Short cut to hell's teeth.

 Otley Chevin. This is where we took a short cut to Hell's Teeth. A beautiful cunningly deceptive day filled with sun and beautiful light. Perfect for dressing all in white and taking a couple of dolls out to photograph up at the Otley Chevin. I had them in a bag for life as I did not want to look too crazy this day. I had already been out with different dolls to the Tarn at dawn.

Hell's teeth are up above the white house on the Otley Chevin. I have named them Hell's teeth as this is what they look like to me. They actually are a load of stones set as a fence in very ancient times to stop cattle falling off the edge of the Chevin. We took a short cut. We did not intend to but as it turned out once we started there was no going back.

We set off, passing people and a very lot of dogs all who pulled or ran to us as we hiked up this path past the sculptures.

 Lee pointed out the light showing up the mist through the trees as we walked. This day we brought our lunch which we munched on as we walked. There are picnic tables up here but we ate on the hoof and kept on our way up.

 By the picnic tables is this very romantic and partly misty view. Autumn has not set in completely on the Chevin yet....but the colours are still good this day.

 I had with me Barbie , in her Autumn coat and boots.....This is the view over Otley in the background here. I kind of wish I had brought Ken too.....

 This morning I have looked out and decided that there are no great lights in the sky, made some untea and put on the heating. It is a totally different world this day and is murky, misty and cold. We had the best day in these photos.....

 It was so warm walking up this view that we left coats in the Fonz car.....deceptively like a summers day. In fact we met and passed a very tanned man with a ruck sack who was walking without a shirt at all looking like he was on the way to the beech in Corfu having taken the longer route.

 I also had with me a Monster high girl. As you see here the colours are good but this is just a beginning. I will come here again next week and it will be totally different....I will wear my coat too!!

 "look at them rocks! Now them's is proper rocks...big rock face. there's an over hang ah used te shelter under in't rain. on days ah knocked off school an' brought me bike out. Them's proper rocks them....it's iron that. that mecks the colours...mines 'ere there were." said Lee on the way past.

 More stunning views..."cor...this is right good..." said Lee

 "get that shot....sun high lights there  mist in't trees like..."

On and up we went. ...We were both hot by now....

 along the path heading towards the white house....

 We saw lots of squirrels and dog walkers. I was way too slow to get a picture of the squirrels. they were not interested in photos either as they are storing nuts for winter.

 More lights through the trees....

 Until we came to the steps that are the short cut to Hell's teeth. This is the shortest way as it goes directly up and no messing. there are other simpler routes and I would recommend walking a bit further and not going this way as I usually do. This day I climbed these steps.
As you know my balance is shot and I have big problems climbing steps and hills. Still I went this way. Lee has Rhumatoid Arthritis and still we went this way.
Any health problems? these steps will kill or cure you. there is no middle ground here, Either you get to the top or you die. Simple as that.
Have health problems...like a dicky heart? breathing problems maybe? mobility problems? no? do you want some? well walk this way....I can guarantee at least a heart attack.

 I set off. After five steps I worked out that this was a very daft idea. Daft or not I was going up these steps.
" balance...concentrate...do not look up...just look at yer feet...balance....do not stop...go go go....balance....must do it ...must do it..." all the way to half way when I really thought this was it and began to worry how the hell they would get my corpse off these damn steps. around about now I saw a Dalmatian dog running towards me in great excitement . I knew if I stood still I would fall so just this once I had to ignore a dog. fortunately this dog was so excited at running up and down the steps without even bothering he did not care, Dalmatians by the way never stop. they run and run. I used to be a dog walker. One of my faves was a Dalmatian....it's owners bought it because it was a pretty dog. they had not realised these dogs were bread to run by horse and carriage in the old days. They can run up and down this Chevin all day and never even stop for food!
I was going to be lucky to crawl.

 I did not have to crawl. And I did make it to the top. Lee walked behind me. He was in much better nick than me.....he smokes. He has rhumatoid arthritis....and still he did not even breath heavily and.....he got to pet the Dalmation and talk to it!!

 At the top it is like getting an olympic medal. If you see this sculpture you are there and a live and can reward yourself with a prawn sandwich. I just happened to have some in my bag along with Barbie and Monster high girl.

 We sat in a rock. I eventually summoned the strength to stand and take these photos....

HELL'S TEETH INDEED!!!!!!!

 The sandwich was gorgeous too. It is said that food tastes better with fresh air.......

 Plenty of that here.

 They do look like teeth.

 I rewarded myself with taking far too many photos. Well....so? I am alive........Existential  crap kind of I live. I take too many photos.
Existential? yep. You climb those bloody steps! you see . It will give you all kinds of pretensions if you can get to the top.....And what is it exactly?....

"a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will."

I quote from a google search as there is no way I could have come up with an explanation. Did not know I would even know about it did you?

Well .....I must admit it is something that I got from my last husband who considered himself an expert on these matters. I never much understood, but then I had not climbed these bloody steps on the Otley Chevin until today.

 So I lived to see another day. This is it....and yes I am writing this as Monza lazies on the bed ...at this time he is not wanting me to go out...but I had best be quick, as the time is nye for another outing to Otley this day. Monza does not like to waste the day when he can be out and about in the Fonz car.

 Yes there really are far too many photos here. I am not going to edit them. just scroll on by if you are bored. I nearly died to take these so I leave them in.

 These are mostly un edited too. I came to the conclusion that I over did it and could not be bothered to edit them all!

 " do I get regaled?" asked Lee as he made more coffee with an eye on his Utube of a house build.....

 On the way back.....we passed this sculpure again. Needless to say...we did not go back down these steps we walked along the path that we should have sensibly taken in the first place,.....still we got there quite quickly.

 The path is sooooo much easier!!!!

 " ah...look it's a pine tree....it all straight look..." stated Lee as we came to the turning down....

" does this mean something? is this a sign? is it a clue we are going the right way?" I asked in awe

"Na. It's a pine tree...just sayin'" stated Lee...

 " so is this the path or not?" I asked

 "There's only one and it's headin' toward were we cem from..."

 so that was the way we went. Back down the path to the Fonz car.

 There is a sculpture here at the folk in the path . At this point it is possible to not take the steps up it is possible to follow a path and not have a heart attack. It all takes a bit longer but then you live to tell the tale.

 It is obvious which way to go really....as the view once again opens up before my eyes....

That dear reader was the short cut to Hell's teeth on the Otley Chevin.