Beacon Tarn in the Snow

Beacon Tarn is a lovely spot for a picnic in the summer - take a look at the picture of Mike and Donna in our Web Album but it is an altogether bleaker place at this time of year. Kath and I set off over the small wooden footbridge near Sunny Bank to complete a 7 mile round of the Blawith Fells taking in Beacon Tarn and Beacon Fell and I think by the time we got back to the car, we were both looking forward to the warmth of a log fire. There are a few more pictures here.

Levers Water View

Having enjoyed some brilliantly clear days recently I thought I would take the opportunity to snap a panoramic view from the top of Coniston Old Man. Unfortunately when I got to the parking area near the Walna Scar Road fell gate I could see that there were not going to be any views from the top. Never mind, I dropped the camera into the bag anyway and set off towards Prison Band via the Pudding Stone and Boulder Valley, taking this set of pictures from a small rocky knoll just North of Levers Water. (It works best if you expand it to the full screen view, drag it around with the mouse and zoom in a bit). After stopping to take the pictures I carried on up Swirl How and returned via an icy Brim Fell and Old Man, taking a direct line back down to the car. A breathtaking morning out, in more ways than one.

Navigation Training Weekend

We have just enjoyed a great weekend out on the hills with two fell runners from Lancashire. After a little while going through some basic techniques sitting around the kitchen table we spent a very windy Saturday afternoon on the Dunnerdale Fells using our maps and compasses to move from tarn to tarn and knoll to knoll.

On Sunday we headed to the opposite side of the Duddon Valley for a testing course over Whit Fell and Buckbarrow. The 5 mile route covered some pathless terrain on the way to the top of Whit Fell and then picked up some indistinct trails around Burn Moor to Buckbarrow. Sarah and Carly hit all five checkpoints with aplomb and I had the pleasure of running round in the background. I hope that you both found the weekend useful and can enjoy your fell running with a little more confidence.

WW Club on the Torver Horseshoe

We had a fantastic day out last weekend with the WW Club from Essex, who were enjoying a walking break at the Whitewater Hotel. We completed a circular route taking in Coniston Old Man, Dow Crag, Buck Pike and Brown Pike in temperatures which were positively balmy for November. The cloud cover broke for long enough for us to enjoy some big views from Goat's Hawse and Brown Pike but we will hope for even better luck next time so we get a view from the fell tops too!

Here is the group on the way down Torver High Common with our final summit of the day, Brown Pike, in the background - take a look at the rest of the pictures on our Web Album. If you would like to see the Sca Fell Range from the top of Coniston Old Man on a clear day, and ponder an unusual way of enjoying it, look here.

Mountain Biking near Hodge Close

Kath and I enjoyed a fantastic day out on the mountain bikes last Friday, starting at Tilberthwaite and linking together a number of tracks and trails in a 15 mile round trip. Here is Kath near High Oxen Fell and me getting wet at the ford near Blelham Tarn. I wasn't brave enough to try the bigger one near Slater Bridge in Little Langdale!

 

Well that's so nice to hear...

"I had a wonderful day today.  Mike and Donna were fantastic, they took account of my knee injury and not only made sure I was comfortable but also checked that I was getting the challenge I wanted.  I really enjoyed their company and look forward to booking another trip with them next time I visit the Lake District."

It was our pleasure! I hope that you enjoyed your bike ride with us as much as the walk on Hampsfell and we look forward to your next visit.

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.