Christmas 2018

I woke up at my habitual 6 am, turned over in disgust and slept another hour or so. Then lit the boiler and went for my habitual constitutional just over 4 miles. Then a small breakfast before checking up on social media and showering before the first big event of the day, brunch with C&L and my granddaughters three...

The next major event of the day was scheduled for 1630 so I had some time to myself. Why not prove that I can still climb Church Mountain? So I did. Barefoot of course. The temperature was mild, around 10'C. Unfortunately the summit was in the cloud (which now-a-days is considered cool).

My track below, same as my usual, 14.6 miles, elevation gain 600m (max elevation 542m).

A by-product was working up an appetite for dinner, although I noted Others eating more who hadn't run that far. Whilst writing this I have topped up with Nora's exceeding good Christmas Cake and frankly my tanks are full.

The route to the pass starts a s a road

Then becomes a track: looking back towards my lake

Almost at the pass with Church Mountain ahead

The summit cairn and pillar

The view from the top

Descent - good thing I had my waterproof feet on

At the base, and no, I didn't

Christmas dinner at 1630!

Christmas day barefoot

Christmas day on a Sunday begs whether or not to 'do' church. We didn't. We had our big meal at 1700 leaving plenty of time for extra-curriculum activities before this. The weather was balmy (for winter - around 12 degC) so I decided to go to church after all - my favourite haunt the mountain by that name. The camera app on my newly acquired S5 smart (as opposed to a smart phone which it is not) decided to cease up so I have no photos, in any case the top was in cloud cover so not much visibility but my track proves I went there. My direction was clockwise.

And, no, it is not the same track as I made last time - it differs in my descent where I veered off the track to the right down a straight cut through the trees (marked in blue), beautifully steep, muddy and easy under barefoot.

Stats: 15.21 miles, average speed moving 5.15 mph, maximum altitude 542m, total time just over 3 hours, drizzle most of the way then a downpour within the last quarter hour. Not many hikers out but I did meet one couple on the descent.  They probably thought I was mad!  Perhaps I am.