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.

The Tebay Lad and the Geordie Lass etc. Last Bit.

 Up early and D decides with one more col, and the Parc landrover taxis at the Estany de Sant Maurici, we might as well head that way.

 Lac Obago.

 Sitting in the sun on the Port de Ratera des Colomers. (2572m)

 Down the GR11 past the Estany del Port de Ratera.

Estany de les Obagues de Ratera.

The Encantats across the valley.

We arrived back in Espot and the car which was covered in a layer of dust from the car park.
Dawne kept off her foot for the rest of the holiday and was in pain. We caught the train from Toulouse at  0930hrs and were in Carlisle for 22:30 hrs.  A trip to casualty and one Xray later revealed a clean break in her foot.  Bandaged up for 8 weeks.  Geordie lasses are tough.

The Tebay Lad and Geordie Lass backpack in the Parc National D' Aiguestortes I Estany De Saint Maurici, Part 4

We continued on past the Estany de Travessani en route for the Port de Caldes.

As we gained height we looked across at the Massis de Besiberri, peaks over 3000m high.

The endless walking over granite was beginning to tell, and Dawne's foot was aching by now.

The Port de Caldes  (2568m)  hoved into sight at last.

The view down the other side into the Circ de Colomers.

We were tired by now and D's foot was hurting so we headed down quickly past the Estanh Mort.

The Circ was full of cows and we finally found a poo free site besides the Estanh Plan.

The Geordie Lass was knocking back the Ibuprofen for the foot and a decision would be needed in the morning wether to head down and catch a bus to Espot or climb the last col and walk back.

The Tebay Lad and Geordie Lass backpack in the Parc National D' Aiguestortes I Estany De Saint Maurici, Part3

The next morning we headed  down the Vall de Dellui heading for the Refuge d' Estany  Long.  A party met us heading up as we negotiated the boulder field.  There were posts to guide you through.

The view down the valley with the Estanyets de Dellui.

Typical view.

Looking back up the valley, the camp site was just below the distant roche moutonnee.

We had hoped to spend a night at the Refuge d' Estany Long.  But of course it was full.  This is a very popular bit of the Parc with people coming up from the taxis to the lake. So we headed down to the taxis which whisk you to Boi for 5€. We had a night in a hotel after sampling the tapas.

A taxi was taken to the dam wall of the Embassament de Cavallers from where we headed up towards the Refugi Joan Ventosa i Calvell. This was a hot day and the sun reflected off the granite slabs as we made our way up the trough end.

The refuge.

......and lunch.

One reason the huts are popular is that  there is a circuit that they run around carrying very small packs.


Anyway, time to soak up the views and rest in the heat of the day.

Beard's coming on lad.