Pen-y-Ghent

A really wild walk today, it was forecast! Today's walk completed my revisiting of the "Three Peaks"....which I started with Whernside in November. I like Pen-y Ghent the most of the three, I'm pretty sure its the one I'll have climbed most often. I'd thought when I st off that I might include Plover Hill but the terrific wind made me change my mind!

I set off up to Brackenbottom on the trade route. As you can see the snow was down to Horton-in-Ribblesdale...it was thawing though at this level.

Looking South from Brackenbottom Scar the sky seemed to be a little lighter.

Sure enough the sun caught the top of the South ridge, I could also see that the wind was picking up the snow/spindrift and throwing it high into the air...it would be a wild clamber!

True enough it was incredibly windy on the ridge and here on the summit....I had to kneel down to get a half decent image. Plover Hill would wait for another day I decided, and headed off Northwest into the teeth of the gale...and a vicious hail shower.

Back down the Pennine Way I paused to look back to see the top once more catching an another snow shower.

Slightly off route is Hull Pot, no stream pouring in today (frozen!). Its only a couple of hundred metres there and back, well worth it.
From here it was down the walled lane/Pennine Way to Horton, the snow was thawing quickly lower down....perhaps it'll be topped up tonight? 

Kentmere and Garburn.....Skinny Mountain Bike!

A late start today so a minimum drive to get to some good trails found me at Staveley, only 20min drive so just the job. A rather dull overcast sort of day, so the plan when I set off was to stay low down. The bridleways and tracks were quiet today....excellent!
A few photos of the ride below, rather a lot of my bike....but its bright colour did brighten the day!

I rode up Hall Lane and past Park House, the track has been improved recently here partly as flood prevention I think.

I then dropped down by HP plantation, and climbed up into Kentmere Park. The low cloud mist had perhaps lifted a little.

As you can see!? on this photo, the top of Garburn looked to be clear of mist,,,,its a long climb from here to the top of the pass.....

....but of course the top arrives eventually, and the top was clear. No view though, downhill from here past Dubbs Reservoir to Moor Howe Road.

Back to Kentmere Park via High Borrans, then down into the Kentmere Valley and back along the road to the car in Staveley.
Sorry for out of focus pic...I was probably on my last legs at this point!!
A good ride, I'd made the best of the weather.
The strava route of the day is here should anyone wish to follow the route.

Don't Be Fattist.....Call Me Omniterra!

Back to Langdale today, but on the Fatbike.....say it quietly (don't want to hurt its feelings! :-)) not walking. It wasn't a day to be up high, misty barely describes it. I did a loop up Great Langdale and back down Little Langdale, with an out and back up Mickleden. Lots of gratuitous pictures of my bike I'm afraid

Leaving Elterwater and climbng up through the quarry (which seems to be having a resurgence, excellent!) Then the minor road to Baysbrown Farm to join the bridleway to Oak Howe.

Looking back from near Oak Howe the fields were covered with a layer of mist. Then it was bridleways to the head of Mickleden.

I turned round at the foot of the Stake Pass and road back to the ODG....surprising how downhill it feels. Always good.

Then up the Blea Tarn road and into the mist. Nothing to see here...except the handy bike stand!

I dropped down into Little Langdale, crossing the valley at Fellfoot Bridge and climbing up towards Atkinson Coppice. There was a lot of ice on this section, and on the drop down to the ford.

Through the bottom of Tilbirthwaite, followed by the climb over to Oxen Fell. The climbing continued on Arnside Intake and Iron Keld.
This photo is at the highpoint of this bridleway, it was downhill more or less to Skelwith Bridge.
The multi user track beside the River Brathey took me back to the car in Elterwater.
A great day, not many miles, but the fatbike always makes me smile :-)

Great End, Esk Pike and Bowfell...from Great Langdale

The forecasters had promised a superb days weather for today, and they were right! I parked in Great Langdale, it was chilly in the shade. But I was soon in the sun as I set off up Mickleden, without a firm plan....as is often the case!! This post is a bit picture heavy, hopefully they give a taste of the day.

The walk up Mickleden never seems to get any shorter, there were quite a few other folk heading for the head of the valley

Rossett Gill on the other hand does seem to get easier...I think. I was back in the shade of course, but there were great views back towards the Pikes. 

Back in the sun on the col below Hanging Knotts, and I had decided on Great End as my first hill for the day. It is seen here peeping over the Allen Crags/Esk Hause col.

The snow was just right for good progress, no postholing! This is the view North from the Easterly cairn on Great End, Skiddaw in the distance didn't seem to have as much snow as the Southern Fells.

Meanwhile to the East it seemed rather more cloudy, so I'd come to the right area. I had the summit to myself for a few minutes, but folk started appearing from all directions.

So off I went to the Westerly cairn, and its splendid view of Great Gable et al.

I headed over Long Pike and dropped down Calf Cove back to Esk Hause. Then it was up Esk Pike, arriving here just before a group turned up. Bowfell looked close....

....and soon enough I was on the summit. This is the classic view of the Scafell range. Mickledore the obvious "nick" in the skyline. Once more I had the top to myself!

Great view to the East as well!

To the South Crinkle Crags, but time was getting on, and they'll keep for another day. So I headed down towards Three Tarns....

...pausing to have a look at Flat Crags, although there's no one in this photo there were still lots of pilgrims heading up to the summit.

I paused again above Three Tarns to look down Eskdale lit up by the lowering sun.

From three Tarns its an obvious path down The Band. I had to put Microspikes on for the first time. The path takes a lot of drainage, it had become a mini icefield.
Just a simple walk down to the valley floor, through Stool End and back to the car.
Great weather, a great day. The Strava route is here should anyone wish to see my route.