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24 August 2013

Post transplant: First walk in the Yorkshire Dales

I’ve had Brother Dave’s kidney for eight weeks at this point and so it’s time to do a northern world tour. First stop after my Friday appointment at the Churchill Hospital is with my old friends, Rick & Lindsey, in beautiful Austwick in the Yorkshire Dales.

Rick is not very well and so Lindsey is having to look after him, and it has to be said, she’s doing so quite wonderfully. Looking after someone pretty much full-time is a tiring and pretty stressful affair, and so when Rick was having his afternoon nap we had a stroll up a lovely little hill, Smearsett, for Lindsey to get a breather and for me to try my first “uphill” since my transplant.

Smearsett with Lindsey

SMEARSETT WITH LINDSEY SMITH - CLICK TO ENLARGE

It’s not a huge walk – but it was plenty for me – six miles with about a thousand foot of uppishness. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. It was a lovely afternoon.

Lindsey, Wharfe & Crummack Dale

LINDSEY, WHARFE & CRUMMACK DALE

 

LINDSEY, SMEARSET, WITH PEN-Y-GHENT

LINDSEY ON SMEARSETT, WITH PEN-Y-GHENT

 

STAINFORTH

STAINFORTH, LIMBERING UP FOR NEXT YEAR’S TGO CHALLENGE

 

POT SCAR FROM SMEARSETT

POT SCAR FROM SMEARSETT

 

SMEARSETT SCAR

SMEARSETT SCAR

 

FEIZOR WOOD FROM POT SCAR

FEIZOR WOOD FROM POT SCAR – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

POT SCAR

POT SCAR

Then it was a pot of tea with apple pie & cream for me (Lindsey was a good girl, she just had tea) at the lovely little cafe in Feizor, before strolling back down the Pennine Bridleway, flanked by beautiful wild flowers, to be presented with this gorgeous view of Austwick.

AUSTWICK NESTLING BENEATH NORBER

AUSTWICK NESTLING BENEATH NORBER – CLICK TO ENLARGE

The walk did us both quite a bit of good. Many thanks to Rick & Lindsey for looking after me so well for the few days I stayed with you. It was great to see you both again.

46 comments:

  1. I thought the long hiatus in posting might be due to your having had a refit in dry dock. Good to hear all went well and good you could hit the hills so shortly after the op. Best wishes to you and to your wonderful brother, Dave (if he's a hill walker, that's taking the UL philosophy to extremes, innit!). May the road rise to meet you on many more Challenges!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Andy.

      Brother Dave is a keen road cyclist and is already charging about West Yorkshire. He's also done the Helvellyn horseshoe and so is just about back to rude health!
      :-)

      Delete
  2. Sorry to hear you've been in the wars old chap! Austwick is lovely i have a cousin there. Name of Pete Candlin. Say hi if you bump into him in the pub:-) Good luck with your continued recovery.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ian

      When I'm next in Austwick I'll try to seek him out in the pub!
      :-)

      Delete
  3. Wot no bogtrotting? :-)

    Nice to read a trip report from the inside of a caravan whilst it's being rained on!

    Cheers, Alan.

    Glad you're feeling better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ta, Carl.

      Caravanning on an August Bank Holiday weekend in Britain? Who'd have thought it would rain, eh?
      :-)

      Delete
  4. Great to see you up a hill fella.
    Sorry to hear Rick is unwell. Pass on my best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi mate.

      R&L both read the blog and so I'm sure they'll see your good wishes.
      Cheers fella
      :-)

      Delete
  5. Great to read you are out and about. Good start walk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Al

      There's more to come yet. A few days later I managed another Dales walk with my Brother Dave, which involved a pub with good beer. It doesn't get much better, does it?
      :-)

      Delete
  6. Good to hear Alan. More power to your, um, kidney.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Scott

      I have now lost my rather dapper grey pallor and am sporting a new pink sheen, so popular amongst healthy individuals!

      Pink - It's the New must-be-seen-in Look!

      Delete
  7. Good to read that you're back on your feet again. Three cheers for bro' Dave. Here's to continuing good health.

    JQ.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed Jon.
      Every night I say a little "thank you" to Brother Dave.
      :-)

      Delete
  8. Great to see you're getting out and about once more. And such a lovely place in which to do so!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed, Sir!

      I adore the Dales - so much air, space and springy turf. I can see why Yorkshire-men call it "God's Own County."

      Delete
  9. Sounds like a super outing Alan, just what the doctor ordered perhaps? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm supposed to take regular exercise, but the medical team are quite surprised at the difference between what I call "going for a walk" and their usual patients' version of going for a walk.

      The good news is that my present Consultant has told me that I can now eat as much unpasteurised Camembert as I like.

      Marmite, as much fruit as I like, baked potatoes and Camembert. I'm like a pig in shit!
      :-)

      Delete
  10. That puts a big smile on my face Alan. Good to see your up and about.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Kind Sir!

      I'll be clambering up the big ones before too long if everything goes to plan.
      :-)

      Delete
  11. Great stuff Alan, glad you're getting out and about....and what abeautiful area to spend a few days in. Looks like the weather did you proud. Nothing you don't deserve.
    Al

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your post on Clapham & Norber kicked my blogging gene back into life.
      :-)
      Cheers, fella!

      Delete
  12. Great to see you out and about once again....there'll be no stopping you next May!

    Best wishes,

    JJ

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great news. Those pics are so evocative. I spent my formative years wandering around the Yorkshire Dales. That little summit and its miniature ridge above Feizor is one of my all time favourites, only recently discovered when bagging all the trig points on that map, and then revisited on The Dales High Way, when unfortunately the café was closed.

    I'm looking forward to your further adventures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Conrad
      :-)
      It is a lovely little ridge, with great views over to Fountains Fell, Pen-y-Ghent, Crummack Dale, Ingleborough and the Forest of Bowland. All that, and a lovely cup of tea just down below in Feizor.

      Delete
  14. Replies
    1. We'll have no rudery here, thank you very much!

      Here's hoping this finds you in the pink as well.
      :-)

      Delete
  15. Excellent news Alan - and a lovely spot for your first ascent since the op.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Glad to see you back Alan. Hope your recovery continues well

    ReplyDelete
  17. Welcome back to blogging and walking, Al. Cap doffed to that brother of yours an' all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dave.

      Brother Dave occasionally pops by on the blog, but I'll send him your regards anyway.
      :-)

      Delete
  18. Looking forward to meeting the new pink Alan next May

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Sweetie!
      :-)
      That's if we're spared in Sierra's draw from her hat.
      I'm planning a rufty-tufty walk at the moment - assuming I'll be back with the V-8 Range Rover rather than the Honda 50 moped I've had to suffer for the last few years!

      Delete
  19. Welcome back Alan. Good to see you walking (and posting) again. Wishing you a FULL AND sPEEDY RECOVERY

    ReplyDelete
  20. Very happy to hear that you are out and about again, Alan. I hope you continue to feel better.
    All the best,
    Emma

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooooh.
      I know quite a few Emmas - I wonder which of these is this delightful lady?
      :-)
      Thank you.
      x

      Delete
  21. I'll be looking forward to lots more blog posts from you in the future.
    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed, I was posting one as you must have been typing your comment!
      Cheers Al
      :-)

      Delete
  22. Glad to hear you are up and at 'em Alan. Sending you my very best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Matt
      :-)
      Feeling a whole lot brighter as well as physically fitter - All good!

      Delete
  23. Most excellent to see you out and about Alan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sir!

      There's been one or two hiccups since the op, but on the whole, everything is doing well.

      The Challenge entry form will be winging it's way to Stainforth Towers in the next couple of weeks.
      :-)

      Delete

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