Marilyns Either Side of the Border......Sighty Crag and Larriston Fell

Making the best of my new 4 day week (although this week is a 3 day week, due to a Bank Holiday!) I headed North this morning. I was heading for "The Flatt" in the Bewcastle Forest, it's a maze of minor roads once you leave the A7. Harder map reading than he walking!....

It was forest roads for the first part of the ascent

Lots of trees hereabouts, although they have been and are presently felling a lot of them

Once out of the trees it was pathless deep heather and bog!
This area is known as the "Debateable Lands", I debated if I was Mad :-))

The summit of Sighty Crag. It is a great viewpoint on a day like today

This is known as the "Hewn Block" although is could be natural?

Then it was back into the forestry, a bit of bushwacking and back to the car.
After a bit of map studying I decided to make the journey more worthwhile by adding Larriston Fell to the day. It was only 12 or so miles to the North.

I parked on the Steele Road beside the Liddel Water near Dinlabyre

Up through the trees (again) on forest roads which made for easy progress as far as....

....the radio mast.

But then it was back to bashing through the heather and bog, picking up feint paths where I could.

Larriston Fell looking North to Peel Fell.

I'm not sure where they found the stones to build this cairn?
Back to the car the same way, the weather had been outstanding.
Two more Marilyns bagged!

Bumps, Tops and Waterfalls Above Eskdale

Back on my own today, visiting an area I haven't walked on for over 15years!....and some of it almost 40 years...
I parked on Birker Fell and set off towards Great Worm Crag, the wind was blowing like hell and made the pathless terrain hard work....

The summit of Great Worm Crag, Green Crag, Harter Fell and the Scafells beyond

Green Crag, time for lunch and once more the Scafells form the backdrop

I followed the rocky disjointed ridge from Green Crag down to its terminus here on Kepple Crag

Then it was down the old peat road. This ruin just called out for a photo!

Down in the valley at Penny Hill Farm it was really warm. Harter Fell is in the background

I followed the bridleway on the South side of the River Esk as far as Stanley Gill. Then took the "tourist" path to see the Force...more water required really!
Then up onto the moor to pick up the old road (now designated a Restricted Byway!), which I followed back to the car.
A grand circuit.

Smardale

Bank Holiday weekend, so time to head for somewhere quiet! P. and I anti-social? surely not!! Off we went to Newbiggin-on Lune to have a stroll along the old railway track.....

Looking down to Smardale Bridge from the old rail track

Lots of Primroses still about

A pair of massive Limekilns right next to the old railway

The magnificent Smardale Viaduct built under the supervision of Sir Thomas Bouch

The view back to the viaduct along Scandale Beck

Colourful Lichen on the wall.

Approaching Smardale Bridge, we then followed the track as it sweeps over the hill in the background back to the car.
Just half a days walk, but very peaceful. Just the ticket.

The Work/Life Balance

 Today there has been cause for celebration....My Work/Life Balance is about to tip a little more in my favour. I have just completed my last 5 day week!
 After 42 years and the approach of my 60th birthday, I have taken the decision to reduce my working week to 4 days.
 Due to the industry I've been employed in I have rarely had 2 days off together, other than Bank Holidays and annual leave. This with other personal events has had a "wearing down" effect over the last couple of years......So time for a change!
 I will now have a "weekend" midweek....every week! Plus Sundays of course. I hope to benefit from this more pronounced "rest" (although my legs and lungs may not agree) every week.
 The opportunity for more trips to unclimbed hills and unvisited places beckons :-)

South of Wet Sleddale

This morning saw me picking up Bill in Kendal before driving over Shap fell on the A6 to Wet Sleddale. We parked beside the dam, our targets for the day the low hills round Wasdale Pike. Like last weeks walk I've walked these fells once before, but in poor weather and almost nil visability! Bill had never been on them, and with a good day forecast off we went.....

Up beside Poorhag Gill where we picked up the path shown on the map, here bill is looking for Felspars in the Shap Granite.

A bit further up is the Lunch House, to early for us though and it was all locked up.

Next on the agenda was the significant boulder of "Grey Bull"

It wasn't far from Grey Bull to the top of Sleddale Pike, with an excellent view back to the reservoir.

It was a bit wet as we headed for the main ridge.

Here on Wasdale Pike we had lunch with the Howgill Fells to the South East

There was a thread of a path as we walked over to Great Saddle Crag

Bill on one of the many "Tops" hereabouts

It was a fair trek across rough trackless ground to reach Ullthwaite Rigg.
The reservoir and the car seemed along way off from here

At last we reached the bridleway and the going underfoot improved 

We had a quick look at Sleddale Hall, made famous in the film "Withnail and I"

From the Hall it was down to the valley floor and back to the car.
These twisted Silver Birches caught my eye in the evening light.

The Crookdale Horseshoe

A walk close...ish to home was required today. Checking the maps out this morning, I thought ahh...The Crookdale Horseshoe! I have walked this once before a long time ago, on a poor day in the clag. I felt it would be good to see if there was anything to see other than the wet ground I seemed to remember....

I parked close to Hause Foot under Shap summit, the car soon receded as I ascended the steep Eastern slopes of High House Bank.

A bit of rough ground and I was on the top of High House Bank.
A good view down Borrowdale and down Mintdale towards Kendal

This is the summit of Robin Hood, any similarity to Sherwood Forest is entirely coincidental! 

This was my turning point today Lords seat, with an excellent view down Upper Borrowdale.

I crossed Crookdale Beck near the derelict sheepfolds and made a beeline for Great Yarlside

The summit of Great Yarlside...no cairn...nowt! Well a pair of trekking poles but I took them!

Quite a drop down to Little Yarlside, much better going than I remember

At least Little Yarlside has a small cairn.Tthere's a large pit next to the cairn, which I would guess was probably for walling stone?

The last top is Whatshaw Common, no cairn just this pool of water.
Then just an easy walk back down t the car.
Its a grand walk, don't just do it on an off day. Its worth more than that....I'm glad I gave it another chance :-)

All the Lakeland Passes (except Dunmail!) on the Motorbike

Out on the motorbike today. I haven't done this ride for any years for one reason or another, and today's weather wasn't the best either. Perhaps familiarity does breed contempt...although I think the increasingly busy Lakes roads probably have something to do with it.
Anyway here's a series of pictures of the passes ridden....look away now if pictures including the motorbike offend :-)

From home via Ambleside and Grasmere to cross "Red Bank"

Up Great Langdale and over "The Blea Tarn Road"

From Little Langdale over "Wrynose" 

Down to Cockley Beck and ascend "Hardknott"

Down Eskdale and at Gosforth I picked up the A590 for a few miles before a crossing of the Cold Fell Road (not really a pass). Ennerdale Bridge, Lamplaugh, Loweswater along the Vale of Lorton to climb to the summit of "Whinlatter"

Up and over "Newlands". The weather was improving a bit!

Beside Buttermere and this is "Honister"

Down Borrowdale into Keswick, east along the A66 for a few miles before a turn South through Dockray to Ullswater. Just one more pass..."Kirkstone".
From here its only 45mins or so to home.
I really enjoyed myself pottering along, 7hrs to ride approx 150 miles.
I won't leave it as long before I do the trip again :-)