Saddleback

Molly is coming with us today, so our route is chosen to suit her. We very rarely venture onto the really popular fells, because we would much rather see no-one else on our walks than join with the crowd. However, it is a bit unfair on Jay to ignore them completely, so we decide to pop onto Blencathra before the real tourist season gets underway

The most Molly friendly way up we decided, was up Blease Fell. It also provides cracking views each time you pause for breath. Tewet Tarn and High Rigg seen here in the middle of St John in the Vale

Derwentwater appears

Keswick comes into view, this side of Derwentwater

Zooming in

Pausing for breath on Knowe Crags

Lonscale Fell (behind Breeze) with Skiddaw beyond

The distinctive Saddle

The tarn between HallsFell top and Atckinson Pike. Guess who wants a swim?

After stopping for lunch on Foule Crag, we head over Mungrisdale Common

Famed for its bogs!

Molly has a roll, thankfully not in anything smelly!

Heading for Roughten Gill

and back along the Balcony

Around 7.5 miles and other than on the top of Blencathra, we didn't see anyone else. Now that is pretty unbelievable!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

A short walk is needed today as Breeze has a Doctors appointment first thing. I fancy a trip down to Borrowdale before the Herdwick Hoggs go back out onto the fell and too many tourists appear. I'm not sure how many times I will have walked here, but it will be a big number! All our family holidays were at Rosthwaite and the first walk we used to do each holiday was Castle crag.

Today we parked in Rosthwaite village and walked past Yew Tree Farm to New Bridge, seen here up ahead

Looking back across Rosthwaite on our way up

The Zigzags come into view

Nearly there

Derwentwater from the summit. We weren't the only ones up here today

Lunch with a view

We decided to follow the Allerdale Ramble round High Doat, the small fell seen in the foreground here

Looking back at Castle Crag, the little fell in the middle with trees on

Nearly back to Rosthwaite and we cross the bridge by the youth hostel. I can remember Alison and I used to come down here to play in the river

That's the spot!

Gillercombe House, the white one on the right. That's where it all started - and it's still run by the same lady today as it was all those years ago.

5.75 miles, a red squirrel and our first cuckoo of the year. Not bad for a short outing.

Bothy Birthday

Our friend Joan has a significant birthday and we have been invited to join in her celebrations. We leave the car at Waterend at the house of John and Rosemund at 10am and wander through Holme Woods to the Loweswater Bothy, where coffee and cakes and some of our companions for the next 12 hours were gathering

Joan had organised picnic lunch for everyone, we just had to pack it up ourselves. The Bothy kitchen has been decorated for the occasion

Joan and four others had spent the night at the bothy (and were spending tonight there too)

There is not a cloud in the sky and the view from the bothy is promising us a splendid day as we set of to High Nook farm to join the Coffin Route

Crossing High Nook Beck

We stop for lunch near Fangs Brow and after a leisurely picnic, John gives us our orders for the rest of the afternoon. There are three options, the shortest route goes straight back to the bothy from here, there is a mid length and then a longer route.

Having only lost two of the group on the shortest option, we make our way to Graythwaite, the home of John and Judy. A handy comfort break before we carry on up the fellside. The middle group will leave us shortly while the A team carry on up Darling Fell

Waving goodbye as we turn left off the Mosser road to head up the fell

The Isle of Man is visible in the far distance as we reach the summit of Darling Fell

If you look REALLY closely in this picture,you will see a cloud. That's the only one we saw all day!

From Darling Fell we had dropped down to Crabtree beck and then walked round through the disused quarry to rejoin the Mosser road

Back up the Mosser road briefly and we then drop down to the road and across to Hudson Place to walk back around the top end of Loweswater

And back to the Bothy for tea and more cake!

Meanwhile the others have been getting ready for tonight's celebrations

Before long the canapes and drinks start to flow (can canapes flow?)

John and Rosemund arrive in style from their house at the far end of the lake. Breeze wasn't too sure about their mode of transport

John tries hard to organise us all for a group photo

And the evening continues with good (hot!) food, plenty to drink and non stop chatter and laughter

However good an organiser Joan is (and she is famed for it), even she couldn't have wished to arrange weather this good. It had been scorching all day, and through the evening the breeze dropped as the light faded to give the most amazing reflections 

Thank you Joan, it was a perfect occasion. We walked 9.5 miles, excluding to and from the Bothy.