Sarah and Karl organised our Easter this year and we shared
it with Steve and Jules, Steve and Sandy, and Barclay and Cathy
Driving for 6 hours on Thursday evening meant we could sleep
in on Good Friday morning. Our accommodation, the Wheatsheaf
inn, was a pub, which is always advantageous (late night drinks
etc).
http://www.ingleton.co.uk/accframe9.htm
Ingleton is set in the Yorkshire dales and a great place for
the outdoors. As a result plenty of outdoor activities was
on the menu. Once the other arrived on Friday we found a park
and played tennis and soccer and enjoyed the first sunny weather
of spring.
The village was so tiny and the building stand right on the
street edge.
Caving was the plan for Saturday morning, so the bravest of
us (myself, Gavin, Sarah, Cathy, Steve and Sandy) found our
guide and drove off into the country. I was very nervous due
to my trapped feeling issue, but I was determined to overcome
it. Cathy and I crawled through knee deep water for the first
part while the others took the easier option. It was part of
my plan to get over my fear. Unfortunately for Cathy she was
voted in as my support person. The whole experience was really
cool, I did struggle being slightly shorter as you had to just
trust you were going to make it sometimes and swing out and
grab. It did work, I didn’t fall in any of the large
cold looking pools. Towards the end of our caving we came to
the cheese press. Yep – as it sounds, two slabs of rock
nearly pressed together with just enough space for bodies to
wiggle through. It wasn’t compulsory but as everyone
decided to do it I was left with little option. Gavin went
first and demonstrated the smallness of the space by getting
stuck. Sarah crawled in the give him something to push his
feet against and the instructor pulled his arms from the other
end. After trying not to panic and slowing his breathing down
he did get through. That was probably the scariest part for
me as I felt all my stuck feelings while he was trying to get
through. Everyone else managed to make it with slightly less
drama. When it was my turn I had tear streaming down my face
I was that scared. I actually was the quickest through and
just kept moving. I felt really proud though. We continued
on then abseiled up (well used a rope to pull ourselves up)
a small waterfall. All too soon it was over. I really enjoyed
it but was pleased to be out in the open again. I spent the
afternoon in bed due to a horrible cold while Gavin and Karl
went off to play golf. We enjoyed the hotel menu then I had
an early night.
We explored a little further a field on Sunday visiting the
other small towns nearby.
After walking some of the walks in the area the other met us
in town and we found a nice restaurant for dinner.
Our last day was the best weather and so I managed to get a
few shots of the lovely blossoms
A fun and different trip but sadly it was time to go as we
had a long drive back home again.
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