Gowbarrow with Ed and Gerda

It's Ed and Gerda's final week of their holiday and the weather is still fabulous. Having conquered their first mountain last time we walked together, they are keen to do another. One of the best local walks to take visitors has to be this one.

As usual we parked at Parkgate, crossed Aira beck and headed for the hills. As usual Breeze and Donna Summer were out in front!

Breeze has been giving her feet a fair hammering just lately and although they are well healed, they are unlikely to have hardened off sufficiently to stand a walk such as this, It's fairly hard going most of the way, so she's got two boots on today.

It's hot work this morning. Abbygail keeps close to the humans while the other two entertain themselves

Such an amazing day. It's been fab all week but this is 1st October for godness sake

Ed and Gerda with Donna (left) and Abbygail on the summit of Gowbarrow! That's Little Mell Fel behind them where Breeze and I were yesterday.

Family portrait

From the summit we dropped down to the shooting lodge and then made our way round the terraced path. Breeze waits (for a change) for the others who are just appearing round the corner (middle of picture)

Lunch with a view

Donna finds a heather pillow for a lunchtime power nap

We had heard the Ullswater hunt and spotted them in the distance while we were having lunch, suddenly we were joined by a stray hound! She quickly heard the horn blow and made her way down to the rest of them over in Swinburn's Park

Then we walked on to the Memorial seat. Breeze never misses a photo opportunity!

Breeze and Abby sharing a tender moment on the bench!

Abbygail

This had to be one of my favourite views

The dogs cool down at the bottom of Aira Force before we make our way up past the falls

Before the short walk back across the field to the cars

What an amazing day. 5.4 miles and it was hot, hot, hot! Hard work for people who spend 49 weeks of the year in Holland on the level!


Once home we had some really sad news. One of our friends tragically passed away in the early hours of the morning. She was my age, fit and health and lived locally in the most beautiful place on earth. One of our regular Wednesday Night crowd, Anne appeared on this Blog a couple of years ago when we did a short walk together with her and her beloved dog Splodge. That walk is here if you care to look. A tragic waste of life.

A Little Walk up Little Mell

It's been an amazing week of weather and we are planning to walk with Ed and Gerda tomorrow, but I can't let another glorious day slip past without getting on the fells. So having had a warm up at pilates this morning, it's time to get the walking boots out. Husband is busy painting benches and doesn't want to miss the opportunity to get them finished, so it's just me and Mummy's Little Princess and it's just a very quick walk up Little Mell Fell

As mad as ever

Blencathra across the A66

Littl Mell Summit

Too many to mention, but Ullswater and beyond

I knew it was worth keeping all those British Sugar clothes!

And relax..................................

A Trip To The Dentist

We frequently remind ourselves how lucky we are to live in the (in our opinion) most beautiful place in the country. Never do we feel it more than when we go to visit our dentist in Keswick. In our previous life, I would have been going to Newark and Husband Lincoln for a 6 monthly check up. I don't think either of us would have bothered to take the dog with us!

Wildlife

One of our regular visitors sunning himelf!

Skiddaw and Sale How

What a glorious morning for a walk. Jay hasn't been up Skiddaw before so I have had it in the back of my mind to rectify that for a while, but we were leaving it till silly season was over. There is never a really quiet time on fells as popular as Skiddaw - that's why we rarely go up them. But sometimes you've just got to bite the bullet and accept that you are going to see other people out there!

We parked at the Latrigg carpark and made our way up the motorway. We were lucky, there were a couple ahead of us and a group of about three behind, but the couple ahead kept up a decent pace and the ones behind stayed well behind. Everyone we met coming the other way was pleasant, so actually we didn't mind seeing them!

It was promising to be a glorious day with some very atmospheric clouds

Keswick, Derwent Water with the distinctive Catbells beyond. The higher fells still have an eerie layer of cloud clinging to the tops

Zooming in on Catbells

As we gain height you can see our planned descent route. We will cross Sale How - the grassy lump in the middle - from left to right dropping down the far side of it to Skiddaw House

The summit of Skiddaw - still in cloud, which it was for most of the day. We didn't have to drop far before we walked back into sunshine

Heading for Sale How - spot the dog!

Lunchtime power nap

The Lunchtime view

You can write your own caption for this.................

Mummy's Little Princess

Molly is keen. This must be her longest walk yet. I wonder if she is the first blind dog to walk up Skiddaw?

That's Lonscale Crags behind Breeze (the pointy bit). Our return route is round half of the Balcony Route which passes under there

Skiddaw House in the trees ahead

I just can't help myself!

On the Balcony

On the last bit of the Cumbria way as we head to the car

By our standards we saw a lot of people today, but actually for such a popular fell we didn't do too badly and without fail everyone was very friendly. It's certainly a better kind of tourist at this time of year!
Just short of 10 miles and it was absolutely perfect weather again - apart from the summit of Skiddaw, but that really didn't matter, it just added to the atmosphere with clouds blowing around.