Grab it While You Can - A quick walk up Barrow

Opportunities for fell walks are rare for us at the moment and will be none existent for a week or two and we haven't got much time today. But half a day and wall to wall sunshine so off we go whilst we've got the chance

Braithwaite (where we parked) from above Braithwaite Lodge

Someone is pleased to be on the fells. If bum's could smile, this is what they'd look like!

Rock Dog

But not for long, too much running to do

She's having a fab time jumping through the bracken

We reach the ridge and come back into sunshine, the ground is frozen hard. It's perfect.

Grisedale Pike and a little white Spaniel

Happy Puppy

Happy Husband

Happy Snapper too!

Heading down to Barrow Door

Posing on the way to High Coledale

Back down towards Braithwaite

3.5 miles for us, probably 35 for Breeze. So good to be out on the fells again, albeit a short walk on a small fell. In conditions like this it really doesn't matter where or what, just being is enough!

Grab it While we can - Round Souther Fell

Not a particularly good forecast for toady, but we are on standby to go and look after an injured relative should he be discharged from hospital, so we decided to go out whatever and grab a few hours for ourselves and Breeze. Plan A didn't work as the hunt had the same idea and we didn't want to be getting in their way so we found ourselves at Mungrisedale and set off up Bannerdale with Souther Fell in mind

Still much evidence of Storm Desmond in Dec 2015

No repairs have been carried out round here yet - although we understand they are now in the planning stages. This bridge has been officially closed since the storms - I don't think it has stopped anyone using it though

Unsurprisingly the cloud base is low. It's not unpleasant though, and so nice to be out among the fells after a fairly long absence

Looking back down Bannerdale

We crossed the Glenderamackin at the plank (which used to be a bridge - until Desmond) and immediately stopped for a bit of lunch - soup and a pastie, traditional winter fell fodder (for us anyway)

Off we go to Mousethwaite Comb. At this point we decided that it was stupid going over Souther as it was completely in the cloud (above Breeze). We wouldn't be able to see anything; we've been up there countless times and we are not here to tick off summits. Instead we opted to go straight over the Comb and take the winding track down to the gated road.

Definitely the right decision. It was pretty windy here and still damp (spots on the lense) but there was brightness around and views to be had

Although the auto focus on the camera seemed to quite like the moisture on the lens!

Heading round Knotts

Down to the road.

I put the camera away at this point to save it from getting any more wet, but a nice gentle 3/4 of an hour wander along the gated road took us back to the car at Mungrisdale. We had walked just over 6 miles and from getting out of the car to getting back in, we hadn't seen another human being.
We might not have climbed a single fell and the weather was far from perfect, but sometimes it is just so good to be out.

And Now for Something Completely Different

What a beautiful morning - we've only got a couple of hours before an afternoon of Rugby dawns. We head out to have a quick wander on the fells, but as we are leaving home we realise it is the annual Husky race Meeting in Greystoke Forest. Quick change of plan and we head into the forest for a walk to have a look at what goes on

The first of the competitors are arriving. It's 10am but we learn that they won't start racing till 12. So we decide to do a loop which will hopefully mean we will just be getting back to the start as they get going

Frost on the ground and a clear blue sky.

As we get within about half a mile of the start (we are walking the 5.5 mile loop they will be racing round - only we are doing it in reverse), the first competitor appears

click here for a video

They come through every few minutes

Breeze seems to be quite interested!

We gradually make our way to the start, pausing to watch each competitor pass

and spend a while watching as each team is harnessed up and counted down to start on their way

It's quite noisy! Turn the sound on for the next video

Video here

We've walked the 5.5 mile circuit so now it's just half a mile back to the car, passing all the competitors vehicles and dogs on the way. Eveywhere you look there are excited Huskies and Malamutes tethered amongst the trees.

Who would have ever thought there could be so many people (and dogs) involved in this sport.

We walked a total of 6.5 miles. Not the walk we had planned, but what an interesting experience!

Post Haircut Walk

Off up to Caldbeck for a haircut, so we pop Breeze in the car and have a little walk afterwards

Whelpo Beck as we head down past The Howk

a blurry shot of a dipper - there were two briefly

Leaving the Beck we follow footpaths over fields

Down the wicket

To the village pond

Only a couple of miles at the most, but another nice wander around local paths

Mum's Visit

Mum's up for a visit and whilst was already our intention to get her to rest as much as possible, she has been very poorly since Christmas so this week is about rest, rest and more rest. So no outings to speak of and not much in the way of walks (usual daily Breeze exercise excluded) but we did pop up Mosedale a couple of times and on each occasion Mum and we had a little walk - half a mile maybe while Breeze did her thing - 10 miles maybe!

Our second visit of the week was on an altogether different day!

Taken through the windscreen of a moving car (No I wasn't driving)

Mum made it up onto The Coomb!

Breeze had been up to the top of Coomb Heights about 3 times by now, but she kindly stopped for long enough for a photo with her Grandma

Caldbeck on a Bank Holiday

We never go anywhere on a Bank Holiday, too many people about for our liking. But it's the Day after New Years day, so no hang over, it's a beautiful day for the first time for a while and we've had little opportunity to get out for a decent walk for a while. Christmas was far too windy to get on the fells (we opted for Greystoke Forest on Christmas day and did about 6 miles in there instead) and we won't have chance for a fell walk for a while with other things taking priority. So to avoid the crowds on the fells, we opted for an explore around some of the many paths around Caldbeck

Heading out of Caldbeck towards Parson's Park

We're following the River Caldew

Warnell Hall. Fancy living here? 

Across Denton Side

Beautiful, Beautiful day.

We walked about 6 miles and saw only one other couple (who didn't have a map so had to follow us for a while - idiots.)