The Chernobyl Traverse

Mr Glis and Steve undertook a real challenge at the weekend, walking through the night from Seathwaite to Loweswater on what is known to a few interested people as “The Chernobyl Traverse”. The traverse takes in 11 mountain summits and has over 7000ft of ascent over the 25 mile distance.  The route covered much of the area that was subject to sheep movement restrictions that were introduced when the Chernobyl disaster happened 30 years ago, hence the name. I walked upto Great Borne, the final summit with Molly and Monty to welcome the duo who were wet, bedraggled but triumphant

Chernobyl, 26 years on

Who could have imagined on 25 April 1986, that 26 years later, a small but unique group of farmers would gather in a Cumbrian pub, united by events unfolding thousands of miles away in the Ukraine?  For, the following day, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded, with catastrophic consequences.  Within hours, the soft, gentle rain falling on the beautiful Cumbrian fells was depositing a silent, deadly legacy that would contaminate the grazing of thousands of sheep.  Last night, that unique gathering was able to reflect on the impact of that explosion and finally celebrate the lifting of sheep movement restrictions