Tales of the Unexpected

Jeff Hooper

Both of the events recorded here happened during annual Long Walks.  It may be that oxygen starvation of the brain was responsible, or again perhaps it was the tiredness induced by rising at such an early hour.  To me they were both real experiences and regarding the first one, I still have the evidence.

1 The Spanner

On June 17, 1978, I was well into The Long Walk, it was mid-afternoon and we had started at 4 a.m.  As on so many Long Walks over the past thirty-odd years by this stage of events, I was on my own with the others having finally disappeared from view as I slowed down.  I believe it was David Smith who was relentlessly going ahead; it usually was! The walk was the Seven Peaks from Whernside to Great Whernside and I was on Fountains Fell.  I remember that it was brilliantly sunny and warm enough if one kept on walking but there was a strong cutting wind and one quickly chilled on stopping.  

To try and pull back some distance on the others instead of following in their footsteps I took a straight line across the fell top to the point where I had seen them disappear over the edge.  This took me over a level area of eroded peat where obviously people did not usually go.   I was completely remote from fences, old mine workings or other signs of civilisation.   
As I walked along looking at the peat I saw what I immediately recognised as the end of a ‘Bahco’ 6 inch adjustable spanner projecting vertically from the peat! The business end was buried in the peat and 3 inches of the handle was on show.   It was all heavily corroded including the projecting segment, it must have been there several years and apparently the peat had been blown or washed away from it.   

At home I cleaned it, soaked it in penetrating oil and brushed it with a wire brush.  I have used it on a number of occasions and I still have it in my possession.   I have an almost identical spanner dating from the mid – 1980’s, the only differences are a smaller hole in the handle and in addition to the inscription ‘ V-STEEL 6″ BAHCO 0670 SWEDEN’ the modern one reads ‘invented in Sweden 1892’ as well.  

What I want to know is how did it get into the peat on the top of Fountains Fell?

2 Cool Clear Water

Once more the Long Walk, but this time 20 June 1981 and again I was trailing behind the leaders and on my own.  We had started walking from Low Hall Garth at 4am.  It was the walk that had been planned by someone looking at the map and deciding that we should go along one side of Dunnerdale from fell top to fell top and then cross the River Duddon to Black Combe and walk back on the high ground on the other side of the valley, with scant regard to distance or paths.  If we were lucky we might be picked up at the top of Hardknott Pass, if not we would walk back to L.H.G.  The only two finishers got back at 11 p.m.
 
The day had started mistily and damp but after we left Black Combe the sun came out.  By then I had changed from shorts into breeches because I had been cold! On the lower ground the wind lessened and I was too warm.  Earlier at the feeding point on the Duddon Bridge to Broad Gate road I had not had enough to drink nor had I replenished my water bottle.  By late afternoon I was very thirsty and there was no water on the route.  By now I had walked about thirty miles.  

Across the moorland Northeast from Green Crag, Harter Fell was the objective and as I walked across the dry grass it rose higher and higher with every step.  Now very thirsty I began to look around to see if I could avoid the climb up Harter Fell in the sun and still meet the car at the top of Hardknott but to no avail.  

Before setting off I had looked through Wainwright’s guide of the area and suddenly it came clearly into my mind that the guide had said that just below the summit of Harter Fell there was a rock face below which there always issued a trickle of water even in dry conditions.  In my mind all the way up Harter Fell I could see the appropriate written page from Wainwright complete with pen and ink drawing.  That kept me going during the half hour ascent.  

Leaving the summit of Harter Fell for Hardknott, after a slight descent I saw on my left what I was looking for; a rock face with a slight overhang and from the lip of the overhang water trickled.   Two or three mouthsful of water revived me and I found the car waiting at the top of Hardknott Pass.  

At home on Sunday evening I took Wainwright from the bookcase and turned to the section on Harter Fell to check what had been written.  There was nothing there about water, neither in writing nor as a drawing! There was no mention of water near the summit.  I looked up the other Harter Fell (Mardale) in case I had looked at the wrong one in mistake previous to the walk; again nothing.  I checked Poucher’s guide with the same result.  

Can anyone throw light on to the mystery?