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

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.

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