A Wetherlam circuit from Coniston via the Yewdale fells, Steel Edge & Coppermine valley 9miles 2800ft

Coniston village with the cloud just lifting off  Coniston old Man 

Starting the climb into the Yewdale fells

Coniston village with the lake behind

Looking east to the Helvellyn range

Looking down into Lower Tilberthwaite

Lots of Bog Bean pools amongst the fells

Zooming in on Grisedade Hause with cloud touching Helvellyn and Fairfield to the right

Looking down into Tilberthwaite Ghyll....

....and above the ghyll into the sun from the start of the climb up Steel Edge

Looking back down Steel Edge...

...and again from a little higher, until...

....emerging from the climb onto Wetherlam summit 2500ft looking to Coniston Old Man and Swirl How....

....and Blea tarn beneath Side Pike

Starting the descent into Red Dell

.....and looking back up Red Dell

Crossing Red Dell beck with Coppermines valley and Coniston water behind 

Part of the old mine workings

A final look back into the valley from the easy walk  into Coniston village

A excellent walk on a perfect late summer's day

 Dark Peak National Park

Stanage Edge & Redmires Reservoir

10.5miles 1500ft

Setting off across Hallam Moor in the weak early morning sunshine

Starting the climb onto Stanage Edge, one of the many gritstone ridges in this national park

Arriving on the long almost flat ridge edge

There were a number of these large holes in rocks, they were carved 100 years ago to collect rain water for the grouse

Looking west into the high central peak district

Ladybower reservoir in the Derwent valley

Looking southeast to what I think are Lose Hill & Mam Tor

The Derwent valley again with Hathersage village in the distance

Zooming in on Hathersage

High Neb trig point 1503ft the highest point of the walk

From near the trig point a path descends to a parallel path just beneath the edge....

....Looking back along the lower path....

.....and ahead to where it climbs back onto the edge

Back on the summit a good path leads across the moor to Stanage Pole at 1437ft. This has marked the boundary between South Yorkshire & Derbyshire since at least 1550

Leaving the pole behind I descended to Redmires reservoirs

It was a lovely route down with an abundance of heather & wild flowers

Standing on Quarry hill just above the reservoirs is this distinctive war memorial in the local Sheffield steel

The Rowan berries at their beautiful red best

A Red Admiral butterfly feeding on heather nectar

Nearing the final descent to the A57 cross Pennines route....

....and my car!

After all the rain in the north west I drove south east and found not only very dry ground underfoot but also some sunshine! It also proved to be a great walk with lots of interesting features....I'll be coming back!!

 Return to the 'Dales 30'

(Fells over 2000ft in the Yorkshire Dales National Park)

Fountains fell & Darnbrook fell

9miles 1500ft

After parking on the minor road between Ribblesdale and Littondale, I followed the Pennine Way east.... 

....to start the climb up Fountains fell still covered in cloud

Heading north on the Pennine Way I met Mathew who was walking this long distance path. He had spent the night camping out on the fell in some pretty bleak and wild conditions! "Hope you made it to Hawes Matthew as intended." It seemed a very long walk to me!

Gaining height but still in cloud at this point....

....and still misty as I reached the summit plateau with a mine shaft warning, however...

....as I walked across the summit to the highest point the cloud lifted off Pen y Ghent to west...

....and as I reached the summit cairn 2192ft it also cleared to the east

Zooming in on Pen y Ghent

One of the many mine shafts warned about earlier

 After heading north across the boggy summit I arrived at Darnbrook fell summit trig point 2047ft. The peat around the concrete pillar support had completely eroded leaving the pillar well above ground level

Starting the descent to Littondale with Plover fell and Pen y Ghent across the dale....

.....and again

Pen y Ghent House 

The return walk was a just a lovely gentle stroll of 3 or 4 miles along this good bridleway....

Arriving back at the car. 

Once back here I drove the short distance to Malham tarn.... 

....where I had my lunch by the waters edge

Two more of the 'Dales 30' completed. Just numbers  29 & 30  left to climb. They are Yockenthwaite Moor  and Birks fell