• The geo-cache at the summit of Red Screes

  • Little Hart Crag Letterbox Stamp

Navigation Practice

After Laetitia’s ML Training she was mad keen to get out and practice more of her skills, so I was dragged out (kicking and screaming) to go walking. Yes, walking, in perfectly decent climbing weather!

So, we drove up to the Kirkstone Pass and headed up the steep path to the top of Red Screes.

The geo-cache at the summit of Red Screes

We kicked-off with a search for the a letterbox at the summit. However, this seems to have been replaced by a geo-cache not so far from the original letterbox location. It’s such a shame that some letterboxes are being replaced! Sure, I’m a big fan of technologies that provide better features, fun, etc. However, geo-caching is a serious dumbing down of the sport; simply get your GPS out, enter the co-ordinates, and following the little arrow until on top of the cache! 🙁 What has happened to the map reading skills, compass skills, pacing, cryptic clue solving, etc. Letterboxing is so much more fun, such a good challenge, etc. – all far more rewarding in my view… Ah well, progress! 😕

After that we did a few tricky micro-navigation legs and worked our way over to Little Hart Crag. Here there was a proper letterbox…

Little Hart Crag Letterbox Stamp

Lake District Letter Boxes Complete – 6 of 90.

After some more micro-navigation we headed back down and enjoyed a pint at the Kirkstone Inn before heading home for dinner. 😛

Series - Lakeland Letterboxes

  1. Lakeland Letterboxes
  2. Letterboxing and Flammkuchen
  3. Navigation Practice
  4. Three More Sunny Days
  5. Grizedale Letterboxing
  6. Wansfell Letterbox
  7. More Grizedale Letterboxes
  8. Helvellyn Letterboxes
  9. Martindale Letterboxes
  10. Coniston Coppermines Letterboxes
  11. Walna Scar Road
  12. Summer Evenings
  13. Letterboxes, Birthdays, Climbing Wall & eBay star
  14. Charmer’s Grave
  15. Lingmoor Tarn
  16. Holme Fell Scramble and Letterboxing
  17. Barrow Door Letterboxing

2 thoughts on “Navigation Practice”

  1. I’ve never heard of letterboxing- can you explain what it is? (Sounds like fun though 🙂 )

    I’m definately a luddite when it comes to navigation in the hills!

    1. Well, letterboxing is a bit like a treasure hunt… You are given a clue, sometimes cryptic, to the location of a “letterbox” (which usually contains a rubber stamp; take your own ink pad to collect an impression). The clue mostly describes the site along with some directions, e.g. Under stones 40 paces on bearing 183° from summit of Red Screes.

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