Oak Cottage - Loweswater

Retreat to the quiet of the Western Lakes

The Cottage, and  the view up the Buttermere Valley
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Date : Thursday 27th October 2005

Location : Rannerdale and High Snockrigg Fell, Buttermere in Cumbria, UK.

Occasion : Two walks on a late summer day, one with a group of ten and the second one by myself.

Walk details : 4.8 mls 1200 ft of ascent, and 2.5 miles and 1400 ft of ascent on the second walk.

Weather : A brilliant clear blue sky day to cheer the half tern visitors and locals alike.

Picture of a "local" . . . .

Today I have volunteered my services to the National Park as a second for a guided walk up Rannerdale. After a prolonged spell of unsettled and often very wet and windy weather, today dawned fine with a pink sunrise still evident at 8 ish when the alarm woke me from my slumbers and the kettle sang as it brewed me the ingredients for a fine cup of tea.

The walk started from the Fish Hotel at 10 am and followed the guided walk route we took back in August.

A group of nine visitors joined Peter and myself for the walk.

Rannerdale looking down to Crummock and Loweswater.

As I had not carried the camera in the morning photos were naturally limited (!) but our route took us up and along Rannerdale Knotts (above) and back down Rannerdale Valley (in the shadow to its right), around the far end and returning via the lakeside below Wood House and the head of Crummock.

After lunch the weather was still fine so I collected the camera and the dogs and went for an extra walk up the wonderfully named High Snockrigg behind Buttermere village.

 

Inside St James's Church in Buttermere is the memorial window to Alfred Wainwright of course.

To the left, the delightful wrought iron screen which acts as an outer door of the porch of the Church.

High Snockrigg looks down on the village and after leaving the church

I set off up the skyline using the zig-zag path just visible to the left above the shadows.

The Church, resplendent in the afternoon sun.

 

Still a focal point as I climbed higher

leaving the road and climbing up through the cut and cleared bracken on the hillside.

Climbing higher, just before I joined the main path that

had come up from the Newlands Road parking area.

Harry and Bethan

Grasmoor and Whiteless Pike are the two fells in the background.

   
The tree is devoid of leaves after the recent poor weather

Beautifully clear air and excellent visibility as I looked across to the north western fells.

(l to r) Low Fell (beyond the lake) Grasmoor with Whiteless in front of it, Wandope prominent in the centre, Eel Crags and Sail, with Ard Crags the lower green ridge in the foreground.

The high ground reached, and the main climb done, I was presented with a fine view of the north western face of Robinson,

every detail picked out in the afternoon sun.

Click here or on the picture for a larger combined panorama from High Snockrigg

The dark shadowy mass of Honister and Fleetwith Pike

across the small tarns on the Buttermere Moss.

The clear blue sky was filling with cloud to the south

and presented Green and Great Gable with a dramatic backcloth of white.

Into the sun (always a gamble photographically)

The peak of High Stile with High Crag to the left.

A walk along the ridge of High Snockrigg brought me views down to Buttermere Village and Crummock Water, and further round to the left, Buttermere itself.

The climb has been a warm one, and the air was warm too, so a walk along the top in the slight breeze was very refreshing.

The dogs had run and played the whole way but now it was time to retrace our steps back to village, catch the shop for a Buttermere Ice cream before they closed and get back home for tea.

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon IXUS 400 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed . . . with a few more sunny days like this one.

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