Tag: Lake District

Underskiddaw (AKA another failed Skiddaw attempt)

Easter Sunday so after a relaxed Easter Breakfast, painting our eggs as is tradition in our family, we set off far too late for a walk.

One day I will learn how walls that look short on maps in reality take many hours.

Parking in Millbeck Underskiddaw, we set off up a very steep path (is any path up Skiddaw not very steep?)

We stopped for a picnic lunch at an outcrop with a gorgeous view over Derwent Water, from a slightly different aspect to what I have seen before. Evie enjoyed a good run around and then we made the decision that despite our height gain, Skiddaw was well and truely out of our sights today.

We toyed with Dodd but from where we were it would have been a big down to go up, to go down and finish a fair way from the car.

So instead we agreed that the best thing was just to enjoy the beauty of the day, give Evie another decent run around, and head back down.

Despite no summits – it was still a very lovely walk and a big effort when carrying a Bean!

Latrigg – 19 April 2019

After starting the day with a swim at Keswick pool and a play in the park with cousin Sam

The bank holiday Friday was so beautiful and warm that we decided to head up a fell that was achievable for Sam.

So parking at the Underskiddaw car park, we set off in search of the Latrigg summit!

Sam and Omi make it up the hill and Evie decides that the day is too exciting for sleep, but this does give the opportunity for some lovely cuddles on top!

A nice place for al to enjoy the view

Evie and Sam enjoy a good run around, and Sam is very good at looking after Evie to make sure she stays safe!

Sam runs down the hill – this time a bit fast for Evie, leaving her to look for him and toddle in her own time.

The inevitable fall happens and a cuddle with Auntie Imo to make everything better

And a nice picture at the viewpoint. Before heading back to the car.

9th December 2019

A winter trip up Latrigg – to cold and too late in the day for anything big, but just enough time to get up and down quickly.

We need lots of warm stuff and once up it’s definitely a day to let Evie run, just so she doesn’t get too cold.

The views are spectacular today, just something else. So golden.

Enjoying the view, but it’s so cold that after a satsuma we are quick to turn around and head back.

Enjoying the colours of the winter sun on the trees on the way down.

Place Fell – 14 April 2019

A great local fell, from which we set off from Patterdale in this cold April morning.

It’s a steady climb up the path to where you get to the first plateau,but gorgeous views all around to keep you going.

Turning left for Place Fell the climb up steepens until you are almost at the top.

Where there was still ice!! So time to put the jackets and hits back on after the climb.

The summit cairn is quite obvious on the top of Place Fell, on a rocky outcrop which makes it difficult to let Evie walk around on.

But she does like to make sure she knows she has visited the summit!

After a little picnic sheltered out of the rain, we decided on a decent down that we had not done before.it was also pretty steep and rocky to, dropping up out just a little way along the lakeshore path.

Another snack and a little chance for Evie to stretch her legs, she certainly does enjoy her walks to. Before finally heading back along to the car, at which point Evie wanted to walk the other way back to the hill…. of course!

Great Dodd, Calfhow Pike, Clough Head – 10/04/19

The forecast was set to be fabulous but cold so my plan was to get out and make the most of the day. Typically the forecast wasn’t quite correct, and the day happened in the opposite weather way round!

Setting off from the Red Head car park, we walked around the old coach road until getting to the long plod up.

A boggy path that just keeps on going, we got to a point where there was a bit of shelter, so I thought it perfect for a picnic.

Turned out Evie was possibly even hungrier than me. Gobbling up one of her date and cashew bars along with other lunch, we were set to continue.

By the summit of Great Dodd the food and motion had had its normal effect and Evie was fast asleep!!

An amazing 360 degree panorama to take in.

At this point I had a decision to make. To head straight back down the way I had come (as planned), or to do a loop. Evie was asleep and the sun came out. So I decided on the loop.

Moving on from Calfhow Pike we had a great view back to Great Dodd.

Onwards and upwards again to Clough Head, where Evie got woken by an enthusiastic dog!

So she got to appreciate the view – what a view! Quite a decent down again to the Old Coach Road. Felt like a bit of a trog back to the car and we needed lots of singing. But there were still some good views and I wonder about the Old Coach Road as a bike ride.

Castlerigg stone circle

After an aborted walk with Beth & Evie up Skiddaw due to very cold winds, I took them to see Castlerigg Stone Circle on the way home, as it was a stunner of a day (just very cold!).

Maybe the cold had put the majority of the other tourists off, as it was amazingly quiet.

Evie has a good chat into Beth’s ear filling her in on the history of the place, before leaving for home.

St Sunday’s Crag and Birks – 29/03/19

A beautiful blue skies spring morning – perfect for a walk with friends and ticking off another couple of Wainwright’s with the bubas.

Meeting in Patterdale, despite the warmth in the valley, Oliver, Evie and Sam are wrapped up all snug for our walk. Ready to go mummies!

Setting out up the hill – watching out for their heads under this tree!

A steep climb up, but it did mean that we quickly gained some views.

Stopping half way up for a picnic, the tummies needed filling….

And Sam fed his lunch to Roxy!

Then time for the bubas to have a little potter…

…. before time to pack up again and head to the summit.

Stunning views at the top

Finally we get the the summit

Another walk around for the babies

And a cairn scramble

And this is just too cute! What are they talking about??

After two tearful falls it was time to head back down – we came down over the top of Birks

Even from this lower fell the view was still amazing

The knees knew about it going down, a very steep descent. As did the ears! I think it’s true to say that we did more singing coming down to keep the babies happy. They had about had enough of the packs.

But it was all well worth it, a great day out in the fells and a different environment for Evie, Sam & Oliver to run around in.

Grizedale Pike – 28/03/19

Meeting up with Lou & Evan, we could just see the tops as we set off Grizedale Pike.

Lou & Evan March their way up the hill – I thought Evan looked a bit like superman!

We didn’t hang around long on the summit as it was a cold wind.

But long enough for a piccie on the summit!

So many glorious views all around it was hard to decide the backdrop for our summit photo!!

Mummy & mini !!

Hunger called on the way back down, so we stopped for a little picnic on the slope.

Once we had said our goodbyes to Lou & Evan and played a bit of chase, Evie and me settled down for our 2nd lunch picnic in Keswick park. Was a lovely warm spring afternoon, before toddling off to Keswick markets for a shop.

Bowscale Fell – 25/03/19

Too nice a day for my normal Monday activity of a short ‘mummy’s walk’, I decided to take Evie on a walk I hadn’t done before.

I was glad that the washed away path from the floods of 2015 had been replaced so I didn’t have to get wet feet walking through the big at the start of the walk!

Evie fell to sleep quite quickly giving me a peaceful ascent and getting to enjoy looking up and across at the Bannerdale Crags.

At the top Blencathra peeked into view.

Turning around there were great views back down into the Mungrisdale valley that we had come from.

Evie was still asleep at the top…..

So I woke her up for lunch! After lunch Evie enjoyed a walk…

And because it was such a safe summit, she spent nearly an hour walking, exploring…

…. and climbing!

For me it was just a perfect morning with my amazing Bean, who is developing at such a pace I can hardly keep up!

After such a big romp at the top, she had another good slew on the way back down!

Hevellyn and Nethermost Pike 23/03/19

All generations for today’s walk, with Evie’s Omi as well as Claire & Oliver, we decided on Helvellyn from the Thirlmere side so that we didn’t need to carry Evie & Oliver up either of the edges.

Its a pretty steep climb up with very little let up, but we did finally get to the summit and the bubas were not the happiest at that moment.

Once freed from the pack Evie cheered up…. so she was able to enjoy the view from the very highest of high points.

Cheered up even more by a picnic in the much appreciated shelter (it was a very cold wind out of the shelter).

Evie then had plenty of energy for a run around on the summit, with care taken to keep her well away from the edges.

Some great views and a snowlined edge walking across to Nethermost Pike (though we managed to walk past it to High Crag!!).

By the time we get to the cairn on Nethermost Pike Evie was fast asleep.

She continued to sleep all the way back down the steep descent. But this did mean that she then had plenty of energy for a good walk around at the end of the day with her Omi!!