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“Map Skills – Moors and Dales”, – North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales – navigation courses, equipment and just life in general.
High Paradise Farm - Bank Holiday Monday 2024
[North York Moors]
What to do on a Bank Holiday Monday? Spend some time with the wife!!!
North Yorkshire is massive, with a big land area, and a relatively small population, with sparsley spaced towns & villages to visit. We were on our way to Pickering, when I realised the wife had not been to High Paradise Farm Cafe, Boltby, Thirsk, YO7 2HT.
Google showed the cafe closed on a Monday, but a quick phone call, and the cafe was open. A change of plans despite the wife only wearing flip flops for the 1km walk from the car park at Sneck Gate SE 507 875, to the cafe at SE 503 887. We followed the farm track from the car park (parking for about 10 cars) then up the limestone covered track.
The cafe was fairly busy as a bank holiday, but well worth the visit. The Cleveland Way Long Distance Footpath, passes the front door of the cafe.
With the cafes warm and welcoming atmosphere, my wife loved it.
Speaking to the owners, they will be reducing the choice of food from the start of September, and I am not sure if they close after October until April. I will find out and update the post.
Corn Mill Bake-Well Cafe, Bainbridge - Sunday 250824
[Yorkshire Dales]
The village of Hawes was heaving with cars, motorcycles & people, as to be expected on a Bank Holiday, Sunday lunch time.
Luckily my mate knew of a little gem of a cafe just down the road in Bainbridge.
The Corn Mill Cafe, Newkin, Bainbridge, DL8 3EH.
From the Hawes direction, you enter Bainbridge and turn right, opposite the grass area towards Leyburn. As the road turns sharply to the left you carry on straight, The cafe is on your right.
From Leyburn, you enter the village, the road goes sharply down hill to the right, past a very small petrol station (one pump), then to the left, then right. At the right hand bend you turn left.
There is parking for a few cars.
We had the Corn Mill Cafe Breakfast Bap – bacon, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms and an egg. Fantastic. (Full breakfasts end at 11.30am).
A really good selection of cakes, Plus quiche, pies and other savoury delights.
Great value food, well cooked, a great atmosphere. All good.
[Speaking to the waitress, the cafe has been sold to another cafe owner from Askrigg (I belive she said) who take over in a couple of weeks. It is expected to stay the same, if it doesn’t that would be a shame – wait for an update – another visit required),
Langcliffe, Settle - August Bank Holiday 2024
[Yorkshire Dales]
The August Bank Holiday weekend, a few extra days to go off backpacking, away from it all.
The perfect idea, but NOT the reality. Storm Lillian was due to hit on the Friday evening – and it did.
I’m not an influencer, setting my tent up on top of a mountain to test myself & equipment, to get a few Instagram views. I’ve survived plenty of storms to put myself in harms way, for the fun of it.
Instead I went off to Langcliffe, Settle – Yorkshire Dales, to stay with my mate in his Luxury Lodge – a lot more spacious than a one man tent with Lola.
So a weekend of eating out, drinking in, chatting and messing around with cameras. His is a high end one, mine is a bridge camera, but perfect for taking photographs whilst out walking.
On both the Friday & Saturday there were deluges of heavy rain & high winds, so the right decision made. An “Indian summer” is predicted so I can go backpacking then.
Equipment purchase - 16/08/24
[Yorkshire Dales]
It is August, people are on holiday, so I am not expecting to be busy with navigation courses.
So I had my birthday present from November 2023, a trip on a STEAM TRAIN, something I had always wanted to do. On the Embsay & Bolton Railway Line, near to Skipton. Ticked off.
Whilst in the area I popped into one of my favourite independent outdoor gear shops – Castleberg Outdoors, Settle.
The staff are super helpful & they have a good choice of quality equipment. There is always that itch to update your equipment, so I had to purchase a few bits. Support Local Independent Businesses or lose them.
Edinburg Tattoo Weekend - 09/08/24
A weekend away in Edinburgh for the Tattoo. I am not a city person, but Edinburgh was a joy. OK the Royal Mile is a total tourist trap, with far too many cashmere, tartan and whisky shops.
However, away from that area, they are so many little independent cafes, eateries and artisan shops to visit.
The Fringe was on, so I was expecting the city to be super crowded, but luckily people tended to stick to the centre, so the wife and I had a great time, visiting the less visited areas.
The people of Edinburgh are super friendly, we will definitely be visiting again. We travelled by train, LNER, the upgrade to 1st class is very little and so worth it.
Urra Moor - 05/08/24
[North York Moors]
I didn’t have a course this weekend, so no excuses, I had to catch up on chores – Gardening.
However, Monday, Lola and myself were free. I realised I had not visited the highest point on the North York Moors. Also a chance to wear my new baseball cap, to protect my face! (A great job Foxstitch – Thirsk)
Google – gave me the highest point on the North York Moors as Urra Moor, 454 metres. Not a mountain, but great views.
You will pass it on both the Coast2Coast & Cleveland Way.
Grid reference NZ 594015.
I really enjoy getting to talk to people who are out & about. All are so varied, there are no stereo-types.
I spoke to one couple who had camped at Paradise Farm, on the Cleveland Way, they gave it a BIG THUMBS UP>
Backpacking weekend - Sunday 28/07/2024
[North York Moors]
I was speaking to a previous basic navigation course client, and I was saying to him “Organising or starting a business takes over your life, everything has to have a reason, aimed at promoting the business”. On Sunday I just grabbed my gear and went backpacking on the North York Moors – just to enjoy the moment! I used my Lidl £45 two man tent, (1.2kg), D&D sleeping pad £35, and Mountain Warehouse £25 sleeping bag to prove it’s possible to backpack cheap, if you know the weather is going to be kind.
Learning to read a map is not just about navigation. By looking at the map I could see, that the area I intended to camp was not over looked by farms. There was flat land high up, so, if conditions were right (they were not , cloud banks), I could get great sun set & sun rise photos.
There was a fresh water source nearby, only 10 minutes walk from where I set up camp. Carrying fresh water is heavy = 1 litre = 1 kg or 2.2 lbs.
Paradise Farm Cafe, North York Moors - 26/07/2024
[North York Moors]
Having lived in Northallerton since 2021, I had heard of and I’ve been told to visit the café at Paradise Farm. My wife was out with friends, (Fridays we often go in search of a new café together) so I took Lola the dog instead. The café is literally on the Cleveland Way. With a camp site open April to October -£10 per person. [The is a slight slope just saying].
Wainstones, North York Moors - 21/07/2024
[North York Moors]
A twinge in my right knee today, so just a short walk from Clay Bank car park up and over to the Wainstones. It doesn’t have to be a massive walk to be enjoyable. You never know what you might see.
YouTube Video - 19th July 2024
[North York Moors]
Click on the image to the left, to view a video of a walk starting and ending in the village of Osmotherley.
The walk includes parts of the Cleveland Way and Coast to Coast. Approximately 10km/6 miles.
Photographs - Sutton Bank Walk 15/07/2024
[North York Moors]
It is not all about running navigation courses. I love to take my camera with me, whilst out walking. Looking for photography opportunities, actually make you look more deeply at your surroundings. To see the changes around us, or just enjoying the bigger picture.
1st July 2024 - Course Square Corner
[North York Moors]
Well done to Alan & Tracey, who enjoyed a day on the Moors learning navigation skills.
The day started out grey, then turned to mist, fog and rain. Actually excellent conditions for navigation training.
Despite the grim weather, we all had fun, practicing different navigation skills. They both agreed they had learnt a lot, and would be putting it all into practice in the coming weeks.
Website error - Office 190624
It is when you ‘own’ something, that you do not see it, in my case literally.
When I construct this website I use a PC, everything is OK on there.
When I look at the website on my mobile phone, everything appeared ok on there!!!
However, after about 3 months of developing the site, the MAIN MENU was missing on mobiles & tablets.
All now sorted, note the yellow hamburger, which drops down the menu.
So annoying & frustrating.
Embroidery - Logo update - 110624
I will be more visible now, having had a delivery of clothing with my logo embroidered upon them. They do look really smart.
The Logo design is thanks to my wife.
The embroidery was performed by Fox Stitch, Thirsk – a family run local business. Excellent service, I highly recommend them.
https://www.foxstitchthirsk.co.uk/
Square Corner, Osmotherley - Basic Navigation Course 260524
[North York Moors]
A really wet day up on Black Hambleton, with Fred. He was needing to update his navigation skills, for adventures ahead.
Despite the horrible weather we had a really productive day. He had additional skills to learn
as well. He wants to return to do the Advanced Course, once he has mastered what he has learnt.
Grinton Moor, Nr Leyburn - Basic Navigation Course 190524
[Yorkshire Dales]
A basic course with two ladies, who had quite a lot of experience of walking in remote places, but no longer wanted to rely on an App for navigation.
The course took place on the moorland between Leyburn & Grinton, near to the Army Ranges.
A long but enjoyable day, with not only navigation, but a number of bird species seen.
Both purchased Silva Expedition Type 4 compasses, directly after the course (not from me).
Grinton Moor, Nr. Leyburn - Basic Navigation Course 250424
[Yorkshire Dales]
A father & daughter wanting to increase their navigation skills before starting to conquer the Wainwrights.
As you can see from their clothing it was a chilly day, so you need to dress for the conditions.
This course took place between Grinton & Leyburn. The conditions underfoot were wet, after the constant rain we had.
Two more who purchased, Silva compasses directly after the course (not from me).
Hole - of - Horcum, Nr. Pickering - Basic Navigation Course 310324
[North York Moors]
A basic course with Atul, who has taken up Ultra long distance running. Whilst training for a 120 mile event, he had become “navigationally uncomfortable” whilst crossing a Scottish mountain.
To prevent this happening again, he wanted to learn how to use a map & compass. Especially how to follow a bearing, over rough ground.
The course took place at the Hole-of-Horcum, near to Pickering.
After the heavy rain that preceded this course his running shoes were no longer bright orange about 15 minutes after this photo was taken.
They cleaned up after practising navigation through the heather. Great fun.
Book a course today.
Don’t put it off.
The courses are designed to be fun, as well as practicle.
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