Ben More, more and more........the slog of all slogs!

Has it really been so long since I updated my blog, June 7th since our last venture out on the hills, goodness me that's not right, surely!  In between then and now has been Silverstone weekend and bad weather stops play but hopefully now that we're in the midst of Summer we can rectify any further time delays between walks.  Yes I said the S word, summer.  Hot and sunny weather, long light days, t shirts and shorts.......oh how I long for those days, perhaps August will bring our summer!

So back to the walk.  We had planned a weekend in Scotland, visiting family and bagging a Munro or 2 along the way.  Ben More and Stob Binnein were our targets so early on Saturday we ventured north from the B & B of Mum and Dad to Crianlarich and the foot of our first target of the day.  Armed with our staple Scottish hillwalking fodder - Tablet and Tunnochs Caramel Wafers the day was sure to be epic, right?

I'd read a walk report the previous evening in the car and it did mention the steepness and the bogginess but oh my goodness what true slog it turned out to be.  Literally straight up from the roadside with no room for a breather on a nice wee plateau anywhere.  It was tough going and I struggled quite a bit.  Mentally I was all over the place and announced on several occasions I was heading back down to the car which doesn't happen often but somehow I kept putting one foot in front of the other and kept moving forward.

There were a few other peeps on the mountain side that day and it seemed to be a popular route.  The weather on the way up was not as forecast and was quite pleasant by all accounts.  Big billowing fluffy white clouds, patches of blue sky but about 3/4 of the way up we could see some dark clouds looming and streaks of rain falling on nearby hills.  Sure enough the rain made its way over to us so it was cameras away and waterproofs on but these were only showers so it wasn't too bad.
The summit finally (after what seemed like a lifetime) came into view.  First was the large cairn which by all accounts is the true summit and then the trig point and standing proudly behind was Stob Binnein.  All of the reports I'd read said this was the prettier of the 2 summits and from where I was standing it certainly seemed that way.  We stopped on the summit of Ben More for a bite to eat before tackling the down, the very steep and rocky down and now with the added rain, the very steep, rocky and wet down.  The views around however made this bearable and again my breath was taken away by the sheer majesty of the peaks around us.

Getting down off Ben More and onto the plateau area was a little bit trickier than I had hoped, there was a bad step area that needed a longer leg than mine but thankfully there was a bypass route which circumvented it easily.  I hate not being able to do stuff but I cant magically extend my legs by 5" so just had to deal with it.

The rest of the way down was zig zaggy and steep and I just took my time.  At this point I'd decided that I wasn't going to venture up Stob Binnein and that Ben More was more than enough for me that day.  Chris decided to head on up and I would wait for him at the flat area between the 2 mountains.

Whilst waiting I tucked into another caramel wafer, more tablet and some cheese and was quite happy sitting on a nice big rock with my boots off with my binoculars watching Chris's progress up the steep path in front.  That was until the hailstones started and the sleet.  Welcome to Scotland !!!

30 mins up and 20 mins down was all that it took Chris which was quite brilliant.  We then headed off the path downwards and it was a slog.  There wasn't much of a path in some areas and you just had to pick your way through the boggy bits and hope that your next step wasn't going to land you in a deep hole up to your knee or worse in bog.  Challenging to say the least and with the recent hail and sleet it was just a wee bit slippy.

I kept looking at the path below and thinking, soon, very soon you'll be there and sure enough after an hour or so plodding sideyways down we were on the path that would take us back through the valley to the stick of the lollipop and down back to the car.

The sun came out for this last part of the walk and made it really pleasant indeed.  As with all walks you do get an immense sense of satisfaction at the end and all the unpleasant thoughts you had earlier in the day just disappear and you remember what you've achieved and why you do what you do.

So that's another Munro ticked off my list taking my tally to 11 I think.  I'll never do them all and I'm not sad about missing Stob Binnein but looking forward to a nicer one next time we head north of the border as Ben More was a bad ass beastie !

A weekend in Wasdale Part 2

Sunday was billed to be a better day weather wise however it looked pretty grey when we awoke. I didn’t feel well and had been sneezing and spluttering all night and had a pretty horrible runny nose. Not really in the mood to get out of bed I managed to get dressed and hoped to feel better as the day wore on. Achy and head cold symptoms were a bad start.

Buckbarrow, Seatallan and Middle Fell were our targets for the day and I must say Buckbarrow and Middle Fell both looked attractive prospects and with Seatallan tucked in behind I hoped it wouldn’t disappoint.

As with any hill really it was a bit of a slog to begin with. As we continued upwards it wasn’t really long before we came upon the summit of Buckbarrow. The last part of the upwards climb was through some rocky bits and the views were outstanding. The weather wasn’t being kind to us with intermittent rain and there was our old friend the wind again. The sun kept peeking through the clouds but not anywhere near us. We could see its shadows cast upon the surrounding hills but alas no where near us.

Cold update: I feel rubbish, sneeze splutter, sneeze!

So after Buckbarrow it was onwards to Seatallan and this was the first time I thought “oh I'll just go back” I really couldn’t get a grip and my head was throbbing but I wandered on. It didn’t seem that bad a walk up to Seatallan that was until we lost the summit in the cloud. It closed in and obscured views on all sides. Drizzle and a brisk breeze made the last part of the walk up quite tedious indeed. One of those moments we you really need to remind yourself why you do this and why its so important. Today it wasn’t for the photography as cameras were firmly tucked away whilst we endured the mist and drizzle.

Thankfully there was a shelter at the summit currently occupied by a nice couple and their dog. I offered the dog some of my Pink Lady apple which it licked and then ignored. How very dare it!!! It really was a lovely dog but just having a picky day.....weren't we all !

We were up and off as soon as we'd finished our snack and heading down to the plateau area between Seatallan and Middle Fell. It was quite steep and the path is poorly mark but easy to see where the path meets down in the valley below. The best bit is that the cloud was starting to lift and we could see Middle Fell, in its entirety, for the first time today and it was beautiful.

I wasn’t sure I had the energy to do another climb and worse still another descent but I waited until I had reached the plateau below and the start of the upward path before making my mind up. Once there it was an easy decision to make and I couldn’t let this gorgeous hill pass me by today. That and that the ground underfoot in the valley was quite boggy and the thought of trudging through bog to go down the valley was really not an option. So upwards we went.

It was a lovely rocky path up and views were opening up all around. Great Gable stood proudly to the left with Yewbarrow in front and it just took your breath away. The route from yesterday was ahead of us with Waswater below and all in all it was a lovely fell.

The downwards was tough as I'd reached my limit for the day. I was exhausted, coupled with the fact that I hadn’t had a good nights sleep meant I felt a bit wibbly wobbly. Nevertheless I kept going with the occasional wee sit down and before we knew it we were back on flat land and the sun, as like the previous day, was splitting the trees. 

At the campsite we'd arrange to keep the tent pitched during the day so we could get an early start and the thought of having to dismantle it when we returned wasn’t a great thought but it wasn’t too bad actually and quite enjoyable in the sunshine.

Great weekend, great walks, great company and looking forward to more camping weekends in the weeks to come, love it!

A weekend in Waswater Part 1

Racing to arrive before the light fades on a Friday night so we can try out our new tent for the weekend and Nether Wasdale was our destination. Church Stile Farm Campsite for the weekend with 5 wainwrights thrown in for good measure.

We arrived with plenty of light left in order to get the tent up, not perfectly, but not bad straight out the box and we headed for the pub for a little refreshment.

 

Saturday morning we were up bright and early and not really sure what the weather had in store for us. It was a bit grim, clouds everywhere and quite windy, although we were protected in the camp-site but could see the far trees swaying.

The hills ahead of us were our target for the day. Illgill Head and Whin Rigg then down to Waswater for a walk back along the screes.

The route up Illgill Head was a slog. Steepness and high found quite quickly. Looking back we could see the strength of the wind in the waves lapping the Cumbrian shoreline.

We met a nice lady from Liverpool whom I thought I recognised from somewhere. She was clearly the leader in her party as they straggled behind and all were heading for a Beer Festival in Boot and not claiming any tops today.

The path to the top of Illgill Head was clear enough but the wind was buffeting us all over the place. Chris did his impression of “flying man” at the summit and we didn’t stick around long. 

Over towards Whin Rigg there was a choice of paths and even though it was windy I chose the path that ran along the top of the screes and rock-face. It was thrilling. Straight down towards Waswater with the most beautiful rock on either side.

A flat plateau then onwards towards the next summit where there was a little shelter which enabled us to have a quick bite with the stunning Yewbarrow ahead of us.

We knew that as soon as we started downwards we would have lost the effect of the wind as it had been behind us all along the tops.

A nice wall guided us down and soon we were on the banks of Waswater and again we could see the effect of the wind on the top of the lake. Little water birds were darting all around as we started along the path to the screes.

The path was fairly level but the wind was now in front of us and the buffeting never ceased. We met a few people along the path but mainly we were on our own. Upwards was scree and rock and downwards was scree and rock dipping into the lake. Chris said that the screes went down into the lake as much as it was high behind us. Very deep water.

We were caught out suddenly by a very sharp rainstorm which made the skipping over rocks of the scree a little more treacherous as things became just a little slippy. Thankfully almost as soon as the rain had come it had gone and we were left, for the first time that day, bathed in sunlight. This was good news as the longest bit of scree was still to come and we hoped by the time we got there the sun would have dried most of the rock.

We weren’t disappointed. The big scree part was dry and absolutely delightful to cross with big section of very big boulders mixed with smaller sections of smaller rocks. I loved it.

The evening was now turning quite pleasant weather wise and the remainder of our walk back to the campsite was absolutely lovely with lots of little birdies flying about in the evening sun.

12 miles, variable weather, great walk and now for a nice meal coupled with a nice glass of red in The Strand. Grand day out!

Lowfell & Fellbarrow on a sunny day !

Another weekend and another 2 Wainwrights to be ticked off the old list. This will make it 137 for me and 172 for Chris, he's only got 42 to do before completing the whole list. Quite an achievement !

Tebay visited and scotch eggs for lunch acquired we continued north and the sky was bluer than blue with some nice wispy clouds that would hopefully make for some good sky pictures. We were a little later than usual setting off so we wouldn't get the best light of the day for photography but I'm sure we'll get something out of the day.   The sun was really bright and I was amazed at how green everything suddenly looked.  Spring and perhaps even a glimpse of summer was definately here.

 

Car parked near Loweswater and the path was right there in front of us, up a stoney treelined path peppered with lots of lovely wild flowers, took us to the base of the first hill. The path continued round and we spotted a couple of Yellowhammers and then it turned sharp left up over a stile and rose steeply towards the right hand side of the hill. With a combination of following a path then trudging up throught the moss and bracken we finally made it up onto the top of the hill. This, as with all hills was not the top but a wee false summit with plenty of path ahead of us before we reached anything that was tickable.

The first peak was Darling Fell with views over Crummock water then over to Buttermere that were really breathtaking and although it wasnt a Wainwright it was still a lovely fell.

My #summitselfie

The path down and then up again onto the next hill was steep on both sides but not too long so it was quite easy on the legs. The path upwards again was like a helter skelter with 20 steps worth of steepness the a wee plateau bit, then another steep bit again followed by another plateau until we reached the top and again were offered the most spectacular views. Here we stopped for a moment and had a nibble of our scotch eggs that we'd bought earlier and just marvelled at how lucky we were with the weather.

Onwards and upwards again towards the last tick of the day and the steepness of the descent and final ascent wasn’t as severe as the previous hill. It was quite gentle by all accounts. A little bit boggy in places and a nice clear path to lead us the way. A trig stood at the top of Fellbarrow and we had our last nibble of the day and polished off our scotch eggs followed by a Tunnochs tea cake. Perfect walking food.

So off we went on the downwards path and made our way back round the hillside until we met up with the path we'd started on earlier in the day. The sun was stronger now and any haze from earlier had gone and it really was a scorcher.

The little wild flowers on the path back to the car were indeed a treat.  

Soon enough we were back at the road and it was now littered with cars.  Everyone and their mother seemed to be in the lakes today and navigating back through Buttermere was interesting we made it and had a beautiful drive home and a lovely day to reflect on and a quick peek of the other side of Causey Pike made me chuckle.  It really is one of my favs, cute little hill !

Great weather, great walk, great company, what more can a girl ask for :-)

Breezy Burnbank, Blustery Blake and Gusty Gavel Fell..........

Hurrah, the weather forecast, after being up and down all week, had finally settled on a Saturday that was at best, variable. That'll do us so after a 6am alarm and house exit at 6.45 we were off up the M6 towards that well known junction 40 for Penrith. The hills today would take us past Buttermere and start us off just behind Melbreak with 3 on the agenda we hoped for a good days walking as well as some good pics.(fingers crossed)

The national trust car park was easy to find and unlike most national trust facilities there was no pay machine. So all those £1 coins I'd been collecting all morning were of no use after all. Brilliant! The first part of the walk was ahead of us with the initial part taking us through a forested area which is always a treat when the sun is out and you get it filtering through the trees casting shadows all around. The little wild flowers are just starting to come out and the baby ferns are all still curled up ready to spring into action later in the year.

Once up and out of the trees the we could see the path clearly heading up left towards the top of the hill, well I say top, I mean the top part that I could see. There was still a long way to go before the top of Burnbank was reached however the walk was pleasant and good underfoot. Not much bogginess and views back to the Solway Firth and over to Buttermere and the surrounding hills were coming into view.

 

Lots of little birds around and their chirping accompanied us for most of today’s walk but unlike the meadow pipets of 2 wks ago we couldn’t see these little birds quite so well, they were well hidden in the heather and gorse.

The top of Burnbank Fell was up and over a fence. No stile here so it was a hover over the wire whilst balancing on 2 rocks sort of manoeuvre but we managed it and then after the obligatory picture taking on the pile of rocks it was back over again to follow the path up to Blake Fell.

Quite a distinctive path and easy to follow and walk, not too steep but enough to keep your muscles working. The most noticeable change was the wind, the higher we got the more blustery it became and soon was very windy indeed. Luckily at the top of Blake Fell there is a little shelter and once hunkered down in that there was not even a breeze. Poke your head out and it was near blown off !!!!

We ate lunch here and I took my #summitselfie 

and then we were off again to our last hill of the day Gavel Fell. Down off Blake and then up the well marked path to Gavel we were passed by a man laying a scent for the trail hounds that would be on this route later in the day. It was spooky as I'd only listened to a programme about the trail hounds of the Lake District on Radio 4 earlier in the week and here was the man, laying the scent of paraffin and aniseed for the dogs to follow later, just like was mentioned in the radio programme. Pity we wouldn't still be there when the dogs came over as I'm sure that would be an incredible sight to see.

Gavel Fell touched and ticked and it was time to head downwards. We followed the path south and then took a sharp left which skirted us round the fell with Hen Coomb on our right we were reminded of the day we were there, back in 2012 when Chris reached his 100^th Wainwright milestone. It was a gentle path down and the path gently lead us round and down until we were almost back at the car park, no before we happened upon a field of sheep with one only too happy to have his picture taken. 

Great walk, great weather and 3 more boxes ticked. I wonder what we'll do with the rest of the day???

The Grey Mare's Tail and White Coomb

Bank Holiday Monday was billed as the best weather day of the 3 so we planned our walking for that day on route back home from Scotland taking in some Border hills.  After a lovely breakfast in Moffat we headed a little south to the National Trust Car Park that was the start of the path up the side of the hill.

The Grey Mare's Tail came into view almost immediately and the steep path upwards wound round so that very quickly the waterfall was facing us and with each step upwards more of it came into view.  The light wasnt great but every now and then the sun peeked through from the clouds and threw some beautiful light on the surrounding hills.

The path up the side of the waterfall was steep but well maintained with good steps and the waterfall itself was magnificent.  Above the main drop of water was several other smaller falls but just as impressive and we were lucky that the water was high and forceful which made a spectacular sight.

Up to the left as we walked up were some wild goats that we had read about and near the crags at the top of the falls we read there were Peregrine Falcons and caught sight of one leaving the nest area and swooping over the hills and away in an instant.  I didnt manage to get a picture sadly but got plenty of the little waterfalls at the top that fed the main drop.

The steep path soon leveled out and formed a meandering path adjacent to the river that fed the falls from the Loch up ahead.  There were loads of little birds flying in and out of the heather all around and we discovered they were Meadow Pippets but yet again they were too quick for me to get coordinated with my camera and capture these cute little birds, noisy too.

The path soon came out at the Loch and we could see our first hill straight ahead, Lochcraig Head and the path going straight up the side.  The only good thing about a steep path is that its generally quick, as in you get to the top quicker than if it weaves its way round and round and this one was certainly steep.   Another surprise of the day was the mucky bog that met us as we left the lochside which we waded through until we reached the base of the hill.  Horrid stuff but we managed to navigate it quite well and didnt have a major bog incident!

The steep path swung to the left near the top and took us right up to the cairn at the top which gave us a very good view of White Coomb which was our next target.  It had snow on it and the air was a bit on the chilly side now especially when in the wind.  Hats and gloves on we ventured forward towards the big dip.  What generally happens after a big dip..........yep you guessed it, a big steep climb back up the other side and thats exactly what we got.  Today's walk was certainly a leg stretcher.

The top of White Coomb was nice with another small cairn.  We stopped for a moment to consume the rest of our food and then it was down again towards the Loch and back down the path we'd taken upwards earlier in the day.

The sun was out and the walk downwards was steep but not too bad.  A bit rocky in places and damp as we had to cross the river as we'd come down on the other side.  Had it not been in full flow there would have been a good number of stepping stones to get us across but Chris found a good spot that was hardly ankle deep and the stones were surprisingly not slippy at all.  

Before long the afternoon sun was waning and we were back at the car park with thoughts of some nice dinner before heading back down the M6.  Unfortunately Moffat let us down on the dinner front but we had our lovely cheese to look forward to when we got home.  Great end to a great bank holiday weekend and the Grey Mare's Tale lived up to its expectations.