morethanmountains

Keswick Mountain Rescue team were out, along with the other emergency services, for thirteen hours yesterday evacuating people to safety. They did a wonderful job but even they could not prevent the damage to people's homes and businesses. We have just had a walk around Keswick to start to get an idea of some of the devastation caused by yesterday's floods.

The following three pictures were taken around 11am today (Friday 20th). Despite the fact that it rained for much of the night the water levels have already dropped by at least one metre. We were able to walk along dry sections of road that had been waist deep only twelve hours before.

This photo was taken in Fitz Park just opposite the Youth Hostel. Yesterday afternoon and evening the river was almost twice its normal width at this point and was flowing across this area of grass. The newly tarmaced path has been ripped up and left strewn across the field.

More rain is forecast but we can only hope that the river levels will have dropped enough in the meantime for it not to flood again. The bridge at High Hill (opposite the Pencil Museum) is still closed to traffic because the Fire Service are not sure how much longer it is going to hold against the tremendous force of the river. With two major bridges down in Workington the water has shown what it can do.

There is a lot of water in Keswick at the moment: down at the boat landings on Derwent Water the jetties are well below the water line, the River Greta has broken its banks in Fitz Park, the Borrowdale road is shut to traffic and there is water running down virtually every street.

The River Greta is big, brown and ugly and probably the highest I have ever seen it (although I was lucky enough not to be around for the 2005 floods). Lots of houses already have their sandbags out, the schools have been shut and people are being evacuated from houses in the High Hill area.

This is much, much worse than the floods in October 2008 that washed out the OMM (Original Mountain Marathon) but so far I have not seen or heard any reports in the national media. Apparently a group of well prepared, fit people who are up for a challenge having their event cancelled because of stormy weather is bigger news than elderly people having to be evacuated and many people facing flooding in their own homes.

Borrowdale School's webcam gives you an idea of flood levels in the valley already.
http://www.borrowdale.cumbria.sch.uk/webcam.html

The emergency services are out in force trying to deal with the problem as best they can. Nick is out with Keswick Mountain Rescue team who are highly trained and have their own Landrovers and rescue boats so are well equipped to help the Fire Service with evacuations and rescues.

It is still pouring with rain here and the wind seems to be picking up. Sitting here in my first floor flat I probably do not have too much to worry about but for the sake of all of the other people in Cumbria watching the rivers getting closer and closer to their homes I really hope it stops raining soon.

This month's Trail magazine features a list of their "50 Greatest Hill Routes." In their words they have "asked an impressive roster of mountaineering experts to help (them) compile Britain's 50 Greatest Routes." Their mountain experts include George Band, Doug Scott, Kenton Cool, Sir Chris Bonington and More than Mountains! Our route up Scafell Pike made it in at number 16 accompanied by a very cheesy photo of us both.

Compiling a list of this sort is really an impossible task due to the extensive range of fantastic walks and scrambles in the UK. The list has already created some debate in our household but it is full of wonderful ways up some awe inspiring mountains. There are even a few we have not yet done.

If you get inspired and would like someone to show you the way then please get in touch.

Jill