#FindJasper, Gyp's thoughts on the matter...

Gyp posing on a cairn!

Me and me mate Si were in the Lakes for a well deserved break from work when we heard of a fellow collie dog in distress. At the time we heard about him, we were nearly in distress ourselves being high up on a very windy, wet and slippery Sharp Edge on Blencathra. We'd just teamed up with a chap called Ray for safety's sake because Si had a rope and some shiny metal bits if things got out of hand. Anyway, it was Ray who told us the story of Jasper's disappearance near the top of Scafell Pike the day before.

I could tell that Ray was a dog person straight away – it turns out he's got two dogs and one's a border collie! So I was happy to wait with him while Si negotiated the crux of Sharp Edge, a glassy and sloping slab with a big drop below it. When Ray released me to teeter across it I was glad Si had me on the rope as I was slithering sideways towards the edge with every move forwards. Finally I reached Si and he grabbed my harness and hoicked me up to a ledge he was sat on. After Ray had joined us, we admired the view through gaps in the clouds and then set off up the final but steeper part of the scramble before topping out on the summit of Blencathra.

Ray and Gyp waiting to safely negotiate the slippery slab

Ray parted company with us to return to Scales whilst we carried on along the Blencathra ridge towards Blease Fell where Si was hoping Liz would have left the van. As we walked, the weather closed in even more and I started thinking about poor Jasper and how he'd be feeling. I was lost once as some of you will know and being out with no shelter and in my case injured too is no fun I'm telling you.

Anyway, as we returned down to the valley I got a glimpse through the murk of my old home, Lonscale Farm and felt a wave of nostalgia for my days as a pup. Then I thought more and realised that although Derek, Rachel and Helen were very kind to me, I would have struggled with farm and pack life as I'm what Si calls "a sensitive little fellow"...

Sure enough, we reached the bottom of Blease and there was both the van and a very soggy Lizzie who'd just finished a mountain bike ride. I was made up to see her and gave her a big lick and some muddy paws for good measure!

Safe in his harness and roped to Si

On the way down we'd met a couple who were asking whether Sharp Edge was suitable to take a dog on. I was surprised to hear Si say, "no, not really", as I'd managed to traverse it. Si told Liz about this later and said that although he was confident we were safe and well equipped, to have a dog on the route could be a very dangerous distraction. I know that non dog people might wonder why I'm not on a lead much but my message to them is that I will always stick close to Si and do what he says. When I got lost it was because Si had left me with relatives and I went out to find him and got hurt. But if we do anything a bit necky then Si puts me in the harness of adventure and attaches a webbing long lead or even a rope to attach me to him.

Anyway, when we got home it turned out that the search for Jasper had gone what Si called "viral". Ugggrrrhhh, I had a virus once – most of my fur fell out and I couldn't eat! Si explained that the news of Jaspers disappearance had spread among people like a virus and that was a GOOD thing because now thousands of folk were concerned with his whereabouts.

Gyp on his way to the bottom of Sharp Edge on Blencathra

Si spent quite a time that night and through the following days putting out details of Jasper's plight to his friends on Facebook and to customers of Mountainfeet. Jasper's version of Si was called Adam and he was a decent mountain person type. I liked the look of him straightaway although don't tell Si that 'cos he thinks I'm a one man dog!

It seemed Adam was as upset as I'm told Si was when I went missing and was spending every waking hour searching the mountains for Jasper and following up possible sightings. Us farm collies are hardy and built for the bad weather and mountains but even we have a limit and as the days passed me and Si (and the rest of the world it seemed) were getting more and more anxious. I tried to tell Si that Jasper would be OK but even I was losing hope. But Adam was alerting more and more people and they in turn were passing on requests for help to others. Many people by day three were combing the countryside and responding to the many false alarm sightings.

On the Wednesday night, I could see that Si was very sad for Jasper and Adam. We'd just been up on Pule Hill in the dark and it was wild and windy – not good for anyone to be out without shelter. We only spent an hour on the hill yet I was happy to get in the van as even my fur coat wasn't doing its usual job. Si seemed OK in his clothing – maybe Paramo should make a dog jacket! We returned home and I noticed that the first thing Si did (before he'd even fed me!) was to check progress on the search for Jasper. I could tell there was no good news and crawled onto Si's lap for a fuss. He gave me a soppy bear hug which I only endured 'cos he's my best mate...

Adam and Jasper reunited!

But Thursday dawned and Si came bounding downstairs with a massive grin on his face. Had he won the lottery? Turns out it was better than that – Jasper had been found! A heroic former member of Penrith Mountain Rescue, Geoff Horky had located him in filthy and cold conditions in total darkness in the night and together with the help of Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team had evacuated a cold and exhausted Jasper from the high ground around Broad Crag on Scafell Pike. Turns out that a fabulous gent called Antony had seen a lone collie the day before seemingly resting and reported his sighting once he'd learned about Jasper's plight.

So, some lessons to be learned? Well, although most folk were highly supportive and sympathetic there were a few who said things like Jasper should have been on a lead. One even said that Adam should stick to the play park with Jasper! But these people don't understand too much...

Us collies are bred for the hills and most (not all though!) have agility, resilience and sense in the mountains. Adam is an experienced mountain man and Jasper had been on countless mountain walks with him in similar circumstances. Just one set of circumstances combined to part the two for an instant and unusually, that turned into a long separation. Is Adam to leash Jasper permanently in future as some have suggested? No, he'll naturally be more cautious but he'll do what's needed on the day just like Si does with me. Occasionally there's a situation where the lead gets snapped on me, either for my safety or because of a rule or byelaw. But us collies need to be free and providing we're not wild or a nuisance then that's the way it should be! (Editors note: Gyp is getting a bit agitated now and talking about sheepdog unions and biting certain people so we're just calming him down before giving him back the key board).

Grrrr, sorry about that – went off on one! Just one last thing now. A couple of folk questioned about who would pay for the rescue. Well, hopefully those people now know that Adam pre-empted this argument early in the search by publicising the great work that the various Mountain Rescue Teams do and setting up a donations page to the team that were working with him! As my paws fly over the keys I can tell you that the current donation total stands at £42,234.64 but more is still needed for a permanent HQ for the team. Adam's taken the help that was offered, generously acknowledged it day after day and paid back his supporters with interest!

Si donated as he spends so much time in the Lake District walking and paragliding – maybe me and him will need them one day although we both hope not!

https://www.justgiving.com/findjasper/

Bad and Good day during the Tour...

Grrr, I hate seeing those road bike things come out of the garage. Sometimes I'm sure that's all that Si, the ugly bald bloke that I live with thinks about! Thing is, when they're in play, I'm grounded. And that's not good. In fact that's really bad...

So a three week festival of road bike things called the Tour de France? That's DISASTROUS for a collie dog and no mistake...

I knew the above was true when I was incarcerated at home on the Thursday evening, given a patronising pat on the head and a token minging dry biscuit and left for four hours while the two foots (or should I now say TWO WHEELS...) beggared off to a Big Farm called Leeds to watch a load of anorexic blokes with shaved legs and wearing womens tights. When they got in at midnight, Si and Liz (my twofoots) insisted on watching the thing again on TV and exclaimed in delight everytime a stick insect man told the interviewer that he wanted to be on the podium (whatever that is...)

I knew I was DOUBLY right when I was bundled into the van on Friday night and driven up to Spiny and Jackie's house in the middle of nowhere. They've got two MASSIVE Alsatians who scare the hell out of a miniature collie like moi...

All right for them - I was hiding from the Alsations...

Seems the idea was to leave me with the two Alsatians and Jackie all next day while Spiny, Si and Liz went off in search of the stick men in tights and their silly bike machines. I know Jackie's got a field I can run around in but there's a bloody horse and thousands (well nine...) of sheep in it so I have to stay under the bed to keep them and the Alsatians off me. I love Si and the massive walks and runs and rides we go on but he can really disappoint me sometimes and this bike thing is his biggest weakness (although Liz says otherwise).

Anyway, they jollied off at SIX in the morning to drive and ride to Skipton and when they came back several millennium later they were full of themselves. "Froomey this and Cav that" was all you could get out of the eejits for several hours and then thank Lassie it was time to go home. But that wasn't the end of it. Oh no, it definitely wasn't the end of it...

OK, I got a big walk that night. But then I heard snatches of talking from Si on his tel-a-bone (I think that's what it's called anyway). "Yep, watching the Tour at Holme Moss tomorrow. Yes, probably be biking over. Gyp? Oh, I'll walk him in the morning and then he'll be right for the day..."

Well, that bloody did it. Another poxy day in the slammer for sure. Not playing this time. For starters, while I was still free on Pule Hill, I wasn't going to co-operate by coming back to cycle-groupie-baldie-git man and he could get stuffed if he thought otherwise...

Spin forward five minutes and cycle-groupie-baldie-git man had proved he was stronger than me by putting me in a paw lock. I was led firmly off into the VW jail-mobile and was now resigned to a fate worse even than wearing a cute little coat like a chihuahua. Back home and sleep took over but it was troubled and I woke Si and Liz up several times with dream-woofs and growls...

Lizzie the Tour Maker!

Come the morning and Si did one in the car to take Liz to Huddersfield where she actually had the gall to work as a Tour Maker at the poxy bike race from hell! To be fair, he then returned and took me for a token spin up on the moor but then disappeared off into the village for breakfast without me and came back smelling of sausages!

But then what's this? An old friend, Dave (G'day mate) Christensen tips up at our house with another strange dude in tow. They're not cyclists for sure. Then Si walks out of the garage in walking boots and carrying a rucsac with dog biscuits sticking out from the side pocket. And to top it all he's beckoning me towards the red "harness of adventure"... My tail is starting to be incredibly uncool. I don't want to show gratitude after the last two days but the damn thing is giving my increasingly happy demeanour away!

Now things are clear. I'm off to the Tour de France! I LOVE bike racing - did I tell you that?

We set off up Wessenden, my usual haunt during the week but at the top we carried straight on towards Black Hill. Wow, this was a big old run out! There were lots more people than I usually see on the tops and loads of kids and other dogs. I was fully aware of being a representative of the Mountainfeet shop so I looked on the other bottom sniffing, leg lifting mutts with disdain as I wove around them and trotted onwards up the hill.

At Holme Moss there was a multitude of people the like of which Si and I had never seen! But surely this is just a bike race I hinted to Si. Big mistake as for ten minutes he lectured me on the history and the (yawn) legend of this (yawn again) fabled event. Serves him right that passers by thought he was mad talking to his dog!

Anyway, we arrived on the hillside by the Holme Moss road along with literally THOUSANDS of others. And you know what? It was GREAT!!! Such a marvellous atmosphere amongst the two foots and their dogs as people sang and cheered as the procession went through ahead of the heroic riders (not stick men...) who fought with every breath to be first up that mighty climb. Ah, I should be a commentator on DTV1 (Dog Television One) with an oratory like that! (Si's just told me to stop being a clever arse or he'll throw me off the computer).

Anyway, now you'll see the relevance of the title of this blog. My views on bike racing have changed for the better but I still prefer Si to get his mountain bike out rather than the thing with curly handlebars. One leads to fun and adventure (not to mention some serious mud) and the other still means only one thing. Incarceration...

Anyway, here are a few more pics for you...

My first Tour de France and I'm in a great place for watching the race!

It was mad when the riders came through!

Got a bit bored waiting for the action to happen...

So many people making the exodus over the moors to Holme Moss.

Me and Si are best friends again now...

Team Sky - Si cheers most for these guys as he wears their team strip when riding!