Whit Fell in Mist

Julian ran it on the Friday and said it was nice, with lovely views and mostly dry, although it’s known to be swampy. What a difference the next day when I turned up, it had rained all night and it was still raining when I parked up and ate some food.

I started at Black Beck which was moving rapidly, across Thwaites Fell towards Plough Fell but I decided to stay along the wall and crags as it was quite steep and slow going. I wanted to go round Whitfell and climb it from the other side after I’d attempted Stainton Pike. What loomed in front of me next was a raging river, Julian jumped over it the day before, but I was a bit scared of falling in as it would have dragged me down I’m sure.

I was getting hungry and didn’t want to sit in the rain and wind to eat so I found a perfect spot by a crag, room for one lucky me. If the rain wasn’t bad enough I had the mist too which unlike Julian on his run there were no lovely views to be seen, just whiteness all around. I plodded on - I like the rain honest, and it’s behind me! I could see the outline of Whitfell, within a few steps it had disappeared. I arrived at the tarn below Stainton Pike I then turned round to head back. OMG the wind and rain that had been behind me hit me in the face. Compass, mist, map and rain on I go to Whitfell, did I really bypass it to now go against the elements, eh yes.

I took my last picture here as I moved the weather got very heavy, wind, mist and rain. On to find Burn Moor just a little raise, not much of a fell nearly missed it well I did I run back to it just so I could set the compass, what with it being misty and me on my own. Buck Barrow suddenly loomed up in front of me; this is quite a rocky fell, which normally I would just skip over it but being safety conscious I tip toed over it, to know where you are despite the very poor visibility is an amazing feeling. With about a mile to go I set off and soon enough I thought I could see the white car, so I started to run towards it, but it was a SHEEP! I didn’t see the real car until I was nearly on top of it. I was drenched but I had a great adventure.