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Holmes Travels
Holmes Travels

Holmes Travels

traveled in 10 countries Read more🇨🇦Whitehorse
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  • Coast to Coast
    1Nine Standards
    Leaving Kirkby StephenPeat erosionNavigating the peat bogsWe can actually see the trailRavenseat farmThe Ravenseat ownerFlagstones on a muddy pathOld farm building1Falls on Swale River near Keld

    Through the Peat Bogs

    August 4, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    We traveled from Kirkby Stephen to Keld today. The weather was nice all day and we arrived early so that we could enjoy sitting and relaxing a bit. It’s 6:30 now and pouring rain out with loud thunder and lightening.
    From Kirkby Stephen we climbed to Nine Standards, which is a high hill over 600 meters with great views in all directions. There are nine cairns which are very old but no one knows why there are there. One theory is that it was to fool the Scots into thinking the English had a lot of soldiers nearby. From there we picked our way carefully through the grasses avoiding the peat bogs. We stepped around lots of flowing water and mud holes and it was slow going. We stopped at Ravenseat farm where they serve tea and scones and it’s obviously popular with the locals as well as hikers. The owner (Amanda Owen) is famous in these parts for moving here from a city and having nine kids and raising sheep. There has been an ITV series about her and a book. From Ravenseat we walked to Keld where we are staying at the Butt house. We were able to actually do a laundry here! Supper is here too with other guests which is nice so that we don’t have to go to the local hotel in the rain. Keld is a very small town with only a few buildings.    Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Brookfield House in Shap
    Lots of these styles todayM6 crossing. Glad to be walkingLimestone pavementA stone circleNew use foundGlacial erraticLime kilnAbandoned rail viaductEden Valley with Kirkby Stephen in distance.

    A Rest and Recovery Day?

    August 3, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We had a long day yesterday but our guidebook said not to lose heart. Even though today was to be even longer (32 km) it’s easy going and so it should be considered a rest and recovery day. Well we made it ok after 8 1/2 hours and were pretty tired when we arrived at the Old Croft House in Kirkby Stephen. we didn’t feel rested and recovered. We took a slightly longer route today to see the town of Orton and our Old Croft B&B owner actually spotted us there while he was there visiting at noon, so knew we were on our way. We saw some interesting things today. This is limestone country so we passed a few quarries and farm buildings and fences built with limestone rocks. We saw limestone pavement which is limestone with cracks between blocks looking like paving stones. We last saw this in the Alps. We passed several stone circles and pillow mounds, which are a bit mysterious and used to be called “giant graves” but people now think they were used for drying bracken. We passed a few Neolithic settlements but there wasn’t much to see; just ridges and mounds in the ground. There were a few monuments we passed. One is called “Robin Hood’s grave” but look as we might, we couldn’t find it. We passed a disused railway line with a viaduct still standing. A steam train passed us tooting it’s whistle with black smoke pouring out. Kirkby Stephen was a welcome sight after a long day. The owner Nick was very welcoming and we have dinner lined up at the Black Bull hotel tonight.Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Bob on bench above Patterdale
    Brothers Water in Patterdale ValleyAngle TarnComing up from Angle TarnThe High StreetNear Twopenny CragKidsty Pike in DistanceTowards Haweswater ReservoirRolling farmland with rock walls and.buildings1Shap Abbey. Built late 12th century

    Farewell to Lakeland

    August 2, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We left Patterdale around 8:30 after a nice breakfast (as always). We had a long day today and for once it didn’t rain all day. In fact, it didn’t rain at all! The long climb out of Patterdale took us over the High Street chain of ridges. We passed Angle Tarn, with a flock of Canada geese on it. Then we climbed up to the High Street. This is a long line of ridges on which the Romans built a road to move their legions to and from the key forts in West Cumbria. The road stays high on the ridges and we followed its path for a short distance. Then we climbed to Kidsty Pike which is the highest point on the Coast to Coast path, at 780 meters. From there the valley of the Eden River and farther away the Yorkshire Dales came into view and we said goodbye to Lakeland. But it didn’t let us go easily. The path down to Haweswater Reservoir was steep with a couple of handholds needed. The path along the Reservoir was also long and rock filled. Once we got passed that and into the rolling hills, there were a lot of mud holes and wet patches. So it was a long day getting into Shap. But Margaret, our hostess at the Brookfield House, made us a pot of tea and served scones. After that and a shower we were fine again and went out for dinner at the local hotel nearby - the Greyhound. So all is good. We’re getting an early start tomorrow - it’s the second longest day of the trip.Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Market Square in Penrith
    Graham's shop. A famous merchant in PenrithIn a butcher shop window in Penrith

    A Rest Day

    August 1, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We stayed in Patterdale today in order to take a break before we go on to the next stage. After a nice breakfast we took the bus into Penrith. We spent the day looking in shops, going to the visitor centre and museum, and stopping for tea and lunch. It poured rain at one point but it was short lived. Tonight we went back to the White Lion in Patterdale for dinner and drinks. We’re now back in our room getting ready for tomorrow - it will be a long walk of over 24 km with 900 m ascent and descent.Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Bob starting out
    Our route towards Hause GapLots of water pouring off the fellsVal at Grisedale TarnHeading down towards GrisedaleLots of sheep along the wayRuthwaite HutDowntown PatterdaleOur B&B the Old Water ViewA favorite beer here

    Grasmere to Patterdale

    July 31, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    We had a relatively short walk today; only 14 km but a 550 m elevation gain and drop over a pass. There were beautiful views along the way. It was a wet day and we got pelted with rain in the last half of the walk. When we arrived in Patterdale we went into the White Lion pub.. There were towels by the entrance for patrons; first time I’ve ever seen that. So we sponged ourselves off, ordered drinks, and relaxed until our B&B opened. We’re staying at the Old Water View (which used to be the Ullswater View until the trees around it grew up and blocked the view). It was a favorite haunt of Albert Wainwright, the guide book writer, and there is a page from a 1944 guest book signed by him, his wife and son. it also has a great drying room. We had dinner back at the White Lion and sat with Andy and Anne, from Whitehaven, who are staying here on a short fell-walking trip. Then we came back to the B&B and watched a Julia Bradbury video of the Patterdale portion of her Coast to Coast walk.Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Bob walking towards first climb
    Val on the First ClimbLong rocky paths1Val on boulder fieldLast climb to Scafell Pike summitOn top of Scafell PikeBob on the way downSprinkling TarnLong trail backAngle Tarn

    Scafell Pike

    July 30, 2019 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We took a day “off” walking the Coast to Coast Trail today and spent it getting up Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England. We’ve managed now to do the three highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales (the three peaks). This one today was probably the hardest due to a combination of distance (from our trail head to the summit), difficulty of the trail (wet rock and loose scree) and weather. The day ended up being around 28 km round trip and 2000 meter elevation gain with lots of rain. From start to finish it was 9 hours.
    We took a cab and started from the old Dungeon Ghyll hotel in the Great Langdale Valley. When we got to Esk Hause three hours later the trail split, and we headed towards Scafell Pike. There is a large boulder field to navigate and then you come out of it looking over a 150 meter drop before you can climb up again to the summit all of which involves lots of loose scree and boulder hopping. We took a different route back via the Corridor route as it looked like easier footing. The footing was easier but it was longer and there were a few spots where you had to use handholds to get around steep sections. It started to thunder and rain and then we had steady rain for the last three hours hiking down to where we started. We caught the last bus with ten minutes to go and made it back to Grasmere. We went for a nice dinner and are now in our room with sore feet and knees and thinking that we’ll never finish this Coast to Coast unless we stop doing these mountain side trips.    Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Leaving the Scafell Hotel
    1Near StonethwaiteCrossing a streamAnother streamDrumlins seem from Lining CragVal on High RouteHigh RouteBob on Helm CragGrasmere from Helm CragLow Ceiling at Heidi's Lodge

    High Route to Grasmere

    July 29, 2019 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We left Rosthwaite after breakfast with our rain jackets on, after it rained all night last night, but soon enough took them off when the rain stopped. We walked past Stonethwaite up to Lining Crag. The path was very wet with water pouring down it from all the rain. I don’t know if the path was built first or if the stream was there first, but they’re both in the same place now. We were up to our ankles in water at times! We eventually got to the pass, where we wrung out our socks and had lunch. From there you can then either descend into Far Easedale Gill to Grasmere or choose the “High Route”. We chose the latter and walked along several nice craggy hilltops with spectacular views. The day had turned quite clear, by that time. There were quite a few other walkers on the route, and many with dogs. We met one particularly nice “Patterdale Terrier” (a breed that originated in the town we will be staying at next). We got to Helm Crag and then descended the steep path to Grasmere. We checked into Heidi’s Grasmere Lodge, got cleaned up and then went for drinks and a mackerel fish dinner. We bought a lunch for tomorrow. We took a day off the Coast to Coast to try and climb Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. We have arranged a taxi to take us to the Scafell Pike Trail Head at 9:30 am tomorrow morning. Stay tuned.Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Ennerdale Water with fireweed
    Pillar from River Liza valleyClouds clearingVal scrambling up HaystacksBob heading up HaystacksButtermere LakeVal on top of HaystacksSlate building at Hopper QuarryBob heading down from Honister Hause1Boots at YHA hostel

    On to Rosthwaite via the Haystacks

    July 28, 2019 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We left Ennerdale Bridge after a nice breakfast. We were all decked out for rain but although it was misty and the clouds were low, it was dry. As the day went on it got brighter and so somewhere at the end of Ennerdale Water (Lake) the sun broke through and we could see the mountains. The walk along Ennerdale Water, and further up the River Liza valley, was fairly flat but with nice views. Given the good visibility we decided to go off the Coast to Coast route and do a side hike up to Haystacks. A good trail led to Scarth Gap where we had our packed lunch. Then it was a scramble to the top of Haystacks. We then dropped down to Innominate Tarn. This was Alfred Wainwright’s favorite tarn in the Lake District and his ashes are spread there. He was the writer of the famous guide books to the Lake District and creator of the Coast to Coast Walk. We carried on to Blackbeck Tarn and then to an old slate mine with a slate building. Past this point we met up with the Coast to Coast Trail again. Further on, the active Honister Quarry is operating with a cafe and souvenir shop that sells things like slate coasters and slate house numbers. We had a cold Coca Cola there, which was great! Itwas a long walk down from the slate mine to our hotel in Rosthwaite. We are staying at the Scafell Hotel. It’s an 19th century hotel and has been a centre for the mountain walkers for many years.Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    South Head from St Bees
    Looking back at St BeesLooking back at South HeadVal checking out Common Murre birdsBird poop on the cliffsBob with St Bees Head in distanceLost in the clifftop foliageFields of grainSignpostBob at top of Flat Fell in rain

    St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge

    July 27, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    We left St Bees after touching the Irish Sea and taking a small stone which we plan to leave on the other coast. It was grey but not rainy. The first few hours were along the top of the cliffs on St Bees Head. There were lots of birds offshore and cows on shore. The cliffs are protected as a bird sanctuary by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, or RSPB. Some of the Path was in high grass and shrubs. We turned inland at an old sandstone quarry. Red sandstone is quite common around here - apparently sandstone from this quarry was used in the past in buildings in Canada! After turning inland, the path skirted several small villages, with many twists and turns so that we had to watch the gps route carefully. We counted on finding somewhere to eat along the way but nothing was open and so we had to settle for the granola bar we bought in Edinburgh. It’s a good way to lose weight though. After this it started raining more heavily. We had to follow a diversion at Cleator Moor over Flat Fell. There really was no path on the way down but we followed the gps and rejoined the original path. By the time we got to Ennerdale Bridge we were pretty wet. Fortunately our B&B was right at the entrance to town and doubly fortunate there was a coffee and tea shop right beside it that was open! We each had two large lattes and scones. Tonight we are having dinner at the Fox and Hound pub. It is looking very wet for tomorrow. The area we are heading into has the highest rainfall in the UK - an average of 4.7 meters of rain a year (4 times Vancouver’s average).Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Val at St Bees
    Val experiencing First Class travelStatue of Saint BegaPriory of St BeesBob outside our B&B1Hydrangea1Lupin

    On to Saint Bees

    July 26, 2019 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We left Edinburgh today. We caught the Virgin Train to Carlisle, traveling First Class (for the first and last time this trip). We then transferred to a regular two-coach train that rattled its way to St Bees. This is the start of the Coast to Coast walk. From here you can see the Isle of Man out in the Irish Sea. The place we are staying at is part of the old railway station. Friday is a busy day here. The workers at the Sellafield nuclear fuel decommissioning plant come into St Bees to party. Luckily today isn’t pay day. It’s strange to see them carrying full mugs of beer out of one hotel and heading down the street to the next hotel. We had a huge dinner at the Manor House restaurant. The portions are big here and we figure that we may not be able to finish this walk if we get too fat and heavy along the way.Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Arthur's Seat
    Val on Whinny HillBob having made it to the topHeather on Arthur's SeatRose Bay Willow Herb (aka Fireweed)1Restaurant food is very reasonably pricedEdinburgh Castle

    Last Day in Edinburgh

    July 25, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    It got up to 31 degrees today in Edinburgh with sun. We had a bit of a late start with the jet lag. We decided to do a short hike up to Arthur’s seat in the morning before it got too hot. It was also a bit of a trial run, to make sure we had brought what we needed for the Coast to Coast hike. There were lots of people already on the hiking trails at 10 in the morning. We got to the top and then came down via Whinny hill, which was a lot less busy. Heather was in full bloom. We then hiked up to the Observatory on Calton Hill, past the Burns Monument, and then walked back to the hotel to shower and cool off. In the afternoon we looked for and bought a new pair of hiking poles for Val. To take advantage of the spending opportunity, Bob bought two light hiking shirts. We had dinner at the same place as last night as we are still tired and the prices were pretty good. An early night tonight and then the train to St Bees tomorrow. Forecasts are calling for thunderstorms and rain for the weekend. We’re not sure what’s better - extreme heat or extreme rain and lightening?Read more

  • Coast to Coast
    Val looking at wool in a shop
    Val amidst the crowds on Castlehill StreetGood beer prices. And you get to try them.Relaxing at Motel One

    First Day in Edinburgh

    July 24, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We arrived in Edinburgh at 6:50 am local time. So we’ve had a whole day here of being jet-lagged. We are staying at Motel One which is right on Princes Street by Waverley Station and only £120 per night for double accommodation. We spent the day wandering around shops. In the afternoon we visited the “Royal Mile” leading to Edinburgh Castle. It is buzzing with crowds of tourists and lined with touristy shops. So we hightailed it back towards our hotel and had a nice dinner at the Standing Order pub. The food and drinks were good and pretty cheap. The dollar trading around 1.65 per pound really helps. Hooray for Brexit! A pint of beer on tap was around $4.50 Canadian and comes free with fish and chips if ordered before 5. We’re going to bed early tonight as we’re currently like the walking dead. Tomorrow is supposed to bring possibly the hottest day ever recorded in the UK (39 C in London) and it’ll be hot here too.Read more

  • Coast to Coast

    Leaving Toronto for Edinburgh

    July 23, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Getting ready to leave Toronto for Edinburgh. The trip is uneventful so far apart from the torrential rain when we left the house. Luckily it stopped when we arrived at Whitehorse airport.

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Over Greenland

    Arrive home

    August 7, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We had a very long day. Caught our plane in Zurich at 7am after getting up at 4:30 am. Kim and Bob went to Steamworks in Vancouver for lunch and then to the Mountain Equipment Coop to look around. Kim left for home on the 99 bus and Bob hung out at YVR. Bob was home and in bed around midnight.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Grächen from our hotel
    Cemetary in Grächen

    On to Zurich

    August 6, 2018 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    We woke to the sound of bells which ring loudly every 15 minutes here. We had a nice breakfast in Grächen and said goodbye to Gwilym and Geoff who were driving out that morning. We walked around a little and came across a neat little cemetery with everything in rows behind the church. Lots of things are very well maintained, organized and well laid out in Switzerland. Kim bought a souvenir Grächen shirt. We then caught our bus and trains and got to Zurich around 2 pm. We found our hotel and then walked around the downtown streets and railway station. Everything is too expensive here. We are back in our hotel now and will just hang out til bedtime. We leave tomorrow on the 7 am flight.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Kim in Zermatt with trail signs
    Zermatt looking backStones on posts to keep rodents outLike the name11

    Back to Grächen

    August 5, 2018 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We stayed at the Hotel Tannenhof last night. Kim recognized the hotel that our family stayed at years ago and had a flashback at breakfast. We had breakfast in Zermatt and said bye to Severine and Hamish who were heading home today. Geoff, Gwilym, Kim and Bob then started walking towards St Niklaus. It was a long walk and very hot. We stopped along the way at several places. While walking through a village we saw a bin of free apples that had been left out for travellers. It was nice as we were tired and thirsty. Eventually we reached St Niklaus and then caught the bus up to Grächen where this whole trip started nine days ago. The four of us had a nice dinner and are getting ready to leave for Zurich tomorrow.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Windy conditions
    Roping upKim and AnneTheodule PassTheodule GlacierBreithorn from glacierBreithorn and Klein Matterhorn

    Down to Zermatt

    August 4, 2018 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    We left our hut at 8:30 am when Livio our guide arrived. We had lightening last night but no thunder and teeming rain. We roped up and walked down a snowmachine track which is built on the Theodule Glacier. There were crevasses but safely away from us. The snow was slushy and lots of water was running. The Theodule glacier and pass was used as a route in the past when there was no ice present. We unroped at the bottom and hiked towards the Matterhorn with spectacular views of it and Monte Rosa. Kim collected some rocks at the bottom of the Theodule glacier to bring home as souvenirs. As we were walking towards the Matterhorn we had flashbacks to the time we were there previously. The glacier that Val had touched on our previous visit (7-8 years ago) seemed to have retreated several metres. When we arrived at the gondola lift we headed down to Zermatt and checked into our hotel. At the museum in Zermatt we saw an old sword that archaeologists had discovered at the Theodule glacier from a traveller passing many years ago. At the museum we also saw old hiking equipment artifacts. It was neat seeing the advancements in this equipment (water containers, boots, crampons, ice axes, and hats). Tonight we are eating together. Anne left to go back to Paris and Severine and Hamish are leaving tomorrow to go back to the UK.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels

    To the Refugio Guide del Cervino

    August 3, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    We left Refugio Ferraro at 6 am as Hilary needed to get home. We walked up through a beautiful valley and over Alpe Mase (2400 m). After a lot of climbing we came to a view of the Matterhorn from the Italian side. Cervinia the townsite was far below in the valley. We caught the gondola to the Refugio Guide del Cervino and will be staying here tonight. Tomorrow we go down the mountain to Zermatt.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Monte Rosa
    From Colle de Salza1Walking towards Stafal1

    To Resy

    August 2, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We had a very nice morning with brilliant skies and very clear air. The mountains looked really close. We spent the morning walking up to Col della Salza (2890 m) and then down to Stafal where we had drinks and lunch. We then took two lifts up to Colle di Bettaforca at 2672 meters. We then walked down to the Resy hut. There was some ugly construction of a reservoir along this portion. The hut was crowded but we were able to have showers. Some mosquitos appeared and a few people were a little bitten sitting outside.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Resting at Orestes Hut
    Having coffee and waiting out the storm1All of us on a bridge1HilaryFrom Orestes Hut

    To Orestes Hut

    August 1, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    There was thunder and lightening when we were ready to leave in the morning. We made a decision to head into the town of Alagna Valsesia and halfway there the storm hit and we got caught in torrential rains. Luckily we came across a taxi van that took all of us to the town where we had coffee. When the storm lifted we got three cable cars (2 to Corno del Camoscio 3024 m and 1 down to Refugio Gabiet) and then had a short one hour walk to our next refuge, the Orestes hut. It serves vegetarian food. We wanted to do a short walk but it rained in the afternoon and we got more lightening so we just stayed in the refuge. Anne led a yoga session for those of us who wanted it. We had a nice dinner and went to bed early.Read more

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