Dash Falls again and again

Silly season is definitely in full swing. Today we headed for one of our Back 'O Skiddaw quiet spots. When we got there we couldn't park! So a quick change of plan saw us parking at Peterhouse Farm instead. There were far more cars there than expected as well, so we set off with only one ambition - to take a route that no-one else was taking!

Heading up the Cumbria Way

It was about here we decided to drop down to the wall on the left. You can just see Dash Falls up ahead. They would become a recurring theme today.

We followed the wall as it turned left where Husband is (Dash Falls beyond)

And crossed the beck at black nettle hause

Looking West towards Binsey

There's a much better view of the falls from here than the normal ones

The heather is in full bloom

Looking back from where we had come. The wall that we followed is clear on the right

Heading away from the falls

Beautiful day

We head to the sheepfold in Hause Gill for our lunch

Lunch with a view

Looking across at Bakestall you can see the Cumbria way that we started on beyond the trees

She can't resist a boulder!

We started on the right hand side, half way up this photo and have done an anti clockwise circuit (roughly). Since leaving the Cumbria Way we have only seen one chap in the distance - we think he was scattering ashes as he had a bouquet of flowers in his backpack.

Eventually we arrive at the lonning that leads to Cow Wath Farm. We decided to take this and make our wiggly way back to the Cumbria Way to avoid a section of (quiet) road walking

Another boulder - this time with Dash Falls as a backdrop

From here it was a gentle amble back down the track to the car. Just about a 7 mile circuit and although the Cumbria Way was busy - we still only saw the one chap away from there. Not the route we had planned at all but a nice lower level route which took us to areas I'm sure most people wouldn't dream of going!

A Wet Day at Last

The weather has returned to normal!We had planned a Steamers trip while Mum is here - another thing she has done before, but it's a nice relaxing way to spend a few hours. The bonus is that it's quiet when it's raining too! Not many pics for obvious reasons, but a lovely trip as always.

Sunbiggin Tarn after Lunch

Another glorious day for Mum's stay up here. Today we have arranged to meet friends of Mum and Dad's for lunch. They live down at Heysham so one of our favourite spots to meet folk from South Lakes ish area, is Ravenstonedale. The Black Swan to be precise. It is somewhere we have both used for decades and it has never let us down yet. So, after a lovely, long lunch we decided to come home via Sunbiggin Tarn where we had a little wander to help our lunch settle!

The best of the wildflowers are over for this year but it is still a lovely spot.

Holehird with Mum

Another lovely day while Mum is here and another relaxing day is called for. We've both been many times before, but this is THE time of year for the National collections at Holehird - well two of them anyway.

The National Collection of Hydrangeas

and the National Collection of Astilbe

The Rock Garden

Heather bed - pretty good timing for this one too!

Our view as we ate our sandwiches - another day, another picnic!

And if anyone knows what this is, please let me know. Holehird is the bast labelled garden I have ever come across - but on this one they let us down!

Picnic with Mum

Mum has come up for a few days - hopefully to relax and have a bit of a break. For once the weather is playing ball. This is one of those areas where you can find solitude even in the Silly Season and I have had my eye on the perfect spot for a picnic for a long time, but it's not the sort of thing we do normally! However it seems like the perfect way to get Mum to relax. Miles from anywhere, no phone signal and a boiling hot day.

Who's going to tell Breeze we're not going far today!

Fell Ponies grazing with Carhullan in the background. The only people we saw today were two guys with three young kids who were all staying at Carhullan. The kids were playing on their bikes while their Dad's had a stroll. A bit different from Welling Garden City where they live!

We had a wander first, taking Mum across the slab bridge and up to Tow Cop

Before retracing our steps

To pick up our picnic things and make our way to our picnic spot.

Where we had a nice relaxing lunch

Eventually we decided to head home.

Where we sat out in the garden drinking a G & T whilst the sun put on a fantastic display, producing a Sun Dog for about an hour. 

Knott Roughton Gill!

It's silly season so we're sticking 'Back O' Skiddaw'. So we thought we'd head for Fellside, but instead of our usual dog walk up Roughton Gill, we are thinking of doing a slightly higher loop.

Off we go along the familiar track towards Dale Beck

We had crossed the ford and made our way up the slopeon the other side, heading for the summit cairn on Brae Fell

Spot The Dog - also spot the spot on the lense - hmmm, think it's going to turn into a damp walk!

From Brae we headed across Little Sca Fell. Off to our right is Over Water with the end of Bass Lake a bit further to the left

From Little Sca Fell we then went on to Great Sca Fell, then Knott. Skiddaw stands tall with the pyramidal top of Great Calva on the left between us and Skiddaw

You wouldn't know it from this picture, but it is about to sile it down. We are heading to Lingy Hut for our lunch. We were extremely glad of it too as the rain came just before we got there and it continued for most of the time we were sitting comfortably in the hut, tucking in to our pasties!

And when we emerged it was into a different day!

Looking down into Mosedale from Lingy Hut

We had thought about heading over High Pike, but given the changeable weather and the fact that one of us had got a little wet earlier following a slight mishap!! we decided to take the lovely gentle path back down over Deer hills. And so we got back to the car, just before the next downpour!

We had walked about 8 miles on very familiar ground in the height of silly season. We passed two guys on one of the Sca Fells and then two lone walkers later on. I have a feeling the other Scafells may have been a bit busier!