Guisborough Moor

It's taken me a while to get to the top of Guisborough Moor. It's almost 100 miles from my home and with just the short walk required to attain the summit there was almost 4 times driving to walking! Still it's done now, and completes my collection of Marilyns between the Scottish border and the M62. A sizeable chunk competed...as with other lists I shall have to look further afield.
A few images to give a feel of the day.....

Looking back through the Bilberry and Heather to Commondale where I had left the car.

The lonely property of North Ings, I got the feeling it may be a keepers cottage.

And above North Ings, I came across this war memorial to two soldiers from the Great War...always sad to see, but good that they are still remembered. 

High on the moor the track split at this point, I headed generally West...on the skyline I could see how close I'd been in the past when walking the Cleveland Way.

I could see this "hump" with an old shelter from some distance and was convinced that this was the top...it certainly looked like the high point....

...however upon checking the stats and GPS on my phone I realised that the actual top was a 100m or so away. This point here in-fact, modelled by your author.

I set off back to make a circuit of North Ings Moor, I hadn't walked far when I came across this little fella...indeed I nearly stood on him! There was a distressed parent not far away, a Snipe I think. So I took this quick snap a moved away promptly.

Lots of muirburn on these moors, this is the view West from North Ing Moor. The obelisk in the distance is Captain Cook's monument...again passed on the Cleveland Way.
Then it was along the rest of the track to pick up the road and then to the car...just the long drive back.

Wansfell Wildcamp

The great spell of weather prompted me to ask @ianwood2011 if he wanted to come along on a trip up Wansfell earlier in the week. our last wildcamp on the top of Coniston Old Man had been almost 2 years ago...how time fly's.We agreed to meet on the top, having been at work during the day it was after 6.30pm when I left the car near Town End in Troutbeck.....

Troutbeck and the Ill Bell ridge looking great in the early evening light.

Windermere from Robin Lane

Reaching the summit of Wansfell about 8.00pm after my roundabut route, Ian was already in residence! He was using his new Durstan X-mid...which looked very good.

I chose a pitch a little to the East, with a view down almost the full length of Windermere. I was using my Six Moons Deschutes...I got a really taut pitch, although the ground was a little slopey.

The sun disappeared without much of a sunset...nice layers tho'

A little later there was a bit of a light show over the Fairfield Horseshoe.

There was very little cloud at sunrise, so there was no great lightshow either...this was as god as it got.

There was a few pockets of mist, this one over Blelham Tarn and its environs picked out with the telephoto lens.

The warm light starting to catch the slopes below the summit of Wansfell Pike.

Loughrigg and the fells round the Langdales.

With Ian due to start work in Grange-over-Sands at 9.00am, we left the summit and descended to and then down Nanny Lane (recently repaired it would seem).
A good trip we both felt, so no doubt there will be others in the future.

Coastal Cark

A late start today, and of course a Bank Holiday. We needed somewhere local and away from the crowds...and if possible new! Quite a tall order, but I'd had this short stroll on my radar for a while and today was ideal. Having looked on Google earth before leaving I knew we could park near Crook Wheel to the West of Cark central! Off we headed into a strong wind, towards the shore....

Well now we've got that sorted!!

The River Eea...the same beck which runs through Cartmel. Here swollen by the incoming tide.

One of the trailers dragged through the shallow water of the Leven estuary by a tractor in the pursuit of Morecambe Bay Shrimps.

Looking North across Sand Gate Marsh with the Coniston Fells in the distance.

We walked back to the car via lanes and tracks, the predominant flower was Wild Garlic.
We enjoyed our "new" find, we'll return and do a little more on anther occasion. 

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.