Moir Hut – 24th February
Feeling fine…….which although not exactly a surprise was nevertheless a massive relief particularly as I have been looking forward to the “excursion” up Little Lent Hill planned for this afternoon!
Early morning tea and coffee!
This morning’s walk up to the Moir Hut was awesome, moving from the Moorland Zone into the “Alpine Dessert” reach really does resemble the kind of landscape you would normally associate with the moon.
We might be half way up but it still feels a long way away!
Despite not packing up camp until we've left it never takes the porters long to catch up (and overtae).
Needing only a couple of hours to reach the next camp and given the altitude (4,200m) it wasn’t much surprise to discover that there were a few heavy heads and upset stomachs amongst the group.
Camp at the Moir Hut with Little Lent Hill in the background (sticking up from the ridge).
I’m not sure whether it was a moment of stupidity, feigned machismo or a genuine desire to take advantage of a “training opportunity” but before heading out for the afternoon I decided that it would be a great idea to add a decent sized rock to my rucksack.
Of course that idea didn’t seem so great as I puffed my way up the 200m of ascent to the top of the ridgeline and it started to seem positively daft as we approached the final scramble up to the summit.
The Lent Hill Group.
However there was some consolation, firstly as I struggled with the extra weight I likened the experienced to what I imagine the summit morning will be like when I’m sure that there will be many times when I’ll want to give up but dropping a rock won’t be an option.
Secondly, Suzie, our leader from the Kids Company having talked me into it had the decency to add a rock to her rucksack too so I could rest assured that there was at least someone else as ……committed……..as me!
Suzie and I contemplating our rocks!
Of course the looks and laughs we received from the porters and guides when we finally took our rocks out of our packs showed just how “committed” they thought the pair of us were!
Making our way across the "moonscape"!
The summit of Little Lent Hill was spectacular, with amazing views in almost every direction and littered with these small man-made rock “sculptures”.
The rock sculptures at the summit of Little Lent.
If you're not in the photo you better be taking it!
With the hard work done there was time for some fun as the descent was down a scree slope which not everyone had encountered before (but would need to master by the summit day).
John from Warthog Mountaineering leading the way on the descent.
Well it’s fair to say some took to it better than others and Jas, who on the first few days had been about as sure of his footing as a new born deer (on ice) set off like a missile!
Taking on the scree!
In fact Jas had set off so quickly that almost everyone in the group had missed it until Meke our Head Guide desperately bellowed after him “FOLLOW THE GUIDE” as he desperately tried to stop Jas before he descended halfway down the mountain in his enthusiasm!
The "Screaming Scree Missile" Jas!
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