A Wintery Wildcamp on Wansfell

A phone call from Ian on Monday, he was expecting his new tent and wanting to try it out on an overnight camp...before the next round of Tiers/lockdown. Wansfell with its superb views was the choice. I asked if he minded me tagging along. So having met in Troutbeck yesterday, socially distanced of course off we went. It was a grand do, I should do more of this kind of thing. But to often the motivation is lacking. 

Here's a short? video of the trip...is 6½ minutes to long? Anyway it's a record for me really....

Should you wish to see the video "full screen" please click on this link

A Walk From Wray Castle

A short walk from Wray Castle today, lots of folk about....but we soon left them behind as we dropped down to Low Wray and passed through the campsite (Closed) to reach the shore of Windermere.

Good to see the sun. Another short moving picture show of the trip below...

If you prefer to see the video "full screen" please click on this link

Whitbarrow Christmas Day Walk 2020

 A Merry Christmas to all....rather than photos today I have made a short video of todays amble. This is an early effort as I try and get to grips with this new fangled moving picture malarkey! Hopefully not to boring, here we are:-

Silver How & Loughrigg

 Yesterday was the last day of relative freedom...and a great weather forecast saw me parked at Grasmere. Nothing special in route choice just an easy amble up to Silver How and on the lumpy ridge to High Close and a quick ascent of Loughrigg. I didn't linger....to many folk for me! Here's a few images from the day.

Don't Let 'em grind ya down!

Grasmere & Rydal

 A day of sun....and very heavy showers today. I walked round both Grasmere and Rydal Water, much of the time under my umbrella! The Autumn colours are really starting to develop now...here's a couple of images from the day.

Back in the Coniston Fells

 As the title, I was back in the Coniston Fells today. My quest to ascend all the 2000' Wainwrights this year completely cocked up by Covid 19 (and the government restrictions placed upon us!) I have lost the impetus I had for the task....so it was back to Torver and a circuit of Goatswater. It was as is so often the case with me a late start, I didn't leave the car until almost noon. Here's some images from the day, on this occasion without captions.

Whitbarrow.....and a Summit Camp on Calf Top

As the title suggests, a day of 2 halves. Old friend Tim was down from Scotland so we planned a walk, Whitbarrow was the choice. We met near Low Fell End and set off under sunny skies up the zig-zag path.

A short detour from the main path brings you to this viewpoint, Millside is below, Morecambe Bay beyond...Blackpool Tower was visible with the naked eye.

                        Looking North from the first highpoint. The Lakes Fells in the distance.

Having visited the summit (Lords Seat), we descended by Bell Rake into High Park Wood. then crossed the valley and took the bridleway onto Yewbarrow. This is a panoramic looking back at Whitbarrow Scar.

A number of overgrown paths were taken to bring us back to Beck Head. Here there is a craftsman, this is his latest creation.

The resurgence at Beck Head. Some more overgrown paths and we were back at the cars. 

A great day, always good to catch up with Tim in person rather than on the phone!

I'd only just returned home and received a text from @ianwood2011 saying he was going to camp at the summit of Calf Top. So a quick bit of packing and a short drive to Barbondale to meet at Short Gill.

It was a stiff climb from the valley bottom onto the ridge. We found some water and filtered it then walked along the ridge to the trig on Calf Top. 610m so just misses out on 2000' status. Ian was using a new shaped tarp and bivibag....I had the Tramplite shelter. We expected a sunset but the sun simply disappeared behind a bank of cloud. There was however a stiff breeze, which meant that conversation was carried out from within our respective shelters!

 

The wind dropped a bit overnight, and a shower passed through. No sunrise this morning, a quick descent reversing our route of yesterday evening back to the cars. Back home for my breakfast!

A short trip...and a better effort at pitching the Tramplite.

A Few Wainwright 2000' Northern Fells

A mid afternoon start to avoid the crowds, this is my way of enjoying the Lakes....indeed it feels like stepping back 30 years! Long may the must be back for 5pm mentality continue. The other advantage is that the early starters have left and parking is generally easily found...this was the case at Bowscale as I left the car at 2.30 and set off up Mosedale.....

The tarmac miles passed quickly on the quiet road, the view ahead filled with Coomb.

One of the many cascades as I approached the end of  the public road.

Looking back down Mosedale

A pleasant walk along the Cumbria Way, to here at Wiley Gill. Great Calva looking no where near as steep as in reality the image flattening the slope I was to climb.

South from the Southern top of Great Calva. Thirlmere in the distance.

The summit of Great Calva again looking South.

I had dry feet up to this point....

I can't imagine the "path" down to the col below Knott ever dry's up.

An easy climb over grassy slopes soon meant I was here beside the cairn on Knott. Great Calva is the dark hill in the middle ground, the Coniston Fells in the far distance.

It was basically downhill to Great Scafell over very wet ground, just a short rise to the "summit".

My next two hills High Pike on the left and Carrock Fell on the right. There is a lot of rough ground in you take a direct...ish line!

A great view down into Roughton Gill as I made my way across to Great Lingy Hill.

Great Lingy Hill, suitably covered with heather. Recently promoted to 2000' status, it now has quite a path to the top...not a Wainwright 2000'er though!

Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags and Blencathra all showing their softer side.

Easy going back on good paths, so I was soon on High Pike, just Carrock Fell (to the left of the trig) to summit. There was a chilly breeze blowing so I was pleased to drop back to Drygill Head.

My feet had almost dried out...they were soon wet again as I  walked along the broad ridge over Miton Hill and Round Knott. Here we look West to Skiddaw beynd the River Caldew.

I now wanted to follow a little used path down to Mungrisdale, one I'd never been on...hence the start where I did.

The path was there, but very feint and rough especially lower down, and there were gorse bushes to negotiate...I hate gorse bushes! There just remained a short walk back along the road to the car, a great round, very enjoyable.

Anyone wishing to see my route can find the Strava track here https://www.strava.com/activities/3835385035

An Overnite Camp from Bridge End in Patterdale

Back on my quest to visit all the 2000' Wainwright Summits in 12 months, yesterday I parked at Bridge End in Patterdale and left the car about 4pm. It was also the first chance I'd had to use my new-to-me Tramplite shelter. I could have done these remaining hills from Martindale, and it would probably have been an easier route as well! As is the custom on this blog we'll walk by photos...

Off across the valley and up the well trodden path to Boardale Hause. Not one of my favourites...I'll leave it be for a bit! There was an image shared on social media recently of rubbish left at Angletarn...inc a suitcase full of clothes!! amongst other stuff...you have to wonder what was going through their mind a they toiled up here with all that tat! 

Looking back across Dubhow Crag to Sheffield Pike and the Dodds. Shortly after this I met the last people I saw until at Side Farm this morning.

I expected to see a few tents here at Angletarn but there was only 1..its there for the eagle eyed.

On towards Satura Crag, the first target of the day directly above the gateway Rest Dodd.

One of the lesser visited summits I'd say. Rest Dodd is a little bit off the main paths. A great view to the North, a little bit of Ullswater in the distance.

There's a fair bit of descent and re-ascent to The Knott...the boggy ground between the two meant the end of my dry feet as well. High Street (on the right) looked a lot more inviting in the evening sun than it had on Thursday. 

Rampsgill Head was next, it didn't take long. I took a beeline from the Knott "helped" by a savage wind. this is the view South dominated by High Street (on the right) and Harter Fell (on the left)

There was no hanging about, I jogged across to Kidsty Pike. The sun had disappeared for a while and the temperature had dropped...out came the windshirt.
The weather to the East looks better!

Next it was over to High Raise, you get some easy summits for your effort once your up here.
Again looking east to the higher summits of the Northern Pennines.
My original plan (such as it was) had been to camp up here. The wind was a lot stronger than the forecast, so I pushed on...I still had lots of daylight. 

If my feet were'nt wet before, they certainly were by the time I arrived here on Wether Hill.
 Is this the top? it's as close as makes any difference...any stones to make a cairn up here have no doubt sunk into the morass. 

Last of the hills to be climbed on my notional list in the Far Eastern Fells, Loadpot Hill. Conditions up here were slightly better. High raise in the distance still had the sun on it.
Decision time, it was 8pm, still 2 hours of usable daylight...I could head Northish and camp on Bonscale Pike, or back and down beside Groove Gill to camp in the top of Fusedale.
I headed for Fusedale.

I found a half decent spot, adjacent to the old shepherd huts. The Tramplite shelter looks quite well pitched in this image (not bad for a first attempt)...but the ground was tussocky so it was never going to be the best. 

I slept well, no wonder I'd been out on the bike yesterday morning before the walking in the afternoon. The Tramplite is superb, I didn't use the additional storm guys and there were certainly some strong gusts during the night. of course the wind had dropped this morning and the midges were out in force.

All packed up and underway for 6am  #leavenotrace...you can't tell but my suitcase is actually inside my pack! 😉

Down the contouring path under Brownthwaite Crag. The early light just catching The Nab and the head of Bannerdale.

From Matindale I picked up the shore path back towards Patterdale. The sun only briefly made an appearance as here on the other side of the lake at Glencoynedale. Its a while since I've been on the shore path....quite a bit of up and down! 

Almost at Patterdale, a good view of St Sunday Crag.

I walked on through Rooking, Crookabeck and Beckstones, then back across the valley to the car.
A great little trip.