'That's not a hill, it's a mountain!'

Two years ago, just after we started walking, I remember Cat and Shona suggesting that we walked up Roseberry Topping. I think my reply was ‘in some other lifetime!’

However, things change, and I get fitter, and then I get a target, and the next thing you know, when this walk is suggested again, in a Scarborough fish and chip restaurant* on Easter Monday, I find myself agreeing that it is a good idea.

The planned day was this Sunday, another bank holiday weekend. It was going to be quite an outing, however, things changed, Cat had to work, Shona had pulled her back, V couldn’t manage it, so it turned out that there were only two of us facing the climb.

We’d done Captain Cook’s Monument in the morning. Having been told that it wasn’t much of a climb, I’d found it quite strenuous, but the views were fabulous. It was only when looking across to Roseberry in the distance that I felt a little daunted.

Having called in at a pub for a lunchtime drink, J and I were dropped off in the car park at the foot of Roseberry. I looked at all the small children and dogs coming back down. Surely if they could make it, I could. I mean, most of them didn’t even have ‘proper’ footwear.

We took the gentler route, through the bluebell woods, rather than the direct, and very steep, ascent. It still seemed pretty steep to me. We got through the woods to a small plateau, which we referred to as ‘base camp’. It was from there that it started to get really steep. The summit loomed. We stopped for breath a lot, and were overtaken by more small children. I wondered how the hell the likes of Chris Moyles got up Kilimanjaro!

Finally, we reached the rocky outcrop which signalled the top. Boy, was it windy. The view were spectacular though. We could see across to ‘Boro, over to the moors, and across to the sea. I really felt a sense of achievement. Looking down over the steep edge, other climbers just starting the ascent were tiny dots on the landscape.

We then looked at the next part of our route, which took us down a winding path at the other side, and up again to another plateau, as we were not going back the way we came, but continuing with our walk. Every time we turned, it was a photo opportunity.

Finally we reached the car, in a park below Captain Cook’s Monument. We’re claiming it as 6 miles, but I’m thinking it’s the most strenuous 6 miles yet**.

* Fitting, as it’s only by doing the walking that I get to eat fish and chips
** If you haven’t sponsored me yet for the Ribbon Walk, the link is here