I must be mad - TWO Chronicles in one day! Today's walk was with Jill Rowland and Jo Hall up Troutbeck Tongue. It was a hot and humid day. After yesterday's ten miler I was glad we were not doing a long walk.
We parked at Town Head and walked down into the valley and then up the lane to Troutbeck Park. The hedges were colourful with flowers and some of the fields were ablaze with Buttercups. This is farmed as an ESA (Environmentally Sensitive Area) and it shows. Just below Troutbeck Park we met the farmer busy mending a drystone wall on a bend in the lane. It turned out that his son had failed to make the bend in his Vauxhall Corsa! I'd have had the son mend the wall if he was mine. ;)
The start of the path up the south ridge was almost overgrown with bracken but we found it and soon made our way up the ridge with ever improving views. A quick lunch at the summit and then we strolled to the north end of the ridge before dropping back to the valley. I then took Ann Bowker's advice and crossed Hagg Gill to return on a good path to the east of the one we used on the approach.
The dogs cooled off in a beck and then we rehydrated in the excellent Queens Head on the main road at Troutbeck. We didn't have a meal but their meals are highly recommended if ever you are passing.
Enjoy the pics http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/559392448kJkGcB
