Fifteen starters for this prestigious walk was certainly a record for some time and nobody was concerned that this number included ten guests with a welcome contingent from the ever reliable Scarboro’ gals who were over the border for the weekend. Fifteen miles was the distance and fifteen degrees felt like the temperature as we set off above Bass Lake on a balmy windless Halloween morning.

The peerless Ullock Pike ridge lead unerringly over Longside Edge and Carl Side to reach an uncharacteristically quiet Skiddaw summit where it was possible to both drink coffee and admire the view – a first for most on both counts! Sadly Ian, not fully recovered from illness, was forced to take an early bath though happily was in fine form the following week while leading his walk around High Cup Nick in the Pennines.

With a large proportion of the climbing under our belts and mindful of the time constraints of an AGM at 5pm, Tonylead the group under Little Man and over the easy traverse to Lonscale Fell before an elegant descent over the Burnt Horse ridge reaching lonely Skiddaw house in time for lunch. Climbing after lunch isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but Great Calva was the objective and turned out to be within everyone’s capabilities – if not comfort zone!

The summit was a coincidental meeting place with a large group from Kendal Fellwalkers who we followed as they journeyed towards Knott. More discerning than them we turned left at the col to descend a little known but charming valley under Burn Todd then the Cockups to eventually reach the minor road near Orthwaite. A good day had now got better with plenty of afternoon sunshine to burnish these lovely Northern Fells – unfamiliar to most of the party.

It now remained a simple task to amble along the road for a mile or so before joining a final footpath leading to then bypassing Barkbeth farm and eventually returning to the start point. Even with approaching 5000 feet of climbing the walk was accomplished just within the 7 hour target time enabling a comfortable transition to the Oddfellows Arms in Caldbeck to be in time for the AGM.