Grinton Lodge in Swaledale provided an interesting and comfortable venue for the 17 hardy souls who braved the elements this weekend.

 Most people arrived in time for a good evening at the Bridge Inn, where SWOG 1 and SWOG2 acquitted themselves honorable in the pub quiz. It was a tough slog up the steep hill back to the hostel afterwards, apart from those who had the good sense to go by car!

Thick mist obscured the hills on Saturday so we settled for an easy low level walk following the river up Swaledale. By midday it turned very wet and we sought sanctuary in the Black Bull in Reeth for a couple of hours -longer for some !!- before the sun came out. A lazy evening with good food, wine and beer in the hostel.

Sunday was a wild day with fleeting clouds, burst of brilliant sunshine, dramatic rainbows and heavy showers. Chris and Wendy led us steeply up onto Fremington Edge above Arkengarth Dale where we were lashed by rain and hail. We arrived back in Reeth by 2.30 enabling everyone to drive home in the “hour reduced” daylight.

Despite the weather it had been a great weekend with a very compatible and sociable group. Many thanks to Chris and Wendy for organizing it.