The sun shines and I improvise on walk 165

On the descent from Steel Fell. Helm Crag on the right, Grasmere ahead.

The murderous heatwaves being reported in Europe have not reached northern England as such, but certainly the weather is very fine at the moment and there was little excuse not to go out yesterday and bag two more fells on walk 165, namely one of the two High Raises (the one in the Central Fells) and nearby Steel Fell. I did this walk slightly differently than the normal pattern; instead of being on the 06:45 from home I left at the leisurely time of 09:40 and it was 13:00 before I began walking at Dungeon Ghyll. Most of the route and even the choice of fells was an on-the-spot improvisation. But it mostly worked, although the haul up High Raise is a little dull.

View to Thirlmere and (on right) Blencathra, from the summit of Steel Fell

Anyway, as usual there is plenty more informaion and photos on the walk 165 page. The walk also has the advantage of ending at one of the Lakes’ most pleasant pubs, the Travellers’ Rest.

As of today, then, I have bagged 207 of the 330 Wainwrights on my second round, leaving me 123 to go. I hope my next walk will be in around three weeks’ time, in mid-July.

Walk 164, the Fellbarrow range

The summit of Low Fell, loking towards Crummock Water

Early June 2019 has brought the fairly cruddy weather that is typical for the time of year in northern England, but yesterday, 18th June, promised bright clear conditions and did deliver them. So I used the opportunity to get out on wak 164 and bag a couple of the more peripheral Wainwrights, Fellbarrow and Low Fell, in the north-west corner of the Lake District. There is not much to these fells physically, but the views of the Crummock Water and Buttermere area are spectacular, and this walk also had a nice preamble, coming in from Cockermouth to the north along the valley of the river Cocker, and building up nicely to the ascent of the two fells after lunch. Read all about it and see more photos on the walk 164 page.

The ruin-with-a-view at Crosshill, on the northern slopes of Fellbarrow.

Somehow I feel I have entered the closing stages of the project but this is all illusion as I have at least two years’ worth of Lakeland walks to do yet. I have bagged 205 of the 330 Wainwrights in my second round and have 125 to go. I hope there will be another walk before June is out, though let’s see if the summer breaks out properly.