Making a splash!

It's that time of year again when the Upland team host one of their working holidays, and as per last year the forecast for the first day was somewhat damp!  However as with most working holidays the group was keen, so armed with waterproofs, wellies and cake we set off undeterred up to Blea Tarn Moss (we weren't so cruel as to take them up Fairfield.....).

It was a touch damp, I think they though we were slightly crazy to do this as a job!

Arriving onto site the driving wind and rain still didn't put the group off (I however tried to hide in the back of a pick up), once a tool talk was given we set them loose, with a ranger offering supervision and advise each pair was given a section of path to call their own, and pretty soon some questions became clear...

how are you meant to dig out the hole when you can't even see where you're meant to be digging....?

digging, or at least using the 'spoon' to remove water!

and well, if you can't even see where you're digging how are you meant to know when the hole is deep enough?!

trying to work out if it deep enough yet

These were very real problems, but looking at the positives, rolling stones into these mini swimming pools created some pretty satisfying splashes!

Rocks + Water = SPLASH

The group spent their first 3 days on the path down at Blea Tarn Moss and despite the challenging weather they did some really great work, completing the pitching on one section, made a really good start on the other, whilst also completing the particularly wet link between the two. 

Looking down the finished top section, beautiful work!

Following a (dry!) day off  the plan was to take the group up onto our main project on Fairfield, only just like Sunday morning the weather was somewhat to be desired.  But still the group just ploughed on, despite horizontal driving rain and occasional gusts of wind that did their best to knock us over!

Miserable morning on Fairfield

Slightly drier afternoon!

Yet more great work was done and they really helped us to push the project towards an on time completion, the weather even gave them a break on their final day as the sun came out and gave them some great views, including out to the coast.  So thank you working holiday of September 2013, you have done a fabulous job and you would all be welcome back, hopefully with better weather! 

The group!

By Upland Ranger Sarah