BIt of a Breeze

A bad forecast had me away early and parked in a lay-by near Grasmere. As I shouldered the sack I noticed a buzzard capture something in the field opposite and have to immediately face off a hungry magpie.  I then had to drag a dead badger from the middle of the road.  I headed past the Wordsworth buildings and up on to the fell.

Harrison Stickle looks good from here.

The head of Dunney Beck was skirted as I headed onto Nab Scar.  As I approached the ridge little tufts of grass were dropping out of the sky.  Must be a bit of a breeze up there.

The intention was to climb Great Rigg and then drop down to Stone Arthur and be then eating a good lunch in Booth's cafe when the expected rain arrived at dinner time.  Unfortunately the wind was now blowing me about.  At one stage beyond Heron Crag I had trouble standing even when going down the lee side of the ridge.

I dropped down to the head of Greenhead Gill and contoured to Stone Arthur.  Great Rigg can wait for another day.

I was just eating the cake course in Booths as the  rain arrived.

Loadpot Laikin

I'd got the gear ready the night before and dashed home from work.  A quick shower and change of clothes and I'm heading for Keswick.  Bugger I've still got my prescription safety glasses on instead of my normal specs.  There's no going back as I head for Booths and some last minute shopping.  I've had no tea so decide on a non lightweight Cumbrian plumb bread as a luxury. It's dark and lonely as I leave the car at the lane end above Pooley Bridge and head for the High Street roman road.
There's no moon and its pitch black,  and if I'm honest as I head up the wild moor,  a bit scary.  I've no water so head for the head of Swarth Beck below Loadpot Hill.  It never seems to come and I'm starving. This night time navigation is hard work 'where TF am I' seems to be the method.

To cut along story short the beck was found the tent pitched at 10 pm and the next day it looked like this:

The plumb bread was eaten whilst the dehydrated meal was cooking and I finally got to sleep around midnight.
After a night slightly the wrong side of warm I had breakfast in the tent.

Photos a bit naff as the camera steamed up.  I don't claim to be an expert camper but if there's one tip I can pass on is get a cup with a hook handle like the one above  got in Decathlon. It hooks over boots or the edge of pans and especially when its grassy  saves the tea being spilled.

It's a hazy day and the view from Bonscale Pike is limited. 

So after doubling back and climbing Loadpot Hill it's back  along the path I walked up in the dark and home to cut the grass.

Where are we going?

I had to work yesterday so today I was up at 06.30 getting the gear ready.  I sometimes dont know where to head for until I've actually seen the fells in the distance ,  I'd already been asked  the question  "where are we going ?'  at least 3 times before we were on the road at 08.30.  Skiddaw dominates the horizon from this neck of the woods so when I saw the snow as we drove through Dearham the decision was made.  The layby on the Orthwaite road gets full quickly, but we were the first ones there.

There was barely a cloud in the sky as we headed up the muddy fields onto the Ullock Pike ridge.  As we gained height the cloud was bubbling up over the fells.  

As Longside Edge hove into view the weather ahead looked threatening and we met a couple who had decided to turn around muttering about there'd be no views anyway.

Could n't see anything wrong with them myself.

By the time we'd had our dinner the black clouds were heading away to the south.  (Best spot for them)

Into the fast melting snow as we head up towards the summit of mighty Skiddaw.

Relaxing in the sun at the summit.

We head towards Broad End past the strangely named Gibralter Crags.  

And hence down into Barkbethdale, Great Knott and Southerndale before braving the muddy path down to the car.

Where we going next week?

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.