Lounging in Langdale

Stef and I spent the weekend in Langdale at Mill Beck Farm. Neither of us is very well (although I think I'm over the worst of it now), so it was a weekend of sitting in front of the fire, watching a bit of TV, shopping in  Ambleside and planning what we're going to do next year

Saturday morning started off with wet snow falling but yesterday dawned beautifully and we managed a gentle three mile or so walk up into Mickleden to about as far as the bottom of Pike O' Stickle. We saw a buzzard being mobbed and chased away by a raven and called at the ODG for a pot of tea on the way back to collecting the car. The sun was out and we sat outside, which was great. Two large slices of fly pie were also purchased

The drive home yesterday afternoon was epic. We headed down the M6 towards Lancaster after deciding to go home via the Trough of Bowland and Dunslop Bridge. Several road closures and diversions meant eventually we went home through Clitheroe and what should have been an hour's drive was two hours plus

Wonderful Wasdale

We spent the weekend in Wasdale staying in a pod at the National Trust campsite. It was lashing down on the way over there via Berker Fell but from Friday morning (we both had a day off to make a long weekend)  the weather was great

On Friday after a lazy morning sat in the sun we ran up Lingmell and up to Scafell Pike before coming back the same way. We weren't sure what to do on Saturday until a friend reminded us that there was a Bob Graham attempt passing through the valley around 1pm. Leg 4 with six other runners, in perfect conditions was a real treat and Andrew, the 'attemptee', had a great run out even if he didn't complete the round under 24hours. Yesterday we had a walk up and over the Screes and back after moving out of our pod. The photo above was taken on the way back down

Half a Bob

The good weather forecast for the weekend caught my eye early last weekend and Stef and I began planning a backpacking bivvy weekend in the Lakes. Plans were a bit fluid but bascially we wanted to walk as much of the Bob Grahma route as we could between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon with two nights wild-camping wherever we fancied / happened to end up at the time

On Friday tea-time we parked in Keswick, walked the disused railway to Threlkeld, then did leg two as far as Sticks Pass and bivvied not far from the ski hut below Raise. The sky was crystal clear with masses of shooting stars and the sunset earlier had been stunning

We were up and about quite early on Saturday and finished off leg two after making a cup of tea in Helvellyn shelter around 7-30am. The photo above is Catstycam and Red Tarn looking toward Ullswater and was taken whilst we waited for the kettle to boil! We continued on and did leg three as far as Pike o' Stickle by mid-afternoon. To be honest we were both a bit knackered then so we went the long but flatter way round to the top of Rossett Gill before getting to Wasdale via Sprinkling Tarn, Sty Head and the valley route down. I've long fancied the valley route down into Wasdale after reading about it in Wainwright's Western Fells and it didn't disappoint! Refreshments were taken in Wasdale including local Yewbarrow Dark Ale before we wandered up into Mosedale for the night

On Sunday we climbed up to Wind Gap, did Pillar and Kirk Fell (by the Red Gully) before taking Moses Trod to Honister. We were just finishing our all-day breakfast paninis when John from Northumberland Fell Runners, who we'd met earlier, arrived and gave us a lift back to Keswick saving us the planned bus trip

We managed 21 peaks, over 30miles and well into the teens of thousands of feet so are claiming Half a Bob for the weekend!

A weekend in Langdale

I've probably been to Langdale more times than any other valley in Lakeland; partly because it's relatively close to 'home' (be it Derbys or the West Riding), and partly because I love it. Stef and I went over on Friday evening to stay at Millbeck Farm for the weekend. The farm has both sheep and cattle and is situated brilliantly right underneath the Langdale Pikes. Sue, the landlady, was very helpful and we have already booked to go back later in the year!

On Friday evening we just had time to check in and then nip for a pint or two to the Stickle Tavern. On Saturday we walked round the vast majority of the skyline from Chapel Stile up to Silver Howe, on over Blea Rigg to the Pikes, picking up the BG route with added peaks and went round the head of the dale as far as Pike O'Blisco. We called at the Old Dungeon Ghyll for tea and got back to the farm at 9-30pm, which meant we'd been out around 11hours in total and bagged 13 Wainwrights

Yesterday we climbed up to Thurnacar Knott, over High Raise, then went over to Sergeant's Crag and Eagle Crag (two new Wainwrights for us both) before coming back over Stake Pass (and the ODG again for soup and a pint)

Loughrigg

We had a smashing day today pottering around in Ambleside before climbing Loughrigg, traversing Loughrigg Terrace, then walking the length of Rydal Water and returning via Rothay Park. Stef bought herself an ultra lightweight down jacket for keeping warm at her upcoming mountain marathons and we both enjoyed being up on a fell which really punches way above it's weight in terms of views etc. Bill Birkett reckons on circa 6miles and getting on for 1000feet of climb in his excellent Complete Lakeland Fells book. Not a bad little walk for a rest day!