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.