There’s rabbit clothes, rabbit lanterns, rabbit displays and rabbit-everything everywhere!
An abundance of real live rabbits is one of the things I noticed about the UK on my recent visit – they were everywhere, munching away on people’s lawns. Not so here in Taiwan, but hey we’re celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, and with the Lantern Festival officially starting this coming Sunday, expect some more rabbit photos! 🐰 The Lantern Festival has already started in Hualien, where we were this past weekend – the home-painted lanterns are beautiful!
The Light Show was amazing too, shown every half hour during the evening – do check it out here!
Part of the fun of Chinese New Year is that everyone has the week off and many take the opportunity to travel around the country, visiting relatives or just enjoying the break. My good friend, Ah-Guan came from Taichung with another friend and we joined the crowds on Taiwan’s east coast, visiting Rev. Antony Liang and his family, who moved last summer from St. John’s Cathedral where he’d been in charge of the English congregation for the past few years serving his curacy. Now he’s the vicar of St. Luke’s Church, Hualien and settling in really well ~ we were very warmly welcomed by Antony and everyone. The church is small, with about 25 on an average Sunday, and lovely – all green and yellow, and the people so lovely too!
There’s lots to see in Hualien, including walking to Qixing Beach (yes, we really did walk – it took 4 hours!) and visiting the cultural areas of the city – and enjoying the night markets. The wind was incredible on the first day, but after that it was calm and mostly cloudy, which made for comfortable walking…
As happens in many beautiful places, once you learn the history of a place you find a lot of tragedy, and Hualien is no exception. There are military bases all over the area, and fighter jets practicing whenever the weather allows, so the noise is tremendous – just like the Lake District! Antony took us to visit the ‘Hualien Pine Garden’, originally named the ‘Hualien Port Army Military Department’, on a hilltop above the city, within walking distance of the church. The Okinawa Pines were brought to Hualien during the Japanese Era, now all over 100 years old. During World War II, this compound housed the Japanese Military Command, and towards the end of the war, it is said that from here Japan launched its kamikaze attacks on battleships in the Pacific. The kamikaze pilots would spend their last night here, eat their last meal, and in the log cabin, in front of the shrine to the Japanese Emporer, receive some heavenly wine. It is also reputed to be the place where, at the end of the war, the highest-level Japanese general committed suicide rather than surrender. These days it is a museum, also housing the bomb shelter, cafe and art gallery – currently displaying an exhibition of digital art…
Sobering thoughts which contrast with the atmosphere of celebration at this time of the year ~ and the rest of my Chinese New Year was spent eating, drinking and partying, as is usual for everyone in Taiwan at this time of year! I started with a visit to Bishop Lai and Mrs. Lily Lai in Tainan…
Then on my first Sunday back, I was presented with a farewell gift from Rev. Wu – on behalf of Advent Church – of a coffee grinder, a must-have item for a new house here – coffee parties, tea parties all coming up! And with all that caffeine, bouncing into the Year of the Rabbit seems an appropriate phrase!
Then I moved house into Taipei City – but returned to Advent Church for Chinese New Year’s Eve, invited by my good friends, the Tan family…
This was taken at Advent Church on New Year’s Eve…
New Year’s Day was actually a Sunday, which was most appropriate, and Advent Church welcomed Bishop Lennon Y. R. Chang and his wife Hannah to the service too…..
Now I’m now based at St. John’s Cathedral, Taipei and so far have enjoyed a nice meal with the Liu family, and 2 tea and coffee house-warming parties, more to come! Thanks to the cathedral dean, Rev. Philip Lin and his family, plus Rev. Joseph Ho and his family for their warm welcome…
Chinese New Year would not be complete without a visit to the Taipei Jianguo Flower Market, located under the overpass not far from Da’An Forest Park, and open at weekends and holidays…
Yes, everywhere is red and gold!
As my new location is not far from Taipei 101 and Xiang-Shan, Elephant Mountain, so we’ve made the most of it, by night and day…
And finally, Chinese New Year would not be complete without the cherry blossom, everywhere is pink! It brightens up a dull day…
And of course on a sunny day it’s stunning!
Enough for now, do keep a look-out for the Lantern Festival coming up, there’s more rabbits to come! 🐰
Scotland, ah what a great country ~ where even the peacock butterflies pose for a photo!
I was just there for 10 days, first getting my travel injections, and then moved on visiting friends. It’s a beautiful place! Spent most of the time talking, listening, discussing, enjoying catching up with friends. Thanks to all for their welcomes and hospitality. It’s a very cheerful place to be, and everyone I met speaks well of Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, ah we had plenty of discussions! Anyway, first to East Lothian, Bass Rock, Preston Mill and Seacliff Harbour – the UK’s smallest harbour, only big enough for one boat ….
Then up to Perthshire…
Back to the Firth of Forth, and this is the statue in Lower Largo, birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe…
To South Queensferry, to see the Forth Bridges….
And to West Kilbride, on the west coast near Ardrossan, with views towards the Isle of Arran…
Passed through the borders between Moffat and Selkirk…
Loved all the horses…
And of course the coos! The Highland Cows are so iconic of Scotland, that now I even have a Hairy Cow Hot Water Bottle (actually 2) all ready for winter!
With autumn champing at the bit to arrive in full force, so this past Friday, September 16 was like a Grand Finale of my Lake District summer! Blessed with incredibly clear views and sunshine all day – though also a very strong cold northerly wind and -5°C wind chill – so it was to be THE day for iconic Great Gable & its more humble sibling, Green Gable!
Great Gable summit 899 m (2,949 ft)
From Troutbeck Bridge, it would have taken just as long to drive to a nearer start point, and my brother had said it was possible to walk all the way – and so instead I started very early, it was only just getting light. Parked up at Dungeon Ghyll Old Hotel, Great Langdale at 6:00 am and so I set off, walking via Mickleden, up Rossett Gill, where the sun was coming up behind me over the Langdale Pikes …..
Mickleden
To Angle Tarn, below Bowfell….
Angle Tarn with Bowfell
Then Esk Hause, down to Sprinkling Tarn where several people were wild camping, and so to Sty Head by 9:30 am, where there’s a permanent stretcher box for the Mountain Rescue Team. It was too cold to stop walking, but there was beautiful sunshine all day, and it even felt warm when sheltered from the biting cold wind! Overhead were hundreds of honking geese flying south in V-shaped formations all morning – they had a tailwind to help them, but it must have been cold up there!
Stretcher Box at Sty Head
From Sty Head, I followed Wainwright’s recommendation of going round the circuit of The Gable Girdle, which was really fun! Yes honestly, it was fantastic and is highly recommended, and only a bit scary in places where the path is not clear! 😱😱 It winds across and around the mountain under the famous rock-climbing crags with iconic names, Kern Knotts, Great Hell Gate, Great Napes, Little Hell Gate, White Napes and across the scree slopes, with steep and beautiful views down to Wasdale Head and Wastwater.
The path goes all the way round via Beck Head and then along under Gable Crag to Windy Gap, where I turned right to clamber up to the summit of Great Gable 899 m (2,949 ft), just in time for lunch at 12:30 pm.
Great Gable summit with views north
The summit has a famous War Memorial, dedicated in 1924, and there is a short service held up there every year, whatever the weather, on Remembrance Day.
Every mountain summit view was clear in all directions, and there were also distant views of Windermere, Yorkshire, Pennines, Isle of Man & Scotland. I met lots of interesting people too, everyone has a story to tell, including a couple from Alaska who started reading the Wainwright books during lockdown and then decided to do all the 214 Wainwrights – they’ve now done over 50 of them, and reckon they need another 6 trips to the UK to complete them all! These are the views of the NW fells of Grassmoor, Haystacks, Kirk Fell etc…
Then to the summit of Green Gable 801 m (2,628 ft) with its steep grassy slopes, so lovely after all that rock and scree. Also great views, especially down to Ennerdale, and far off to Scotland….
Then I started my descent, down Aaron Slack and back to Sty Head at 2:30 pm to complete the Gable Girdle circuit….
Sty Head Tarn – my path goes up from there to Esk Hause
And then retraced my steps for the return trip to Great Langdale – this was the view of Great Gable and Green Gable when I turned back round!
Great Gable (left) and Green Gable (right) from Sprinkling Tarn
And so back on the path…
Esk Hause
From Esk Hause, most people on the return section at the same time were coming from a day spent on Scafell Pike, which is the same direction, but they had cut off at Esk Hause and ascended from there. And so, there were many of us coming down Mickleden to Dungeon Ghyll – we all arrived back there about 5:30 pm, tired but oh so happy!
Sheepfold at Mickleden
Total: 25.14 km, 1,583 m altitude gain, walking time 8 hours, total time 11+ hours, total amount of scree walked across: immeasurable!
The famous Gable Girdle scree!
Wainwright: “Great Gable is a favourite of all fellwalkers, and first favourite with many. Right from the start of one’s apprenticeship in the hills, the name appeals magically. It is a good name for a mountain, strong, challenging, compelling, starkly descriptive, suggesting the pyramid associated with the shape of the mountain since early childhood… In appearance too, Great Gable has the same appealing attributes. The name fits well. This mountain is strong yet not sturdy, masculine yet graceful. It is the undisputed overlord of the group of hills to which it belongs…”
Herdwick Sheep on Great Gable Girdle, with Wastwater behind
It was a truly spectacular day marking the end of summer for me, and I’m full of gratitude for all the mountains climbed and places visited. For now though, there’s definitely a chill in the air ~ autumn is very definitely here! 🍁
Summer in the Lake District certainly has given us a wide variety of weather. When the weather’s good and there’s a free day, I’m making the most of it all and exploring the Lake District mountains, sometimes with family members, sometimes on my own, but never totally alone since people are always so friendly on the tops, sharing news about where they’ve walked from and where they’re going! Below are some of the highlights of the last few weeks…
Iconic View from Three Tarns on Bowfell to Scafell (left) and Scafell Pike (right)
Wednesday August 17: A memorable day on the rough, rugged and very rocky roof of England! England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, the very top! I got there at 12 noon surrounded by greyness – in the rocks, clouds and views. The path to the summit over Ill Crag and Broad Crag involves crossing over big boulders. Wainwright on Scafell Pike: “Roughness and ruggedness are the necessary attributes (of a mountain), and Scafell Pike has these in greater measure than other high ground in the country…Crags are in evidence on all sides, and big areas of the upper slopes lie devastated by a covering of piled-up boulders, a result of the volcanic upheavals that laid waste to the mountain during its formation. The landscape is harsh, even savage, and has attracted to itself nothing of romance or historical legend. There is no sentiment about Scafell Pike.”
I went up Bowfell too: “Rank Bowfell among the best half-dozen!” (Wainwright)…
Bowfell Butress and Angle Tarn
From Dungeon Ghyll Old Hotel, Great Langdale to Bowfell 902m (2,959 ft) via Oxendale & Hell Ghyll, then along the ridge to Esk Pike 885 m (2,904 ft), Great End 910 m (2,990 ft) and finally onto Scafell Pike 978 m (3,209 ft). Return via Rossett Pike 651 m (2,136 ft), Angle Tarn and Mickleden. A mix of cloud, mist and sunny spells, no wind, no rain, perfect for walking! There were lots of people on Scafell Pike, including many families with young children, some as young as 5! Total: 22.07 km, 1,409 m of ascent, 7 hours walking, 10 hours total time.
There’s also a memorial plaque on the summit of Scafell Pike, with the words: ‘In perpetual memory of the men of the Lake District who fell for God and King, for freedom, peace and right in the Great War. 1914 – 1918. This summit of Scafell was given to the nation subject to any commoners rights & placed in custody of the National Trust by Charles Henry Baron Legonfield 1919’.
Tuesday August 23: The weather forecast was not so good, so we brightened up a misty day by walking among heather of all shades of pink and purple on Lingmoor Fell 469m (1,540ft). This is the mountain to climb when the higher tops promise to be in the clouds. Ascent from Elterwater in Great Langdale via the quarry (run by Burlington Slate). ‘Ling’ in the name ‘Lingmoor’ means ‘heather’ and there’s 3 kinds growing on UK mountains, all beautiful!
Thursday August 25: “Positively one of the finest ridge-walks in Lakeland’ (Wainwright)! An early start for the Oxendale Horseshoe from Dungeon Ghyll Old Hotel, Great Langdale up Oxendale via Red Tarn to Pike O’Blisco 705m (2314ft), then to Cold Pike 700m (2297ft) and along the ridge of all 5 crinkles on the Crinkle Crags, including the highest point Long Top: 859m (2,819ft) on the second Crinkle, and along to Bowfell 902 m (2,959 ft) and down via The Band.
This is THE view of Scafell Pike & Scafell, visible from all over the Lake District, this one taken from Bowfell….
Crinkle Crags officially has 5 crinkles, but it seemed way more than that – so many crinkles, so many rock buttresses, so many cairns on the tops! The famous ‘Bad Step’ on Crinkle 2 has an alternative route, don’t worry!
It was cloudy all morning, misty along the Crinkles, then the sun came out on Bowfell and stayed out all afternoon. Total: 17.5 km, 1,234 m of ascent.
Walna Scar Road, Coniston Round
Saturday August 27: Amazing weather for August Bank Holiday Weekend doing the Coniston Round from Coniston village, out along the Walna Scar Road and up the ridge to Brown Pike, Buck Pike and Dow Crag 778m (2,552 ft) with its steep rock faces high above Goats Water…
Then on to the highest point of Old Man of Coniston, aka Coniston Old Man, 803m (2,635 ft) where the mist was swirling around. Along to Brim Fell, then very nearly almost the highest point of Swirl How 802m (2631 ft) – officially only one metre lower than the Old Man, and then to Great Carrs where the aeroplane (Halifax Bomber) memorial is located…
“Halifax LL505 came to grief on Great Carrs in the Lake District on the night of 22nd October 1944 whilst on a night navigation exercise from Topcliffe in Yorkshire. Its crew; seven Canadians and one Scot, encountered very thick cloud whilst over the north-west of England, they circled the aircraft hoping the cloud would clear but this made them even more lost. The pilot then descended so the navigator could get a visual fix on the ground but by this stage it was flying too low in the heart of the Lakes. In a few seconds the aircraft hit the top of Great Carrs and crashed killing all on board.” Very poignant.
Then up to Grey Friar 770m (2,530 ft) above Seathwaite Tarn, & back to Swirl How, down Prison Band and onto Wetherlam 763m (2,502 ft). Descent from Swirl Hawse to Levers Water (for paddling) & the Coppermines Valley, with a large number of disused copper mines & slate quarries. The place is oozing with mining history. It’s now also a wedding venue.
“Although cruelly scarred and mutilated by quarries the Old Man has retained a dignified bearing, and still raises his proud and venerable head to the sky. His tears are shed quietly, into Low Water and Goats Water, two splendid tarns, whence, in due course, and after further service to the community in the matter of supplies of electricity and water, they ultimately find their way into Coniston’s Lake, and there bathe his ancient feet” (Wainwright).
A day with great views of Scafell Pike in the distance & everything in-between, even distant views to the Isle of Man. Misty spells and clouds, with lots of sunshine, no rain. Perfect weather! Total: 23.7 km, 1,347m altitude gain.
Coniston house, notice next to the door says, ‘BEND or BUMP’!
Monday August 29: A White Heather Day for Bank Holiday Monday on the spectacular Helvellyn Ridge! Ascent from Patterdale, starting in the drizzle and swirling mists, to Arnison Crag, Birks and St. Sunday Crag 841 m (2,759 ft). Apparently, St. Sunday is a local name of St. Dominic, meaning ‘of the Lord’ as in AD ‘Anno Domini’ (‘Year of the Lord’)….
St. Sunday Crag just coming out of the mists
Then down to Grisedale Tarn and up onto the Helvellyn Ridge: first to Dollywaggon Pike 858 m (2,815 ft) and Nethermost Pike 891 m (2,923 ft), with great views of Striding Edge, then to the highest point of Helvellyn 950 m (3,118 ft) just coming out of the mist at midday. Onwards north to Helvellyn Lower Man, White Side 863 m (2,831 ft) and finally Raise 883 m (2,897 ft) where the Lake District Ski Club have a ski lift for use in winter. Descent via Sticks Pass through the heather (including one clump of real genuine white heather!) & through the old lead mining area – most of the old slag heaps are now covered in heather – up to Sheffield Pike 675 m (2,215 ft), ending with a steep descent to Glenridding. Morning: drizzle and mist, afternoon: cloudy but dry. Total: 24.31 km, 1,567 m altitude gain.
Tuesday August 30: Not strictly a mountain, but there were stunning views and amazing scenery at Humphrey Head 52 m (172 ft), a long limestone outcrop with a natural arch near Grange-Over-Sands on Morecambe Bay, with windblown hawthorn trees full of haws, lots of yummy blackberries, steep limestone outcrops and plenty more. There’s an interesting fact on Wikipedia: “Humphrey Head is the traditional location for the killing of the last wolf in England, in about 1390…” and do google the rock-climbing videos of Humphrey Head, esp. ‘Back into the Future’: incredible!
Wednesday August 31: Wetherlam 763 m (2502 ft) really does deserve respect and a whole day to itself, without being included in ridgewalks to any other fells. “Wetherlam features prominently in Brathay views like a giant whale surfacing above waves of lesser hills.” (Wainwright). Early morning ascent from Tilberthwaite (free parking), via the remains of the disused copper mines (mostly fenced off) and slate quarries, up Wetherlam Edge, along the ridge (it was very chilly!) and down to join the lovely grassy Tilberthwaite Gill path. Fascinating to peer into the old quarries and see the remains of the derelict buildings.
Wikipedia: “In the past Wetherlam was extensively exploited for its mineral resources. The slopes on all sides are pitted with disused copper mines and slate quarries, making it the most industrialised of the Lake District fells. The workings are on a small scale, however, and, according to Alfred Wainwright, unobtrusive: “this fine hill… is too vast and sturdy to be disfigured and weakened by man’s feeble scratchings of its surface.”
Wetherlam is one of our old favourites, it is just so special!
Thursday September 1: Whitbarrow Scar 215 m (705 ft) is also (like Humphrey Head) not strictly a mountain – though mentioned in Wainwright’s ‘Outlying Fells of Lakeland’ as one of his favourites in the area – it’s a huge limestone outcrop, with lots of limestone pavement, and really spectacular. Full of fungi, sloes, blackberries and haws – signs of autumn!
Friday September 2: the last day of this current fine spell of weather, and the last weekday before schools go back next week. Having tried to go into Ambleside a few days ago and not finding a single parking place, so I decided to walk there and back, via Wansfell Pike 486.9 m (1,597 ft), down into Ambleside via Stockghyll Force, and back along the lower road that leads to Robin Lane in Troutbeck. 21 km round-trip. This was sunrise – the views were good!
