Souther Scales and Bruntscar from Ribblehead

A bit of a photographic walk today., although I'm a little disappointed with my results. I parked at Ribblehead...I was there just after 8.30am and it was swarming with folk! I soon left them all behind as I walked through the old Ribblehead quarry and into Gauber Pasture. As so often when I'm out on my own (not Hill Bagging) I make things up as I go along....

Ingleborough from Fell Close Rocks.

Looking back to Ribblehead viaduct from Sleights Pasture Rocks

I couldn't find many Bluebells...just these few in fact. Whernside in the distance

Quite a few Violets though

I descended into the "hole" which contains Great Douk Cave...the recent heavy rain ensured a decent waterfall.

Back on the limestone pavement and a view across Chapel-le-dale to Whernside.

The fields below Souther Scales Farm were a mass of Primroses

I crossed the valley passed Chapel-le-Dale church and headed up towards Ellerbeck

Whernside seen from just below Ellerbeck

I made my way back along the bridleway through Bruntscar, Broadrake and Ivescar. Pausing here to take a photo of the viaduct before returning to the car.

Sunderland...On the Lune Estuary

A very flat walk today...I doubt any contours were crossed during our stroll on the road across the salt marsh between Overton and Sunderland. We did have to cut our walk a little short due to the incoming tide though! We could have done with another hour or so....but King Canute wasn't available. The weather behaved itself, although the clouds did mass once or twice. Generally the sun shone....a pleasant place to spend a few hours. As is the custom here, there follows a few images from the day....

Setting off across the salt marsh on the road which is covered by most tides, Sunderland over on the skyline almost 2km away.

Lots of muddy creeks, rich feeding grounds for waders when exposed. Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatchers along with Mute Swans, Shelduck, Mallards and Little Egret were all spotted today.

Looking back at Wood Bridge, which doesn't seem to have any wood in it's construction! Perhaps an earlier bridge was wood?

From Sunderland the windmills dominate the skyline beyond Overton.

This splendid sculpture (in front of First Terrace) created by Sunderland resident Ray Schofield.

Second Terrace from the beach after First Terrace. Once across to Sunderland it always feels like you're on an island to me.

This fishing boat looks like it's still sea worthy, unlike most of the other boats further up the marsh.
We returned the same way, there is an inland option. But that doesn't have the unique feel that crossing the marsh gives you. 

Bluebells.....

Perhaps it's just me, but the Bluebells this year in the Lakes are as beautiful as I can ever remember them. So after sorting my gear out, washing stuff and other general jobs that have to be done I set off  on the motorbike for the Bouth area in the South Lakes. Bluebells are notoriously difficult to capture by camera...they never seem to look "real". Here's a few of my attempts....

All taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX80 with either a 14-45mm or 12-32mm
Other than cropping to a squarer format (which could be done in camera if you wished) there hasn't been any post processing.

Dusting Off the Deschutes Tarp

It's been a long while since I've done a solo backpack/wildcamp. In truth I've attempted to get out several times....even getting the tent/tarp pitched then turning tail and returning home! I've just not been "feeling it" together with a lack of self confidence. I can't explain what clicked to get me out last night, who knows!
I packed my gear on Monday evening and took it to work in the car...still not completely sure I'd carry it through.
Sorry for all the "I" in this post.....but this blog is mainly about "ME ME ME"! Anyway off I went and parked below Rydal Mount....

My proposed destination was Alcock Tarn or thereabouts, so off on the "Coffin" Route I strode

Its a popular path and justifiably so, great views down to Rydal Water and across to Loughrigg

The light was very flat, I didn't take many photos. I arrived at Alcock Tarn, this was as good as the sunset got.

I walked back a couple of hundred metres to Grey Crag to a good spot I'd seen earlier. I was a bit rusty at my campcraft...but got the Deschutes erected and stuff organised eventually.

After a bit of a broken nights sleep, I woke to my alarm at 5.30am hoping to see the sky a mass of colour as the sun rose....ah well...

As the sun gained a bit of height Silver How caught the first of the light beyond Grey Crag.

I packed up and started to descend back the same way I'd ascended the evening before.

Perhaps I should have waited a bit longer as the light was starting to improve. Grasmere was starting to wake up below me.

Wetherlam in the distance beyond "Red Bank"

Then it was back along the "Coffin"route to the car. Rydal Water looking it's picture postcard best.
I'd enjoyed the trip, sometimes hard to justify the effort....its camping for campings sake of course.
I'll be having another trip in the next few weeks I think.

Three Bridges and a Viaduct...

Another warm dry day, and another day on the motorbike. Over to the Dales today, with a theme of taking photos of bridges. Although a couple of other subjects seem to have crept in. A lot quieter than yesterday in the Lakes even in Dent village centre....tomorrow may be different, but we plan to be somewhere even quieter then.
Here are the three bridges....oh and a viaduct...and a motorbike.....

My Honda NC700X, I've owned it for 2 years now and find it excellent for the type of motorcycling I do. There are 2 big pluses for me...What appears to be a fuel tank is in fact 20lit of storage (the fuel is under the seat) and the average fuel consumption of over 80mpg! 

Lincoln's Inn bridge over the River Lune, it carries the A684 between Kendal and Sedbergh.

Millthrop Bridge over the River Rawthey  on the way from Sedbergh towards Dentdale

I was distracted from bridges by the wonderful shapes in the bed of the River Dee! 

Stone House Bridge over the River Dee, although today there was barely a streams worth.
Sadly this bridge suffers regularly from "hits" by modern traffic, indeed the top stones on the downstream have almost all just been replaced.

.....and a viaduct. This is Dent Head Viaduct, and of course carries the Settle-Carlisle Railway.
I'd had a chillout day, and enjoyed the peace of Dentdale.

Three Tarns....But NOT Those Three Tarns!

No today's weather meant that I should spend a bit of time on the motorbike. So after a morning committed to sorting some errands, I .set off to capture a few images of 3 different tarns. It felt like we were at last clear of Winter, the sun really warm. Although it meant that the light was somewhat hazy. So here are 3 images from the 3 tarns I visited today....

Kelly Hall Tarn

Yewdale Tarn

Blea Tarn.
The posts will I think be from elsewhere for a few months now....the Lakes are over-run with folk. Even on the motorbike progress was painfully slow. Time to head for less popular areas!

A Quick Visit to Hampsfell

After a busy day I received a text from my mate Ian. He was off up Hampsfell above Grange-over-Sands for an overnight camp to test his Trailstar copy. I didn't have time to get stuff together to camp/bivi myself, but rode over on the motorbike to see Ian....and maybe grab a couple of sunset or golden hour photos.

This limestone pavement is just a few metres away from the hospice, the Coniston Hills in the background.

More limestone pavement catching the last of the suns warm light.

Hampsfell Hospice, again catching the warm light.

No real sunset, but a wonderful warm glow from the West.
I chatted for Ian for a while as he erected his shelter, the wind was bitter so turned and jogged back to the motorbike on Grange Fell Road.

An Evening Stroll Up Farleton Knott

The start of my "midweek weekend" and a chillout walk up my local hill. A quick bite to eat and off I went, it's only a 15mins walk to get out on the open fell from home. My plan to brave the chilly wind and try and get a couple of "golden hour" photos.

Limestone Country

Approaching the crags of Holme Park Fell

The summit crags of Holme Park Fell (actually higher than Farleton Knott) catching the light.

There are a number of twisted and battered Hawthorn Trees growing out of the limestone pavement

Another twisted tree with the sun about to disappear behind a bank of cloud across the Kent estuary.
All downhill back home, arriving back at just after 8.30.

Muker to Keld (Almost) Beside the Swale

A real dull start to the day, even though I left it late to set off. Dense low cloud over the Buttertubs and cloud cloaking the moors as I dropped into Swaledale. Its a long time since I've done this walk...at least 5 years I think? The promise was for the day to improve, and so it did.

One of many Dales barns on this route.

At this point as you look up Swaledale, I was thinking it wasn't going to get out, the low cloud clinging resolutely to the tops.

Here below Swinnergill looking back down the Swale.

One of the small falls in Swinnergill.

It's a bit of a climb from Swinnergill up to Crackpot Hall, which appears to have had some consolidation work done.

The old "Fergie" has seen better days!

The falls below East Stonesdale,much photographed by both C2C and Pennine Way walkers.

Across the Swale to the old lead mine workings below Beldi Hill.

Probably the last farm to fall in disuse in this part of Swaledale..such a shame.

A last look back up the dale to Swinnergill and Hall Edge.
The day had improved as forecast, the sun making an appearance an making the day feel more like Spring. This is a splendid walk, relatively easy just two climbs neither very long or steep...up the East side of the valley back down the West.