Up The Secret Valley

It's been a pretty tiring Christmas. A house full of family for 5 nights and a couple of marathon journeys. Breeze (and Molly who was staying over Christmas too) had to make do with village walks, mainly without me. I feel like I haven't been outside for ages. Today is the first day we get a chance to get out,and even then only for a couple of hours.

We pick our route to make the best of the winter sunshine. Starting out up our secret valley. We could see people walking all around us on all the known routes, but we didn't actually pass a soul until we were about 2/3 of the way through our walk. Bliss.

above the snow line

Blencathra

Walking back down through Bannerdale

What a beautiful day

Only about 4 miles in all,but it was so good to be out, particularly in such wonderful conditions

Little Mell with Molly

For various reasons we haven't been on the fells this week, and since Thursday we have had a fair covering of snow at home (best part of 2" at it's worst). We're not into crampons and ice axes, so we avoid proper winter conditions, but that gives us the perfect excuse to do a small walk - and one to suit little Molls. So Jay and I wrapped up warm, left husband at home with BT sport and did a quick up and down Little Mell.

Parking at The Hause it's straight up the fell. That's our car parked by the road on the right of the trees. Ullswater is just in view on the left, hidden by Little Meldrum. We were over that side of the road last week

Mell Fell Summit. A Snow topped Blencathra is off to the right 

Zooming in on Blencathra as Breeze zooms past

Heading back down

Gowbarrow

They got the forecast wrong today! It was supposed to be blowing a hooley and fairly cloudy. Sometimes wrong is good! A last minute rethink brought us to Parkbrow for a local walk that wasn't going to take us two high given the windy forecast.

From the carpark we crossed a couple of fields and then headed uphill, by the side of the wood seen here below us as we pause for breath. Already it is a stunning morning, with hardly a breath of wind.

Before long the summit of Gowbarrow is in view. Beautiful but cold as you can tell by the condensation on the lense!

From Gowbarrow we head over to Great Meldrum, the small lump ahead. The slightly bigger lump to the left is Little Mell Fell.

The Dodds on the left and Blencathra at the back. Perfect fell walking weather.

Swinburn's Park and a lovely sunny lunch spot. 

Ullswater will dominate our view for most of the second half of the walk, this is looking park as we walk through the lovely Swinburn's Park

Barton Fell, Martindale and Boredale on t'other side

The Memorial Seat

A Steamer heads up the lake

The last stretch of our walk is through the lovely Aira Force falls. Having seen hardly anyone all day, predictably there were a few more folk around here, but not many so it was still a nice way to finish the walk.

Just shy of 8.5 miles and the most perfect walking weather. The forecast winds never materialised and whilst it stayed cold all day, it was just wonderful. It doesn't get much better than this!

Boredale Horseshoe

5 Years ago today we were collecting the keys for our new home and starting our new life up here in Cumbria. What better way to celebrate than to have a walk on the fells for a change!

We parked at Sandwick and started to climb up the front of Sleet Fell. No sleet about today though. The sun is doing it's best to give us another awesome autumn day

As we start out, Husband spots something over on by the wall - a herd of Red Deer are making their way up. If you look closely there is a hind just below the tree, a couple coming through the hole in the wall (left one is a hind, right one is a young stag) and then just to the left of the hole in the wall is a lovely big stag, complete with huge antlers.

Climbing up Sleet Fell. It's steep, but the views behind are worth stopping for. That's Ullswater and the hamlet is Sandwick, our car is just visible at the foot of the fell.

There are some amazing clouds about today, but at the moment we have fairly clear skies over us

From Sleet Fell we head over High Dodd  (the lump just right of centre) and then onto Place Fell. The two bits of water you can see are Ullswater, there are very few places where you can see the whole lake from the fells and more often than not it appears to be a number of smaller bodies of water

As we start to make our way down the far side of Place fell we spot a herd of Reds on the slopes. Perhaps the same herd who have made their way across the slopes of Boredale

Brothers Water comes into view as we head to wards Boredale Hause

The clouds are clinging to the fells like a blanket further south

Boredale from Boredale Hause. We were thinking of walking down here, but although there was a bank of cloud behind us, we were in sunshine and it looked like lasting, so we decided to head up again onto Beda Fell (seen on the right)

Martindale from Beda Fell

Ullswater being split by Hallin Fell

Howsteads Brow

Boredale Hause with the sun dropping behind as we drop down from Howstead Brow

To cross Boredale Beck before following the intake wall back to Sandwick

8 miles and another lovely day. Hard to believe it is nearly December.

Hartsop Dodd, Caudale Moor and Stony CovePike

It's a stunning morning, but it's not going to last all day. We parked at the top of Hartsop village and then it's an in your face climb up the fellside.

We are going to follow the wall on the right up onto the ridge and then walk up the ridge onto Hartsop Dodd

Starting the climb

It's a real pull up here,but with views like this, who cares how often we need to stop for a breather. Ullswater is just appearing up the valley

Brothers Water

Hartsop below Angletarn Pikes

Just as you get to the top - you realise it isn't the top!

One man and his Dog.................. and a pretty good view

As we reach the Atkinson Memorial on Caudale Moor we can see how the weather is brewing in the south. If you try really hard you can just make out Windermere somewhere between Breeze and the bright spot in the sky

Monarch of Kirkstone Pass

We had planned to go from Stony Cove Pike across Threshthwaite Mouth and onto Gray Crag,but having seen the weather approaching from the south, we decided to take the steep descent route into (say it without smiling if you can) Pasture Bottom. Seen below us here.

The climb down Threshthwaite crag isn't the most pleasant, but it's worth the hassle to walk out through a valley as beautiful as this.

Nearly back at the car. Anyone want to give a spaniel a lift home?

Just over 6 miles and the weather held until we left Hartsop and started the drive home