Tuesday, 17 December 2019

The Blencathra Ridge in all its Winter glory! 8.5miles 3500ft ascent


Starting the ridge walk from Threlkeld on the path up Blease fell

Latrigg and Derwentwater from Blease fell

Looking south to the sun breaking through above Clough Head 

Sunshine on two of the Bassentwaite fells,
Lords Seat and Broom 
fell

Cloud on a very Snowy Skiddaw

Looking ahead along the Blencathra ridge

Zooming in on Halls Fell Top

Looking along the ridge to Knowe Crags

The ridge continues ahead....

....and behind

Looking down Middle Tongue

Any loose snow was whipped up by the icy gale force winds....


Snow and dramatic cloud formations in every direction....



....and again, now on Atkinson pike, the end of the ridge

Then the view back to Atkinson pike after a knee deep (occasionally waist deep in snow) tiring descent! 

Passing the Glenderamackin valley....

.... before the final path down through Mousthwaite Comb to the
White Horse at Scales


Thursday, 12 December 2019

A climb up Warcop fell in the Warcop firing range - 8.5miles 1600ft


Setting off from the hamlet of Hilton near Appleby-in-Westmorland

The entrance to the range is clearly marked by Red Flags flying at
the gateways - safe to enter today!

...over Hilton beck.

Lots of room for 'Meanderthals' to take a bridge photo here...


Footpaths in the range are clearly marked and 'should' be kept on,
now heading into Swindale... 

...before climbing Swindale edge.

The view opens up to the Eden valley with Appleby below...

 ...and Murton pike (1939ft) across the tops.

The summit of Warcop fell now in sight as well.

The route of descent into Hayber gill is seen from the summit
(2041ft)

The path leads down past Dogber tarn...

 ...with clear warnings why it's safer not to stray too far from the
path!

The path soon becomes a clear track with good views back to the
fells...

The sun is just setting as the train home crosses the river Lune in
Lancaster... 

 ...and again approaching Preston


Wednesday, 4 December 2019

Tebay to Grayrigg 9miles 1600ft


Sunrise over the Eden valley
from the Settle to Carlisle railway 
line...

 ...and again

The M6 passing through Tebay

The Lune valley flowing south through Tebay gorge....

...with West Coast mainline railway crossing it

Leaving the River Lune at the hamlet of Borrow Bridge...

...and again

Passing under the M6 and the railway

Starting the short climb up Grayrigg fell
out of the Borrowdale 
valley

Looking back up Borrowdale (Howgills not Lakeland)....

....and across Borrowdale to Whinash and Winterscleugh fells

Nearing the TV repeater mast on Grayrigg fell 1352ft

Sunlight through the clouds looking south towards Kendal

Approaching Grayrigg with a final look back to Grayrigg fell and
the TV mast