Moel Arthur

Walk from Cilcain, this time to Moel Arthur. Very cloud, extremely windy. The walk was a lot longer than we thought it was going to be, not many really steep bits but so much up and down we actually climbed as much as going up Bowfell.

Moel Arthur elevation

Moel Arthur route

Between Moel Famau and Moel Arthur

Derelict cottage near Cilcain

Derelict cottage near Cilcain

Derelict cottage near Cilcain

Gill trying to remain vertical in howling winds

Wansfell

The weather's looking bad for the end of the week, so it's now or never. Going up Wansfell the hard way; one great, big, long, steep climb to the top, then strolling downhill again. Extremely windy at the top, just like last time. Also extremely overcast (just like last time).

Wansfell elevation (Steep? It's flipping vertical!)

Wansfell route

View of Ambleside from half way up

View of Windermere from the summit of Wansfell

View of Ambleside and Fairfield from summit of Wansfell

Grey clouds of Windermere

Path leading away from Wansfell

Mortal Man pub where we had lunch (Sally Birkett's ran out just before I ordered!)

Keswick

Some more shopping and resting of tired legs, this time a little further afield at Keswick.

Keswick town square

Getting some pasties from the usual place

 Then a short walk around the shores of Derwent Water.

Feeding the ducks 'cornflakes' (cracked corn, better than bread)

Holiday Snaps

Looking towards Skiddaw from Derwent Water

Looking towards Skiddaw from Derwent Water

Chapel Stile

Tired legs and feet, so a bit of shopping in Ambleside, then cooling off in the river.

Very small dipper.

Great Langdale Beck

Great Langdale Beck

Great Langdale Beck

Great Langdale Beck

Great Langdale Beck

Great Langdale Beck

Time and tide wait for no man, so get your wellies on

It's him again

Bowfell

The big one of the week. Up The Band to Bowfell. Things weren't looking too good to begin with, in fact they were hardly looking like anything as the fog was so thick. A dull day beckoned, but we were so wrong...

Bowfell elevation

Bowfell route

Is it even worth taking a camera up in all this lot?!

A few hundred feet up, at the first bit of level ground, we popped up out of the fog to be greeted by a gently rolling plain of white cloud, flowing up the valley like a milky river.

Looking down Langdale Valley

Langdale Pikes

Sun rising over Pike O'Blisco

The sun eventually rose, and was blindingly bright.

Langdale Pikes

Langdale Pikes

Gill-on-a-rock

One of the Three Tarns, next to the Steep Bit

Nearing the summit (after the steep bit!) the low clouds could be seen washing over the whole of the Langdale valleys, coming to an eerily abrupt halt. The peaks of Pike O'Blisco and the Langdale Pikes were bobbing up and down through the clouds like black icebergs.

Langdale Pikes cresting the waves of clouds

The inverted cloud just ending past Bowfell

Guess Who, trying to photograph Pike O'Blisco before it disappears again

Murder on the knees, heavenly on the eyes

View from the summit of Bowfell

Refuelling on Date Crunch

In the afternoon, on the way down, the low cloud dissipated and some more normal, puffy white clouds came over.

Looking down Langdale Valley

Looking down Langdale Valley

Looking down Langdale Valley

Then back, a quick scrub-up and a stumble down to Wainwrights for our tea.

The Reward