gov.uk/grizedale

New cycling initiative launched in the Lake District

TV presenter Helen Skelton, of Blue Peter fame, has become one of the first people to experience an innovative new cycling initiative in the the Lake District.

The initiative aims to encourage people to experience the Lake District in a healthier, greener way

The event was the first in a series of 30 free guided group bike rides led by British Cycling trained Ride Leaders planned for the Lake District this summer.

Aimed at all age groups and experience levels, the Sky Ride Local rides encourage people to experience the Lake District in a healthier, greener way.

It is the first time Sky Ride Local has come to a National Park, and the GoLakes Travel programme has teamed up with British Cycling to bring the initiative to the region.

Between now and the end of September, Sky Ride Local rides will also take place around scenic spots such as Hawkshead, Coniston Bowness, Elterwater and Ambleside.

Starting points for the routes will also make the most of traffic-free cycle routes being enhanced through the GoLakes Travel programme, with many getting underway close to bike hire points. For some routes, there is even the option of hiring an electric bike.

Helen Skelton said: “I’m delighted to be one of the first to experience this new cycling initiative in what is probably one of the most perfect locations in the country to cycle. I love to leave the car at home and get out on my bike. Cycling is such an important sport for all ages to get involved in and this ride will bring cycling fans together from all different backgrounds and abilities to enjoy riding in such a stunning landscape”.

Claire Maclaine, GoLakes Travel Programme Manager added: “Sky Ride Local rides are a really exciting, way for people of all ages and abilities to explore experience and enjoy cycling in a unique natural setting. Go Lakes Travel is proud to be part of a fantastic year for cycling in Cumbria, with the county hosting the longest leg of the Tour of Britain in September. As part of this, we want to show that cycling is for everyone and what’s great about Sky Ride Local is that it’s free, accessible and genuinely aimed at building people’s confidence whether they’re a regular cyclist or not.”

To see the full list of Sky Ride Local rides in the Lake District, or to book a free place, visit: www.goskyride.com/lakes

Tour of Britain 2013: Organisers reveal Stage Two Lake District route

HONISTER Pass was today chosen as the iconic setting to unveil the Tour of Britain’s first visit to the heart of the Lake District.

Organisers gathered on the 356m-high route to reveal the path which 100 of the world’s top cyclists will tackle during stage two of the race.

The pass, which features gradients of up to 25 per cent, will provide competitors with their sternest test yet as they head from Carlisle to Kendal on Monday, September 16.

Setting off from the city centre at 11am, racers will snake down the county via Wigton, followed by a Yodel Sprint starting from outside St Kentigerns Church in Aspatria.

Moving next onto Cockermouth, another Yodel Sprint will follow at Dearham, near Maryport, before a third starting outside Whitehaven School.

They will then take on SKODA King of the Mountains climbs at Mockerkin, near Cockermouth, and Chestnut Hill, Keswick, in what is billed as one of the toughest stages of the entire 2013 tour.

After passing through Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere and Crook, riders on the 186.6km route will have to summon the strength to climb Beast Banks, Kendal, which featured in the 2007 race.

Competitors face more than 3,000 metres of climbing during the stage with the first racers expected to cross the line at around 3.13pm.

North West professionals Matt Cronshaw, of Team IG Sigma Sport, and British Hill Climb Champion Jack Pullar, of Madison Genesis, joined Tour of Britain organisers and officials from across Cumbria to reveal details of the route.

The tour is returning to Cumbria after last year’s stage start in Carlisle, which attracted thousands of spectators.

It is estimated the event will generate up to £4 million for Cumbria’s economy.

David Southward, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: “The Cumbrian stage will be a high point – in all senses – of this year’s tour.

“The excitement is building and Cumbrian schools and communities are already showing a great deal of interest.

“As the event gathers momentum, the benefits for the economy, the environment and people’s health all snowball as people show an interest in cycling.”

Lake District National Park Authority chief executive Richard Leafe said: “Hosting the most challenging mountain stage of the Tour of Britain in one of the UK’s most dramatic landscapes will provide a fantastic opportunity to position the Lake District as an exciting and awe inspiring place.

“It is also an excellent opportunity to encourage more people to take up cycling as a greener form of transport, whether they are a visitor or local, while enjoying the beauty and splendour that the Lake District National Park has to offer.”

And Richard Greenwood, Cumbria Tourism’s head of policy and research, added: “Hosting a full leg of the Tour Of Britain in Cumbria provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our beautiful county – the UK’s Adventure Capital – both within the UK and internationally.

“As a cycling destination Cumbria has so much to offer, with country lanes, quiet back roads and lots of National Cycle Network routes to explore, as well as more challenging off road routes over high fells and mountains.

“To have international cycling stars in our county for a full stage is a massive coup and will benefit the area in so many ways as well as showing the world what a beautiful place Cumbria is to explore on two wheels.”

Stage Two of the race is being organised in partnership with the Lake District National Park Authority, Cumbria County Council, Carlisle City Council, South Lakeland District Council and Cumbria Tourism.

The Tour of Britain, the UK’s biggest professional cycle race and largest free-to-watch sporting event, starts in Peebles in the Scottish Borders on September 15.

Attracting Olympic, World Champion and Tour de France stage winners, it runs until September 22.

TV star votes Penrith high street best in Britain

By Victoria Brenan

        Penrith has been praised as having the best high street by Great British Bake-Off host Mel Giedroyc.

Mel Giedroyc

She said she had been visiting the town “since the year dot” after her mum grew up in the northern Lake District.

As part of a campaign launched by the Daily Telegraph – Reinventing the High Street – Mel sung the praises of Penrith and said it had her favourite high street.

“My attachment to Penrith’s high street is part nostalgia,” she said. “My mum grew up in the northern Lakes and so I’ve been going to Penrith every summer since the year dot.

“Now, when I go back with my own children, I love the fact that Arnisons, the department store with more than a hint of Grace Brothers, is still there on Middlegate, and Grahams, the deli in Market Square, continues to serve you everything over the counter. But my reasons are not all sepia-tinted.”

She said Penrith had a tourist trade because of its proximity to the Lake District but was no “chocolate-boxey high street.”

“The red stone suggests something more practical and it retains a strong sense of its own identity that enables it to mix the old with the new and still stay real,” she added.

“There are chains and a Morrisons. Plus, it is a community place, with a real sense of local people getting on with things as the minutes slip by on the clock tower. It is resolutely normal, but it manages to make normal shopping feel as if it isn’t a chore.”

News & Star | News | Cumbrian bike, hike and canoe challenge raises £6,000 for NSPCC

Cumbrian bike, hike and canoe challenge raises £6,000 for NSPCC

A ‘chasing the sun’ charity challenge raised more than £6,000 for the NSPCC in Cumbria.

The inaugural event, held in the heart of the Lake District, saw competitors from across the UK take part in a hike, canoe and bike ride.

They all completed the course between the sun rising and setting on April 20.

The challenge started at the crack of dawn with off-road mountain biking around Derwentwater – 25 miles in total – followed by a trek up Catbells to enjoy the view, before an eight-mile hike downhill. From there, participants canoed one mile back to awaiting bikes before cycling to the finish line.

More than £6,000 was raised for the NSPCC locally.

Among those who took part were Penrith-based Team Hip Hop, comprising Nick Hall, 18, and Andy Bremner, 19. They are both Lake District National Park apprentices working near Keswick, and were among the fastest to complete the challenge in around six and a half hours. Between them they raised nearly a £1,000.

Andy said: “I really enjoyed the variety this event offered – it was a real challenge.  I’ve never done anything like this before but I would definitely do it again.”

via News & Star | News | Cumbrian bike, hike and canoe challenge raises £6,000 for NSPCC.

North West Evening Mail | News | Violinist hits Lake District fells to help rescue team

Violinist hits Lake District fells to help rescue team

A 20-MILE run over the Lake District’s highest peaks isn’t the usual way for a musician to prepare for a gig.

But that is exactly what accomplished violinist Tim Kliphuis has planned on not one but three days next week.

Next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Dutchman is holding concerts at Hawkshead, Staveley and Keswick respectively with his band the Tim Kliphuis Trio.

Prior to each performance, he will scale a corresponding fell to raise money for the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association.

Mr Kliphuis, who is already more than halfway towards his fundraising target of £500, said he was undertaking the unique challenge to show his appreciation for the “incredible work” carried out by the region’s rescue teams.

The first mountain to be conquered is  Coniston Old Man on May 16, with the concert to follow at 7.30pm at Hawkshead Church.

He will then tackle the Kentmere Horseshoe the next day before performing at the Staveley Roadhouse from 7.30pm.

The final test comes on May 18 when he runs the Blencathra and Skiddaw mountains in the lead up to playing at the Keswick Mountain Festival.

Log on to www.justgiving.com/fiddlingonthefells for more information about the concerts, or to make a donation.

via North West Evening Mail | News | Violinist hits Lake District fells to help rescue team.

What a day – Will it last

Lake District Sunshine

Now the weather is so good you will want to maximise on your opportunities and enjoy a break in the Lake District and soak in the views as shown in the picture.

We have many great offers and discounted properties to help reduce your costs, so book now and enjoy the sunny Lakes.

http://tinyurl.com/bpwbzew

Daffodils appreciating the view

Introducing The Lake District Dairy Co. Quark – a new, naturally fat free dairy ingredient

Introducing The Lake District Dairy Co. Quark 

A naturally fat free dairy ingredient, that’s set to add a new range of culinary options for health conscious consumers nationwide. Launching nationally this week in a variety of flavours; Original, Lemon, and Vanilla – The Lake District Dairy Co. British Quark offers itself as a truly versatile dairy ingredient that is great for cooking, mixing and baking.

For more information:  http://clarion.pressdoc.com/45082-introducing-the-lake-district-dairy-co-quark-dairy-s-new-guilt-free-everyday-cooking-ingredient

The Lake District vigilantes

The warnings couldn’t be clearer – there has been an outbreak of civil unrest in the Lake District.

The area is “not best known as a battleground” points out i, nor is it “a traditional hotbed of British social and political activism”.

Over in the Daily Telegraph there is a warning that visitors should “watch out” for vigilantes.

And offering some much needed analysis, the Times says that the issue is “threatening to split” a community.

But wait, what is this all about? With a bank holiday approaching Paper Monitor is alarmed on behalf of all those planning a visit.

Oh, of course, it’s a disagreement over dry-tooling.

A group calling itself the People’s Climbing Front of the Lake District has been sabotaging equipment used by people who take part in the activity.

Paper Monitor doesn’t spend as much time hanging from cliff faces as it probably should, but understands that it’s all about using ice axes and crampons on bare rock instead of icy precipices.

Participants use it as training for winter climbing, critics say it damages the “naked” rock.

So, at a disused quarry near Coniston, the “protesters abseiled in with bolt cutters to carry out their work, or climbed the face armed with hacksaws” and got to work on the safety bolts and clips left in situ by the dry-toolers (if that is a term).

The Works is popular for dry-tooling — but purists say it damages the landscape
Westmorland Gazette/Cascade News

It is not a happy state of affairs.

Speaking out against the activists in i, professional climber Alan Hinkes says: “It’s a shadowy thing to do, because they are not saying who they are, which is vigilantism in one way.”

Others have called the action “petty vandalism by purists”.

Meanwhile, the British Mountaineering Council has called for dialogue, says the Telegraph.

In the first known case of direct action against dry-tooling, the group said it chopped safety bolts from high rock faces and a cavern roof in Coniston Photo: Alamy

It all sounds very stressful.

But, whatever the rights and wrongs of it all, Paper Monitor is pleased that it’s unlikely to be directly affected.

Time for a nice, quiet stroll.

via BBC News – Paper Monitor: The Lake District vigilantes.