Sunday, May 29, 2011

A Few Days With Karen's Parents

Last Sunday Karen's parents (Anne & Ian) came to stay for a few days. The weather was forecast to be very wet every day so we were unsure how far we would get. On Monday afternoon it cleared up & we walked for a couple of hours along the cycle track. On Tuesday it didn't look too bad so we set off for Keswick. We had wanted to get Anne & Ian up one Wainwright & Latrigg seemed the perfect choice as you can park at 295m & the fell is only 368m. Since we were last there we knew the "miles without stiles" team had put a new path in so it should be a good surface all the way to the top. Near the start looking up at Skiddaw Little Man Heading up the new path & although it wanders its way up the fell so is a bit further than the old route it is a great surface.
We just had Crag with us & he was happy chasing sticks. It was dry but very windy which meant he was having to run a long way to retrieve them
The path continues on
Our first glimpse of Keswick & Derwent Water (note the storm clouds gathering)
Bassenthwaite Lake in the distance
The last of the days sun (although we didn't know it at the time) falls on Little Man & Skiddaw
A rather windswept Karen & Andy
A lovely viewpoint overlooking Keswick & Derwent Water. At this point we were about to turn & head for the summit when the rain came, we were only 30m of ascent short of the summit but we decided to turn back. That was a good decision as the rain turned briefly to snow & not so briefly to hail which wasn't very pleasant. A walk that won't be forgotten and a fell we will get to the top of with Anne & Ian another day.
Wednesday was forecast to be better so we decided to head for Ennerdale. We have some fixed point pictures to take on the way to Black Sail & by parking beyond Gillerthwaite we shorten the distance to Black Sail to 3.5miles.
Looking up at Pillar, Scoat Fell & Steeple
Plenty of water gushing through the various gills
Again it is a good walking surface along the valley floor
Pillar & Pillar Rock
Pillar bridge where we take the first couple of panoramas
This area was felled a few years ago Further down the track & the bottom of the valley comes into view
And looking back up Anglers Crag in the distance
Green & Great Gable
Brandreth, Green Gable & Great Gable
We reach Black Sail youth hostel where for 50p a cup of tea was welcomed
Crossing the River Liza here
Zooming in on Green & Great Gable
Brandreth & Green Gable
Great Gable & Kirk Fell
Anne
Crag & Bess
Anne, Karen & Ian (& Crag) at our lunch spot
Andy, Karen & Ian
A fixed point photo taken on the way back
It was a lovely walk & the rain pretty much stayed off. Great to see Anne & Ian again & thanks Anne for many of the above pictures

Sunday, May 22, 2011

3 Rather Wet Days With Tony

Last Sunday Tony came to visit us, he is a keen walker & the plan was to have three good days on the fells, however the weather had other ideas. We decided to go up Grike & Crag Fell on Sunday yes that is Andy, Tony & the dogs in the distance Much felling has gone on since we were last up Grike
Much of the felled wood is still to be collected
Grike summit (488m)
Then we set off for Crag Fell
Crag Fell summit (523m)
On Monday we took a low level walk to Longlands & then on Tuesday Karen & Tony set off for Pillar, due to the rain the waterfalls on Low Beck were rather good.
Unfortunately due to constant rain & almost zero visibility no more pictures were taken on this walk, we didn't make it to the top but got most of the way to Wind Gap. Shame about the weather but good to see Tony again.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Some More Dry Stone Walling

On Tuesday we were on a work party again repairing some dry stone wall. This wall had not fallen down over time but had been taken down by some 4x4 drivers who had decided they would play with their vehicles at the far end of the valley. They had got stuck so used some stones from the wall to get the vehicles going again. This area is a SSSI & they had no right to be there so we understand they will be prosecuted These are some of the tyre tracks they left This is the damage they left
Bernie & Karen worked on the wall whilst Andy laboured carrying infill to them
We try to get the biggest stones levelled, low down on the wall
Nearly finished, Bernie & Andy capping off & finishing the infill in the wall
Karen & Bernie proudly showing off the repaired wall
Lastly a picture from earlier in the week showing our nosey dogs who don't miss a thing that goes on out the front