Ponderosa Café - 24 November

The café was a bit of a surprise but it shouldn't have been because it is something of a local legend. Not only does it provide free parking but it is on the tracks to both Moel y Gemelin and Cryn-y-Brain which is probably enough to excuse the mediocre coffee.

Ponderosa Cafe 

Ponderosa Cafe

From Moel y Gemelin

Moel y Gemelin

From Cyrn-y-Brain

Cyrn-y-Brain Trig Point

Hope Mountain - 24 November

Parking nearby seemed impossible until we realised the gate on the road to the radio masts was unlocked. Once there we were left with a 0.8 k round trip and a 12m climb all in glorious sunshine.

Holy Mountain Trig Point

Looking North from the summit

Winter Hill - 19 November

Gentle run with Pauline under gathering clouds, a little too late for the best of the sunshine.

From the far end of Burnt Edge Lane down through the woods and up passed the Trespass Stone to the Trig Point. Back down via the Two Lads to see the best of the light over Liverpool and the Lancashire coast.

Bench in the woods above Dean Brook

Summit Kissing Gate

Lift to the Mast

Rivington Pike

Two Lads at the Two Lads

Top Of Blaze Moss - 12 November

Under cloudless sky for a pleasant trot up the side of Langden Beck to rise before Langden Castle where we chose (badly) to cross the fence on a stile and make a bee-line for the ridge. This was an error because the ground and the vegetation are so bad but it did give us good views of Holdron Castle.

Once on the ridge at Holdron Moss the keen wind and waterlogged ground persuaded us to head for Top Of Blaze Moss rather than Hawthornthwaite Head. Descending to the Trough of Bowland Road directly into the Northwester convinced us that "enough is enough" and Whins Brow would still be there when we come back another day.

Above Langden Castle

Holdron Castle

Cartridge Hill - 29 October

On our third attempt (don't ask!) we finally reached the summit of Cartridge Hill which is a fairly uninteresting outlyer of Darwen Moor.

Well protected by peat bogs and more or less of paths it sits above the A66 with fine views all around. Today wasn't quite clear enough for the more distant views but those of Winter Hill made the short slog through the bogs worthwhile.

Winter Hill (i)

Winter Hill (ii)

Winter Hill (iii)

Wasdale - 22 October

Short walk with Joss and others following the JNLC Presentation Dinner last night. Conditions were better than expected and the rain didn't arrive until we were almost back at Greendale. A "water spout" (a small waterfall being blown upwards, back over the skyline) at the top of the screes suggested conditions were less benign higher up.

We stood at the end of the Lake for a minute's silence in memory of Monica Shone who contributed so much to the Joss Naylor Lakeland Challenge.

Wasdale

Pauline

Farm Machinery

Farm

Below Kinder - 18 October

A grand day out with Rae & Helen and Pip & Flossy. Up to Kinder Low and down to Brown Knoll to finish over Mount Famine

Kinder Low

Kinder Low

Kinder Low

Brown Knoll

Brown Knoll

Coldwell Clough

---

Derelict Farm near Kinder

Derelict Farm (i)

Derelict Farm (ii)

Derelict Farm (iii)

Derelict Farm (iv)

Derelict Farm (v)

Derelict Farm (vi)

Darwen Moor - 15 October

A couple of hours on Darwen Moor this afternoon when the light, especially above Winter Hill was wonderful.

The ground, away from the hard tracks, is pretty awful - West Pennine Moors' Bogs at their classic worst. On a fine afternoon it makes it a "Moor of Two Halves" - almost complete solitude on the bogs and hordes of people out enjoying themselves on the hard tracks.

We are fortunate to have these moors to close at hand and to be able to enjoy unhindered.

Winter Hill

Ruins

Winter Hill (ii)

Muddy Track

Another Muddy Track

Bench

Strolling

Borrowdale - 07 October

High Spy, Low Scawdel (Sy), Nitting Hawes (Sy), High Crags (Sy), Castle Crag

From Rosthwaite up through the quarries to High Spy summit which wasn't a pleasant place to be in the wind and rain and we were happy to be heading towards Low Scawdel and down out of the wind. Low Scawdel summit was below the cloud base and enjoyed some views of Derwent Water and back up into Borrowdale.

On to Nitting Hawes which provided enough shelter from the wind for an early lunch before climbing back to the ridge after remarking how long it has been since we were out in conditions like these - another aspect of being spoiled in retirement!

On down the ridge and round the summit of Maiden Moor before turning for High Crags. A bit beyond the path the fell came into view and an "old friend" it turned out to be. I guess marshalling on the Teenager With Altitude and the Anniversary Waltz fell races I have walked up to and along the main ridge towards High Spy plenty of times and on many occasions have wondered about the hill off the ridge looking down Newlands Valley. It always seemed a fair way off the ridge (which it is), a fair bit below the ridge (which it is) and fairly isolated (which it is) but High Crags is well worth visiting for the views.

Back to the Catbells ridge and down to Grange for a coffee before heading back up the valley and over Castle Crag for a final look at Borrowdale before descending to the FRCC hut in Rosthwaite.

Setting Out

That Sort of Day

Catbells

Newlands Valley

Grange Church

From Castle Crags

From Castle Crags

From Castle Crags as the clouds are lifting

Wythburn Fells - 06 October

Birk Crag (Sy) & Wythburn Fell (B, Sy)

The late start didn't seem like a problem at this stage because I estimated an hour from the car park by Thirlmere to reach Middle How at the head of Wythburn, perhaps a little longer, and about the same back.

After Birk Crag slow going and very soft ground meant it took us about an hour to get halfway to Middle How and left no option other than to turn back for Wythburn Fell. Slightly frustrating because Middle How is fairly isolated and also because we have both run and walked passed it a dozen times or more but it'll be there for the next time.