Today Jayne Hill and I had a walk from the Old Dungeon Ghyll to Bowfell and Rosset Pike.  A word of warning to anyone who wants to park at ODG on summer Sundays: we arrived at 0920 and just got parked.  By 0930 the carpark was full and cars were having to turn round and head back down the valley to New Dungeon Ghyll.

The weather was dry but not as good as forecast, with a chilly wind  and sunny intervals.  Stool End has a fine flock(?) of housemartins this year.  Up the Band in steadily more depressing weather - by the time we reached the Climbers' Traverse the clouds were boiling up ahead.  Normally in the past I have seen far fewer people on the traverse than on the main route up to Three Tarns.  Yesterday the traverse was full of people!  Two climbers were just starting to climb Bowfell Buttress.  I think Jayne was quite impressed with the Great Slab and its "river of boulders" as described by Wainwright but in dry conditions it was easy.  Polly got bored with waiting for us two footed mortals and raced away up the middle of the slab and reached the top in seconds - show off!

Lots of people on and around Bowfell summit and the clear conditions (the cloud had lifted by now) gave good views of the Scafells.  We took lunch just below the summit out of the wind.  Then on to Ore Gap where it was decision time.  Jayne is gradually getting back to fitness after her efforts in new house and garden so we decided not to do Esk Pike.  Instead we dropped down to Angle Tarn from Ore Gap.  There are huge amounts of path reconstruction going on on the Angle Tarn to Esk Hause path.  After a rest and a swim (for Polly) in Angle Tarn we did the short diversion to the summit of Rossett Pike (great viewpoint including a good view of our route up the Great Slab) before heading down the reconstricted packhorse track to Mickleden and the 2 mile level walk to ODG.

A good walk in good company in weather which often looked as if it would break but didn't.

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