We headed off early doors to the Thirlmere area of the lakes and to the start of our walk for the day which conveniently was right next to the hotel we'd booked for the night. The Lodge in the Vale. The nice reception staff said it would be no bother to leave the car there for the day before we checked in so quickly we changed footwear and got our jackets and rucksacks on.
The initial climb up to Stybarrow Dodd was pretty steep and followed a meandering rocky path winding up the hill. The weather wasnt that great with mist swirling all around. Little patches of sunlight came and went over towards Blencathra but for us it was all a bit bleak.
Onwards and upwards we went and it was a fair old slog. This peak, Stybarrow was to be Chris's 150th Wainwright and quite an achievement indeed. I'm some way behind at 110 which for me is fantastic.
So hurrah Chris and your 150th Wainwright - Congrats xx
Stybarrow Dodd was not much more than a collection of stones and with the mist there was no view to speak off so we didnt stick around long and made our way off to the path that would take us over to Watson's Dodd, my namesake.
The conditions were not ideal for picture taking but Watsons's Dodd was a nice hill to climb, a rolling and undulating path to the summit stretched the legs and although the mist was still swirling around every now and again we caught a glimpse of faraway peaks with the sun peeking through the clouds giving them a dappled effect.
After Watson's Dodd it was onto Great Dodd and again it was a good walk but nothing spectacular to write home about. Dodds are all a bit boring really. Big mounds of hill with very little character at all. No rocky outcrops, no tricky terrain to conquer, just big grassy lumps.
Our timing was going well at it was just about 2pm when we started to make our way down from Great Dodd. The mist was still swirling but as we decended it got a good bit clearer.
We had the luxury of a nice waterfall on the way down and a steep bit clear zig zaggy path off the mountain then through some autumnal fern. There isn't much in the way of autumn colours left but I did spot this tree which looked particularly beautiful against the hills.
Down on flat land again it was a short walk along by the roadside to the hotel and a well deserved coffee. Finishing the walk earlier than planned and not having the 2 hr drive home there was only 1 thing for it. Keswick, pub and a large glass of red wine. Perfect end to a great day !
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