A Circuit over Claife Heights (Windermere) including Hawkshead Village and Latterbarrow 

13miles 2300ft

Setting off from the west side of Windermere just north of the car ferry....

....the sun would soon be appearing....

Some lovely reflections in the still lake....

....and again

I then climbed to Claife Heights viewing station just as the sun came up....

....and again

Looking over Windermere with Yoke & Ill Bell fells on the horizon

Zooming in on Bowness marina across the lake

After descending to Far Sawrey I followed the bridleway over Claife Heights....

arriving at Moss Eccles Tarn....

....with the Langdale Pikes in the distance

I then continued over the undulating heights until Hawkshead village with St Michael and all Angels church on the horizon, perhaps a good place for my lunch!

Arriving at the chuch....

....with excellent views over the village....

....and a well placed bench in the sun for lunch....

....from which I could see Latterbarrow which I would soon be climbing....

.....passing through the village on the way

Arriving at the monument on the lowly 803ft summit.

On the horizon were some rather threatening clouds 

From Latterbarrow I rejoined the Windermere lakeside at Bark Barn ferry landing....no rain yet!

However during the last couple of miles back along the lakeside a mixture of rain hail sleet and snow arrived...

....fortunately it wasn't sticking and I was only a little damp when arriving back at the car.

A lovely walk which made a pleasant change from climbing the high fells.

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Scale force & The Buttermere fells

With a forecast for sunshine after a damp start to the day, I drove to Buttermere in the north west corner of Lakeland

This hotel in Buttermere village was once known as 'The Fish' & is very popular with walkers

Walking along the side of Crummock water heading for Scale Force....

....where I met Chris from Norfolk, he had been for a icy cold shower under the falls to raise money of the small breast cancer charity Little Lifts. He was taking a cold water dip somewhere every day in January!! "Good luck with your fund raising Chris" you deserve a medal!!!

Copy the link below to donate 

https://littlelifts.enthuse.com/pf/chris-sharman

 

 Scale Force in full flow

Leaving the falls behind I continued the climb to my first Summit Red Pike... the clouds were starting to rise out of the valleys....

....and again

....and again looking across to Grasmoor....

....and Hope Gill Head & Grisedale Pike in snow

Buttermere and the central fells from Red Pike summit 2477ft

Looking down on Dodd with Buttermere village behind

More snow on the central fells

Looking down on Crummock water from the ridge leading to High Stile....

....and again

High Stile summit 2647ft....

....and its wind shelter

Bleaberry tarn below Dodd

Looking back to Red Pike before continuing to High Crag

Now on High Crag summit.... 2440ft. The Scafell range in the distance....

....and Great Gable & the lower Green Gable....

....before the final descent  towards Seat & Haystacks

Fleetwith Pike from Scarth Gap

Finally looking back at Fleetwith Pike again from the gentle stroll back to Buttermere village

A really exhilerating day's walking on the fells with some fantasctic winter scenery.

Another rainy  day with gale force winds forecast for the high fells so I decided to stay closer to home today.

Leighton Moss RSPB reserve, Humphrey Head & Hampsfell (Grange over Sands)

12.5miles 1600ft

On my way to Leighton Moss I passed St John's church Yealand silhouetted with the rising sun

Starting a short walk through the RSPB reserve...

....but there wasn't much activity apart from a few coots, moorhens, swans & and mallard ducks....

....so I drove on and parked by the promenade and railway between Grange & Kents Bank. After crossing the railway I was heading west to Humphrey Head in the distance

Looking back to a misty Grange-over-Sands but now perhaps Grange-over-Grass is more appropriate!

A brief murmeration of some birds which I couldn't identify....

....before I arrived at the tip of Humphrey Head

....and again....

....and again

I then headed back inland over the top of Humphrey Head....

....passing the 172ft Summit (if that's worth calling a summit! and the lowest of Wainwright's outlying fells of the Lake District)

Leaving Humphrey Head I walked through Allithwaite village and and began the easy climb up Hampsfell

Arriving at the Hospice shelter with its.... 

....360 degree viewfinder. However there was little to view owing to the very misty conditions....

I could just about make out Arnside Knott over the river Kent estuary and nothing of the lakeland fells in the opposite direction to the north

Storms Isha & Jocelyn had taken their toll on the area with power still out in parts of Allithwaite that I'd passed through....poles were being replaced in the still windy conditions....

....and power lines reconnected

Finally I walked down through Grange and back along the promenade to my car.

Some sunshine and better air clarity would have made this an excellent walk. I've read that the 360 degree view from Humphrey Head which reaches about a mile into Morecambe bay is particularly rewarding. I'll certainly be visiting again!