I'm just back from an amazing week in the Lakes! Amazing in two ways - Firstly I didn't think I would be able to do any walks in an upward direction because I'd been fighting a virus since New Year and was still feeling lousy but once I got started I managed to do eleven new Wainwrights! Secondly the weather was truly stunning with day after day of cloudless blue skies. On Tuesday and Wednesday it was unbelievably hot and more like May than February. Thursday was our only cloudy day and we were in thick mist and a bitterly cold wind on Wether Hill, but had we gone West instead of East we should have still been in sunshine. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in Loweswater all day!
Looking through my Wainwright books for the Eastern and Far Eastern Fells I was happy that there were some I hadn't done that were not too high and that I might actually be able to get up!
To Ann and Roger, lovely photos of our walk last Friday. Thanks for driving over to walk with us, it was a great day. It's still, much warmer and slightly grey here today with the odd patch of sunlight but sounds as if it's a bit breezy over your way. See you soon!
Beda Fell
On Sunday we woke up to a misty morning and thought of inversions were racing through my mind but the mist near our cottage disappeared while we were getting ready to set off. As we headed towards Ullswater and Martindale we were suddenly driving with fog light on and I couldn't believe my luck. We had an amazing walk and with a lot of puffing and panting I even managed to climb to the summit!
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The elusive Bonscale Pike!
We were slightly directionally challenged on Monday (or more likely totally confused) by thinking we were (we definitely were!) on the highest ground on Bonscale Fell but had no sight of cairn or pillars, then a trig point (no mention in Wainwright but of course his books are almost as old as me!) on Loadpot Hill caused further confusion and more map and compass consultation and it was only when a quick search southwards located the remains of Lowther House that we knew for certain which fell we were on! And that was without misty conditions. Good job we knew what we were doing lol!!!
Another glorious day, a cool breeze after a hot climb and three new Wainwrights!
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A diversion to The Knott and Brock Crags!
Another fantastic day on Tuesday and a planned shorter walk that turned out longer than expected because someone likes to play in a bit of snow!
We set off intending to climb Brock Crags from Hartsop but somehow got onto the wrong side of the gill and decided to go on to Hayeswater and gain the ridge from there. Direction finding was rubbish last week! It was incredibly warm for the time of year and progress was slow to very slow. Gray Crag loomed above us and we toyed with the idea of climbing up there instead, however a non existant path and the incredibly steep looking fellside was too off-putting and we opted for the gentle sunny slopes on the opposite side of the valley.
Patches of snow on the slopes of Knott tempted us up there to have a play before continuing on to Brock Crags.
I'm not sure I dare post this after just reading about Ed's epic day! I can only say that the incredible heat slowed us down to a snail's pace lol!
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Hart Side - and it's been -5C today!
The weather was fantastic, sunny and warm and hardly any breeze and we were too hot! I never thought to pack suncream but I was wishing I had some on Wednesday! We walked over Watermillock Common and above Ullswater on the Brown Hills. It was a wonderful walk until we lost the path for the final climb to the summit! Then it was steep, slippery, tussocky grass which just about finished me off. The scenery was fabulous, both for the superb views of Ullswater and then the dramatic change on the approach to Glencoyndale Head.
A highly recommended walk on a beautiful day.
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Steel Knotts and Wether Hill!
Thursday was our only cloudy day and much colder without the sun to warm things up. Wether Hill didn't look too inspiring as there was a thick layer of low cloud over all the High Street ridge and Wainwright's description of the ridge route from Steel Knotts was an easy walk followed by a dull climb! A dull climb in thick mist! We could see brightness in the sky to the south and the west but apart the odd sunbeam or two on Steel Knotts when we were on the summit, we didn't get any sunshine on us until late afternoon when we were back in the valley and even then the ridge was still covered in a thick layer of cloud.
We climbed up from Martindale Old Church and Pikewassa was a lovely rocky summit and I didn't find the walk to Wether Hill dull at all. It was delightful, lovely views and an easy ascent and we didn't hit the mist until almost up on the ridge. After a quick discussion, which way now then, and a consultation with map and compass, we managed to go the right way! A mountain biker appeared out of the mist and we chatted to him and he ended up looking at our map and decided he was going in the wrong direction! (It's not just us then!) It was perishing up there, thick mist and a bitterly cold wind so we didn't linger. We headed back the way we had come and soon dropped down out of the wind again, for lunch and hot chocolate (thanks John, a hot drink was greatly appreciated today). As we descended, patches of blue sky appeared although the sun seemed to be everywhere else apart from on us! A lovely walk in conditions more like February!
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Red Screes and Middle Dodd with Ann and Roger
On Friday we woke again to wonderful blue skies and a heavy overnight frost. We had arranged to meet up with Ann and Roger at the Kirkstone Inn at the summit of the Kirkstone Pass, not too far for us to go, a little further to travel from Loweswater. Wainwright's description of a rough scramble up from the pass had put me off for a while so I was glad to go for it in good company which would take my mind off an anticipated unpleasant route upwards! Surprisingly the path was not too bad at all and was a pleasure to climb apart from one or two slight patches which were a bit eroded and proved slippery on the descent.
The summit was wonderful with patches of snow and a frozen tarn and beautiful views although slightly hazier and colder than earlier in the week, definitely much better than the day before! While Bethan confidently chased all over the ice after ice balls thrown by Roger, Harry made us laugh as he wouldn't venture on to the ice more than a few inches with his front paws! Sensible or just a big wuss!!
We had lunch and then walked down to Middle Dodd to claim my 190th Wainwright, definitely a better way to do it than climbing up from the valley. The patches of snow in the shade were frozen solid, impossible to kick steps, so I'm glad there was plenty of grass and un-iced-up rocks to walk on.
A great walk in excellent company (only head-butted by Bethan once and she didn't quite manage to steal my gloves!), a fox spotted in the hedgerow on the drive back followed by tea (Roger must have liked it, he had three cups!) and cake at our Green Barn made it a brilliant last day to our holiday.
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Arnison Crag - Only 23 to go!
From thinking that I might not even get to any summits last week I managed 11 new ones as well as Knott! I felt blessed with the fabulous weather and think that I might actually finish all the Wainwrights now. I think I might have to tackle all those steep Hartsops next, they were slightly off-putting as seen from the valley!
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