As I write this, I can see out of my window the stunning snow-capped peaks of the Lake District. It is little wonder that so many are drawn to the magnificent lake and mountains of our region and choose to spend a day or two, or even longer, exploring.
But visiting this region comes with responsibilities – don’t do anything to damage the natural eco structure, stick to the paths, especially when bluebell time is not many weeks away, and always make sure you understand the dangers all around you and don’t expect everyone to drop everything to come to your aid when you cross that line.
In the coming months, the Cat is going to explore some of the great places to visit and, maybe, unearth some of the lesser-known gems and will be passing on these Travels of the Cat in a new feature coming to Cumbria Crack.
While it might be argued that She Who Must Be Obeyed Editor has decreed that the Cat has to earn his Dreamies, the reality is that the cat wants to share his finds and ask you to share yours.
One thing you can be sure of, the Cat knows only too well the dangers that might be faced, from the high tops, through ungritted roads where snowploughs fear to go, to the deep, dark lakes that beckon us in on those sunny warm days just to take our breath away with the cold snap of the water and on to the unforgiving seas that surround us.
We see all too often, the results of the folly of those visitors who do not understand the dangers, those who seem to think the Lake District is some sort of Disneyesque theme park which is built for their thrill and where a cushioned landing is provided.
A couple of weeks ago, we were inundated with severe weather warnings and while the lower reaches might have been spared anything more than the occasional slippery road, on the tops the weather was foul.
Wind that blows you off your feet, snow blowing into deep, impenetrable drifts, and a cold that chills to the bone. Weather that only Himalayan quality clothing could withstand.
Yet, people unprepared for all this ventured out.
Now, we are blessed with both professional and volunteer rescue organisations and it is the latter that carry much of the burden of going out on days and nights you wouldn’t send a dog out in (well, I might!). I have never known them say, “sorry, weather’s too bad, we’ll come for you when it gets better.” They turn out whatever the weather and whatever the risks.
And it isn’t just the mountains that hold dangers for the unwary: a non-swimming paddleboarder who ventured out onto the water without any buoyancy aids and sadly died by not understanding both the dangers of the water and his lack of required skills.
These are not isolated examples.
We cannot put up signs at every entry point to every lake saying, “deep, cold water’. We can’t put up signs on every approach to the fells saying, “have you checked the weather, do you know how to use a compass, if you have one, and do you have extra clothing because it is colder up there than here.”
We cannot highlight every danger to everyone, visitors, and locals alike (although we do expect the latter to be a little better acquainted with the dangers albeit that is an assumption often misplaced) but we must try to educate when we can.
The National Trust wardens, bed and breakfast owners and boat hire companies are just some of the few that do try to educate – there are many others – and the media has a role to play in reporting on both the highlights of a day in the Lakes and the issues that arise.
Travels of the Cat probably won’t be going to the top of Scafell or highlighting wild water swimming in Windermere, but if potential dangers on these travels are encountered, they will be at least mentioned.
This is a region that just begs to be enjoyed. The splendour of Wordsworth’s nature or those depicted by the late Len Roope in his watercolours. The colourful characters we find in our towns and villages. The man-made Victorian structures and the superb coastline. All are there to be enjoyed by all.
Just make sure you don’t fall off or fall in.
About Cumbria Cat
Born in Cumberland and, from April, will be back living in Cumberland, having spent most of the past 50 years in some place called Cumbria, this cat has used up all nine lives as well as a few others.
Always happy to curl up on a friendly lap, the preference is for a local lap and not a lap that wants to descend on the county to change it into something it isn’t. After all, you might think Cumbria/Cumberland/Westmorland is a land forged by nature – the glaciers, the rivers, breaking down the volcanic rocks or the sedimentary layers – but, in reality, the Cumbria we know today was forged by generations of local people, farmers, miners, quarriers, and foresters.
This cat is a local moggy, not a Burmese, Ocicat or Persian, and although I have been around the block a few times, whenever I jump, I end up on my feet back in my home county. I am passionate about the area, its people, past, present and future, and those who come to admire what we hold dear, be it lakes and mountains, wild sea shores, vibrant communities or the history as rich and diverse as anywhere in the world.
