Marilyn Bagging in the Southern Uplands Part 3

Back at the car it was maps out again. I was intrigued by the hills I saw yesterday North of Broad Law, so decided on these 2 Marilyns. Culter Fell and Gathersnow Hill. A quick stop in Biggar to top up my food and then the short drive to Coulter and up beside the Culter Water to park just beyond Culter Allers Farm...

Heading up the Culter Water, the path leaves the road just beyond the second wood on the left

Looking back down the Northeast ridge of Culter Fell.

Next to the trig on Culter Fell, Tinto is the prominent hill in the background.

Theres a good fence to follow all the way to Gathersnow Hill, seen here just left of centre on the skyline.

The summit of Gathersnow Hill, the 2 streches of water are Talla Reservoir on the left and Fruid Reservoir on the right

The view back to Culter Fell

Looking to the West the hills are covered with windmills part of the massive Clyde Windfarm.
We all have our own opinions on these!

I took pretty much a beeline towards Culter Reservoir to pick up the well engineered track. this led down to the reservoir.

It was then about 3km of tarmac down beside the Culter Water back to the car. It was no hardship, the road is only used by a couple of cottages, farmer and the reservoir workers so was very quiet.
Back at the car, I got changed and it was off back home down the M74/M6.
A great trip very fruitful from a hill bagging point of view and good to back out under canvas...well Silnylon! All helped by the superb weather.

Meldrum Bumps

Thursday's short walk turned into a mini-peak bagging exercise...

Great Mell Fell in the background and Little Mell Fell from Watermillock Common.

Sun rays over Ullswater

Looking back to Little Mell Fell, Watermillock Common and a conifer clad Little Meldrum from the slopes of Great Meldrum

Gowbarrow Fell from Great Meldrum.
We returned to the car on the nicely contouring path through Swinburn's Park.
These were the first wee hills after a certain persons knee replacement!
They (Great and Little Meldrum, Watermillock Common) are Birketts for them folk who like lists! :-)

Birkett Bagging on the Yewdale Fells

Todays hills were a lesson in micro-navigation. There are lots of humps, knolls and hollows, all basically pathless. They were however below the cloud, which was one of the attractions! I had it in my mind that I'd already visited some of these tops in the past, but couldn't honestly remember which. So I had to do them all again to be sure.

I'd parked at the foot of Tilbirthwaite Gill and walked up through Penny Rigg slate quarrys. The Eastern fells soon came into view behind me as I ganed height.

The first top Brackeny Crag.....quite alot of bracken, not much crag!
At least the bracken is starting to die off thank goodness.

Here we see what happens when the "wooly locusts" can't get at the flowers!

Low Wythow ascended the next objective High Wythow.

High Wythow summit looking back across the Yewdale Fells, Helvellyn and Fairfield in the background.

Long Crag fell easily to you're seasoned peakbagger, here we're looking to the last top of the day Kitty Crag.

The summit cairn on Kitty Crag, the Old Man and Brim Fell shrouded in mist.

It had been quite breezy on the tops so a rapid descent was made down to Coppermines Valley, the beck very low.

I walked down towards Coniston, before turning to follow the cycle/footpath through the decidious woodland of Low Yewdale. The Tilbirthwaite valley took me back to the car.

Swindale Common

I parked today beside the minor road to Tailbert. The vague and rough track snaked away from the tarmac in the general direction of the mist covered Seat Robert, the first hill on todays agenda. The sign saying "abandon hope all ye who pass here" seemed to have disappeared!

About 2k done and Seat Robert is just appearing out of the mist, dry feet just a long forgotten memory!

The summit of Seat Robert, sadly no view, but a fair bit of "furniture", including an unusual OS station.

After  another 1.5k or so of very wet, untracked terrain the reward is the small cairn atop High Wether Howe. 

The mist and drizzle eased here to reveal  Mosedale and in the distance Mosedale Cottage.

As I looked back east the next top of Glede Howe looked relatively close, but a beeline would have been even wetter underfoot than the circuitous route I took.

Glede Howe, looking back at Seat Robert climbed earlier.

An old path led down into Swindale beside Gouthercrag Gill, then a well graded bridleway  provided the route back to the car.
My sanity had been doubted at times today but it was almost all new terrain, which is always good. I can't promise I'll be back in the near future though!

Overnight camp at Measand Beck

I was working again on Saturday, as usual! Well until 5 anyway!  However I'd got all my gear together for a quick get-a-way and managed to get parked at Burnbanks below the Haweswater dam just after 6pm. The forecast wasn't great, I knew roughly where I planned to camp, under a couple of miles away.

Now thats a proper sign, a sign with character.  More importantly a sign with promise.

Climbing beside Measand Beck, which you can hear crashing down the falls, but from the path you see very little.

The path levels out as you enter the hanging valley of Fordingdale. The sun was casting long shadows, I retraced my steps to a good pitch on a grassy ledge overlooking Haweswater.

The spot I'd seen earlier, just catching the last of the sun. 

Tent up, and part of the reason for the trip, to try my new Fly Creek UL.

Room with a view, looking East over Haweswater to the distant Pennines.

Early morning light on the bridge below Measand End.

My plan for the morning was to bag a couple of neede Birketts. The head of Mardale revealed as height was gained.

The breeze was bring sharp showers with it.....rainbow weather!

Another shower as I got to the top of Four Stones Hill. It wasn't far from here back to the car, the bracken's pretty high hereabouts mind!