Walna Scar

Friday, 19th May

Got up with Marcus who dropped me off at Torver, on his way to work. It was already raining heavily on the way but stopped just after Coniston. Made it to the shelter before it began again. Lots of people going up Brown Pike/Dow Crag. We all marched up to the top of the pass in the mist and the hail and the wind and then, everyone turned right and I turned left. Found the cairn easily but did not fancy my chances of finding White Maiden or White Peak along a pathless moor in such bad weather so I came back and had half a pint of Bluebird at Coniston and a vanilla coffee and piece of egg custard at Ambleside (you have to do something whilst waiting for the damn buses). I love walking in the Coniston Fells, they have a real friendly feel about them, especially the Old Man - like visiting a favourite Uncle when you were young.

Whinlatter

Monday, 15th May

According to the weather forecast, it is going to rain most of the week. I have finished the first proper draft of my MA dissertation and was so pleased, I decided to go for a wee walk around Whinlatter; the walk I took Francis on when he came up to help us move. It was raining but I did not get too wet, walking as I was, through the forest, under the trees. Remembered how that shaft of sunlight picked up the leaf and sat for a few moments on the bridge where Francis and I had our sani's.

Top end of Ullswater.

Catstycam in the middle, Striding Edge Behind.

Ski run on Raise.

Stybarrow Dodd

Wednesday, 3rd May

Wanted to finish the Dodd's, which I started a couple of months ago. Thought I'd throw in Hart Side, which is near, as well so ended up walking over Belle Knott. Wonderful views over Ullswater and up into Simon's Nick and the Glencoyne Valley. A very long way though - couldn't believe how near I was to Watson's dodd, which I had climbed from Matterdale Common before. Got to Hart Side and then simply put head down and power-walked to Stybarrow - took me forty minutes to reach the summit.

Me & Marcus on our Wedding Anniversary - Surprise View 2006

Watendlath Farm.

Our Anniversary

Sunday, 31st April

Today is our wedding anniversary. Don't ask how long we have been married because I don't know; seven or eight - am not sure. We have been together fifteen years however: I know that because we started dating when my son was three.

Anyhow, been busy in the garden; buying plants and digging out borders, sowing seeds etc. And sorting; am fed up of sorting stuff.

Nice day, walked to Watenlath and read books on hill by tarn. Am reading; Cold Mountain which was given to me by Mum. Not much liking it I have to say but shall finish it now I have started.

Got back home and realized that I was missing an ingredient for dinner so we went for a Chinese in Keswick. The Silk Road Restaurant is lovely incidentally; good service, excellent food and not too pricey. Nice anniversary I think.

Small tarn along the moor.

Small tarn on the moor (ancient settlement in grass on the right).

Old Man from Blawith Knott

View of Broughton from Burney

Blawith and Burney

Monday, 10th April

Went to work with Marcus so he could pick up his car (now repaired). Decided to utilise the location and climb one of the, Outlying Fells, which I am trying to complete as well as the other Wainwrights. Decided on Burney (it was near to Grizebeck) and tootled off. Told Ricky that I would be back just after lunch but I thought the moor looked interesting and so, armed with map and compass I trotted over it. I reached the foot of Blawith about an hour later and thought I might as well climb it as I was there . . . Returned to Burney eventually and climbed that and then drove to Ambleside where I parked and had an ice cream and a coffee, bought some stuff at a hardware shop and then came home - later than expected.

Blawith nice - Burney, boring plod.

The Move

Saturday, 1st - Thur, 6th April

Decided to take a week to move instead of one day - thought it might make it all less stressfull. It didn't. Far better to have got it all over with in one go. Anyhow, Marcus's car is still at Broughton (remember I picked him up on Friday) so he drove my car to cockermouth to pick up red transit, which we have until Wednesday and then I drove back whilst he followed me with the van.

Saturday: Al arrives

Al to the rescue is all I can say. Do you know what 2,000 odd books looks like? Have you any idea how heavy they are, more to the point? Al helped us with the big boxes but it still took nearly three van loads. I stayed behind at the cottage when all the smaller boxes had been taken and started filling the bookcases (couldn't lift the heavy boxes).

Sunday: bed bases and coffee tables, the T.V. and P.C.'s

Monday: Francis arrives

Hooray for Francis. Got stuck in straight away. Have decided to sleep in the new place but cook in the old (have not yet transported fridge and food). New carpet in Living-room fitted. Built our first fire in the cottage and watched Firefly. Can still hear the river as we go to sleep. Dawn chorus woke us up at fiveish!

Tuesday: Frank arrives

Frank is a handy-man I hired through the local newspaper. He is busy unsticking windows and doors and fitting a shower-rail and hooks for coats. He is going to fit our new dishwasher and washing machine also. Got meal all laid out on grill and oven-top and the cooker wouldn't work. Had a Chinese take-out.

Wednesday: Cat arrives

Walked back to flat and saw Ricky carrying Beth to cottage in cat basket. They waved (well, Ricky waved, not sure about the cat).

Thursday:

Not sure when, but sometime over this week, I popped to Whinlatter with Francis for a short walk. There was a strange light in the forest when the sun shot through some dark foilage and lit up one stray leaf. It looked as if it were glowing. We also went to Grange for lunch at John's.

Friday:

Francis goes home :-( and we are left with much sorting to do.

Looking back to Loweswater.

Fellbarrow - and Broughton in Furness?

Wednesday, 29th March

We are moving house in three days and I can't believe how stressed I am. It's not as if don't want this move - far from it. It is a dream come true: a white-washed cottage in a wood half-way up a mountain overlooking the river - I can hardly belive it to tell the truth. And here I am re-attempting Fellbarrow that I missed last week. I have gone up a different route - from thackthwiate. No parking so a long walk to the fell. I am feel very distracted and have not enjoyed this walk at all. Got to the top, took one brief look round and descended without even a picture. Tried to play some music on i-pod to calm down but could not listen to anything. Will feel better when I have moved I think.

Evening

Returned home and had small crisis with superglue i.e. got it all over fingers. Thought of solution however without having to resort to hospital visit (I had some pure acetone in the bathroom). Was applying this with cotton-wool when phone rang. It was Marcus to say that his car had broken down and would I please pick him up from - Broughton-in-Furness? I should say that by this time I had a splitting headache but made the journey, diving into the pub for a pint as soon as I arrived.

What a day. And in three more - we move . . .

View over Derwentwater from base of Catbells

First one deer appeared . . .

Then another

Lake & Deer

Wednesday, 22nd March

Popped out for a wee walk over the western side of the lake just because it felt nice and spring-like out there. On the way back a small herd of deer ran over the path.

View of the Ullswater Fells from the top of Little Mell Fell

Little Mell Fell

Sunday, 19th March

Only wanted to do something easy today and really only suggested this one to Marcus because I had no idea where to park and thought someone else could sort it out. It was difficult - the parking. Long, wet, boggy plod from Thackthwaite - much easier to go straight up from the other side. Good views from the top.

Loweswater Fell

Wednesday, 15th March

No camera today. Climbed Loweswater Fell via Darling Fell. Rather wished I'd taken another route as the ascent from Darling Fell was rather a plod. Attempted to get to Fellbarrow but had started late and wanted to be down before dark. Very blowy on the tops (so what's new)? Too many fences on this walk to make it one I would want to do again.

First Snow in Keswick

The Bridge House in snow.

Great Calva

Wednesday, 8th March

Sorry no camera. Lovely walk. Good to get to the Back'O Skiddaw again - one of my favourite places. Took a wee look up Trusmador to see Meal Fell and remember how it was during the winter. Decided to go back a different way, which was a mistake as I ended up walking through great banks of heather. Just past Dash Farm, before Brockle Crag was a very pretty place by a water station. Have a feeling I have been there before but cannot clearly remember when.

Icicles in tonguegill

Looking towards Ullswater - St. Sunday Crag to the right

Grisedale Tarn

Snow on Seat Sandal

Sunday, 5th March

Today I did a very brave thing - brave for me that is. I climbed and then descended a steep fell in snow. Seat Sandal would probably have posed no threat to me whatsoever had we decided to climb it in spring say, or summer - anytime other than when it was covered in snow. I do not like slippery slopes, especially steep, slippery ones but this afternoon found me half way up one and then descending without resorting to sitting on my bum (which is how I have descended most of the steeper fells in the Lake District. Anyhow I am justly proud and did, looking back, actually enjoy most of it. We met a guy who showed us these mini crampons (instep crampons) which are light to carry and fit to any boot. We are thinking of investing in some of these next year. Usually I don't climb in snow and ice.
When we reached the tarn, on the way back down, we saw several people wearing full crampons. There were loads of people going up Dollywagon and lots on top of Fairfield.

Looking down on Haystacks and Fleetwith. High Pike top left. Buttermere and Crummock in the centre.

Back of the Gables

Looking towards the Scafells and Esk Pike

Grey Knotts

Sunday, 26th February

Began a walk to Kirk Fell from the top of Honister but decided we would not have enough time to complete it before dark. Quite a bit of snow still around. Very cold when the wind blew and it blows a lot on top of the fells. Decided to turn back when I suggested a quick shinny up Grey Knotts since I had not been here before.