High Rigg

Today although the weather wasn't brilliant we managed a Wainwright fell. We drove over to Legburthwaite to ascend High Rigg. This is looking NE towards St Johns Common, we were just below the mist line all day thankfully. Walking along the reasonably featureless summit plateau High Rigg (357m) (think the camera was at a slight angle!) Back down lower again & walking south along the Eastern flanks

We hadn't worn the dogs out as they wanted to chase sticks

Across the valley to Bram Cragg

A Week Down South

Last week we were back down south visiting family and friends. Our first stop was in Redditch to stay with Andy's daughter Jessica & her fiance Dan. We took the dogs for a walk in the nearby Rough Hill Wood A bench carved into the shape of a man The next day we travelled to Oxford to stay with Andy's mum, we went for a walk on Port Meadow which was a bit drier than when we were last there in February

An old college boathouse

A disused railway turntable

Walking back to Margaret's flat on the canal towpath

A rather brave cat taunts the dogs

We spent an afternoon at Julies where Abbie & Kieran showed us their skills on the trampoline

Julie

We then had a game of baseball

Nearly Bess...

Kieran having a wrestle with Crag.

The next day we met up with Lisa, Stuart & their dog Katie for a walk along the Thames

We walked from Eynsham Toll Bridge to the Trout at Wolvercote, where we saw the damage to Godstow bridge caused by a hit & run motorist the week before

Back at their house Crag was fascinated by Stuarts fish

Or last walk of the week was from Worminghall to Ickford (where Karen once lived in the house in the centre of the picture)

Ickford Church

Camping At Glenridding

Last Monday with the promise of some good weather later in the week we set off to Glenridding on Ullswater to camp for a few nights & get some fell walking in. After getting the tent up on Monday we went for a walk along the shores of Ullswater we had heard about an art exhibition that was on the lake, that hadn't been the greatest success due to the bad weather. We latterly discovered it was called "Fleur de Sel" & this is what it originally looked like: However we only saw 4 of the structures as the rest had blown away! The dogs didn't seem that interested in the exhibition, they just wanted to play in the lake

Looking up at Place Fell which we hoped to climb later in the week.

We walked to Patterdale & then along part of the far side of the lake, this is looking back towards Glenridding

Lingy Holm, one of the few islands dotted around Ullswater

We walked almost to Silver Point before turning back

Crag has a stick

Which he is closely guarding from Bess

A very old & mossy cottage

We knew it was forecast to rain Monday night & into Tuesday, but we hoped it would pass through quite quickly, alas no & we had 24hrs of wind & rain batter us. We drove to Penrith & then stopped at Pooley Bridge on the way back for a walk, we managed a short one in the trees at Dunmallard Hill, but with the rain horizontal decided enough was enough & drove back to the tent

It was still standing but we were starting to be surrounded by a moat!

Only one thing for it, go to the pub for dinner, we have never dressed in full waterproofs & wellies to go to the pub before! After a stormy 24hrs we awoke to sunshine on Wednesday so set off to Patterdale again, this time to go up Place Fell, looking down the valley with Brothers Water in the distance

And across the valley to Helvellyn & Catstye Cam

Looking up Place Fell Looking down & zooming in on the campsite

One last push to the summit, the dogs are cooling off in a small tarn

The views were lovely from the top, you could see the northern end of Ullswater

The dogs again went for a dip

They were quite a way away from us

A panorama of the view

Place Fell (657m)

Brothers Water again

Place Fell doesn't link to another Wainwright so we retraced our steps to Boredale Hause & headed for our second fell Beda Fell, looking back at Place Fell

And onto Beda Fell

The Nab

Equally good views from the summit

Beda Fell (509m)

Looking across to Place Fell

How cute can I look?

Me too!

And me

This is the walk in from Glenridding to the campsite

We had planned to return home on Thursday, but having lost Tuesday decided to stay one more night. Birkhouse Moor from the campsite.

And todays first target Glenridding Dodd

Finding the path up was a bit tricky to begin with

Looking up the valley, the path below is how we will return

Birkhouse Moor & Rake Cottages

Splendid views of Ullswater from the summit

Glenridding Dodd (442m)

We then headed for our second fell Sheffield Pike, Bess was full of energy

Crag not so much but we put it down to the infection he had the previous week

Ullswater & Glenridding Dodd

Glenridding & Place Fell to the left

Soon we are looking down on Glenridding Dodd

Birkhouse Moor, Catstye Cam & Helvellyn in the distance

And the summit is reached, Wainwright describes the summit as "Even on a sunny summer day the top of the fell seems a dismal, cheerless place" we beg to differ, again beautiful views

A panorama of the fells

Sheffield Pike (675m) our 140th Wainwright

We walked around to Sticks Pass to start our descent

On our way we passed the now disused quarry

Raise is home to the Lake Districts only ski tow & home to The Lake District Ski Club http://www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/

The ski run

You need to know how to stop though as this cliff is below the run!

Catstye Cam As we dropped into the valley a helicopter was bringing rocks in to repair the path

We got down to the youth hostel & had about a miles walk back, Crag suddenly became his bouncy self again - He had found a stick. We wonder if he got bored without one, have we got the only Border Collie who finds the fells boring?

It was great to get away & at last have a run of decent weather (excluding Tuesday), probably the last camping trip of the year, lets hope we get away more next year.