A Grand Day Out

Didn't seem like a promising forecast to be going high with a relatively inexperienced party so decided on Seathwaite Fell.  This is one of those fells that is surrounded by giants and is a gem.  Lots of craggy knolls and hidden tarns.

We ascended the path on the left side of Taylorgill Force and then headed for a shallow gully on the end of the fell.

This was quite slippery , but did add a touch of excitement to the accent.

We sheltered and had a sandwich. The day was gray but luckily most of the clouds were just above our lowly peak.

As we descend from the summit the weather shows some hints of clearing with the odd patch of brightness appearing.

By the time we reach Styhead the weather is much better and the snow line has retreated up the fell.
After an uneventful descent we head for the Royal Oak in Rosthwaite where they do a brilliant afternoon tea.  Proper loose tea and scones with rum butter and home made jam.  Unfortunately by the time I took the photo we had eaten them all.

Wet Valley valley

Inspired by McEff's recent visit to Swindale   (  http://becausetheyrethere.com/ ) I headed down the M6 and turned off at the village called Heap of Stones.  Yes I've just bought Diana Whaley's book 'A Dictionary of Lake district Place Names.'  It's dear and I've been eying it up in the  Cockermouth book shop since before the big flood.  Took the car for some tyres and whilst waiting parted with the cash for the book.
They say you should never go back.   I fished this beck a couple of times 30 odd years ago. I explored the
granite intrusion on the valley sides and I have camped a couple of times below Harrop Pike at the valley head. These are happy memories so how come there's a tear in my eye?

About a mile up the valley is this peculiar structure.  It does not appear to have buildings inside , it's over 9 feet tall in places,  it seems a bit big for a sheep fold?

I'm soon climbing up beside the falls at the valley head.  Over to my right there are a couple of heads silhouetted against the sky watching my every move. (How many attempts to spell silhouetted).  Behind me over to the left, on the other side of the ridge,will be the Granite quarry where my dad blasted his way through the years in sun snow and rain.  If I climb that hill I will be able to see my mam and dad's house on the fellside at Tebay.

At the head of the falls is a wide flat boggy area surrounded by hills.  As you pop up here you can catch the red deer unaware, and today was no exception.  Too far away to photo, on the slopes above Widepot is a herd of at least 30.  I sit and watch as they stream away out of site. So I head right for High Wether Howe.  Another mystery, why has someone planted those trees in such a remote area?  I must go check them out some day.

There's those heads watching me again.  This was a smaller herd on my side of the valley.

I head back down the valley and there's a farmer mending a drystone wall, I shout 'how do.' My aunty Kath, now long gone, would have probably known him.  She could tell you the family tree of the families at most of the farms between Tebay and Stainmore. Another age.
Must cheer up, this is a happy walk.  Never go back?

St Sunday Crag

After failing to get parked in Hartsop we parked at Bridgend and decided to tackle a favourite ridge,  Lord's Seat and Gavel Pike onto St Sunday Crag.

Being unfit this was a long hard slog up the ridge beside Coldcove Gill.

Gavel Pike.

It was around here that extra layers of clothing were added as it was bitterly cold.

Across Deepdale could be seen Link Cove. The sunlit mound in the middle of the cove being a favourite campsite.

The summit in sight.

The older snowfields near the top were easier to walk on than the icy paths.

A quick photo of Nethermost Cove then a zoom down via Birks.

Unfortunately we were too late for the Booth's cafe in Keswick.

Green Gable

We crossed the beck at Seathwaite on a cloudier day than anticipated after seeing the forecast the previous Friday.  We had decided to visit Dawne's mam in South Shields on the Saturday.
We quickly discovered that the paths were very icy as we headed up into Gillercombe.

Sandwiches were eaten in the lee of the head wall of the corrie before heading into a very cold and blustery wind.

As we traversed the summit a fine view of Ennerdale and Pillar opened up.

We turned left down Aaron Slack.

It was around here that one member of the party discovered just how icy it was as they flew downhill head first.  Apart from some bruising they were luckily unhurt.

The late start meant we were 10 mins too late for a Booth's scone.

Helvellyn Avalanche Warning.

Helvellyn it is then.   No I don't think I'm brave or foolhardy, but when Radio Cumbria mentioned huge drifts of snow and possible avalanches on Helvellyn I had to go.   I figured if I went up from the Thirlmere side , I call it the Brown cove car park, then I would be on the wind scoured side of the fell and all the big accumulations would be on the other side in the corries.  Also I have been on this route before in similar conditions and when it got too dicey I simply turned back.

As I drove to the lay-by on the main road I noticed the above one nearly full.  This panicked me a bit as this one fills up only after the one further up the road on the Thirlmere side is full.  But the reason soon became apparent and rip off Britain has reached the Lakes.

Fair enough if they've had to create a car park and tarmac it etc.  but this is just a lay-by.

As I gained height the snow depth increased and the weather closed in.

Just visible in the mirk are two walkers ahead of me.  I later overtook them as they were having crampon problems.

I hacked a seat into the summit shelter drifts, had a quick cup of tea from my Aldi flask, bugger only luke warm.  Then headed down.

I kept away from the drop off to the right and an early bath in Red Tarn as two more people approach the summit.

I emerged from the cloud near the big boulder at the entrance to Brown Cove.  Sheltering behind the boulder I ate my sandwiches,  leaving some for the raven circling above.

A call into Keswick and the Black's 25% off sale saw me heading home with a new flask.

Big Round Hill Hill

We decided to revisit the above fell on Saturday after noticing that a lot of the more central fells were capped in cloud.  The sun kissed slopes of the above fell seemed more inviting,  especially if we could zoom off to Penrith afterwards to sample the delights of the new Booth's Cafe and pick up some sausages from the Cranston's Food hall.

Surrounding this fell is a band of deciduous trees and then higher up conifers.  As with a lot of places in the Lakes if you want to see these trees you had  better go soon as the trees are dying.  There seems to be lots of broken and decaying trees but not much sign of re- generation.  Of course there werte sheep.  Will they ever remove the sheep and allow some regrowth?

After visiting the summit and half filling a bag with discarded rubbish,  presumably left by a visiting band of morons, we descended through the incredibly contorted conifers.

Lunch was eaten in the shelter of the wood.  On a previous visit there were deer (roe ?) sheltering.

We then headed on down through the bracken.

And we had the sausages for breakfast this morning.

Days Out

We have not had much time for big walks since the Pyrenees, so here afre a few images of short walks over the past few months.