Date : Saturday 21st January 2006, 2.30pm start.

Location : Dale Head from Honister Hause, Cumbria, Uk.

Occasion : A walk with Jill Rowland, Ann and myself, plus the dogs.

Walk details : 2 1/4 miles. 1300 ft of ascent, Time 2 hrs - didn't rush it !

Weather : A cool day, a slight breeze, but much warmer on the walk than we expected. A clear day but overcast, with interesting clouds effects later.

 

 

 

 

We planned a shorter afternoon walk from Honister Quarries up onto Dale Head.

To get there we drove up the Buttermere Valley, but today there was no breeze in the valley and consequently no ripples on the lake. As a result the roadside views demanded our attention even before we started the out onto the fells.

   
Burtness Comb and Comb Beck
The Buttermere Pines and Haystacks

Buttermere Lake reflecting the beauty of the surroundings.

No apologies for the duplication of subject.

Fine reflections of the hills and the wintry sky.

Looking down the lake from the same spot, with Melbreak in the distance.

 

Our walk started from the National Trust car park and followed the fence line up.

A short diversion across the stile gave us this fine view down Honister northern valley, Gatesgarth Dale.

Climbing steadily, we pass these smaller old quarry workings on the Borrowdale side of the fence.

 

The first sign of high clouds touching the tops as we first lose Bowfell and then Esk Pike.

but the wispy cloud was moving fast as it covered and then cleared the Scafells.

Onward and upward. Jill surveys the route ahead.

Do we really have to climb up there ?

The cool evening air brings western cloud in over the Black Sail Pass and Scarth Gap.

Fleetwith Pike is the darker peak in the middle distance.

A spider's web of cloud passes slowly over Brandreth.

Click here or on the photo for a full panorama.

Ann and Jill, Harry and Bethan on the summit of Dale Head.

Looking north down Newlands Valley from Dale Head.

Skiddaw in the distance, and the valley itself, has a totally different colour, a blue haze in the last of the afternoon light.

Turning to leave, the sun has lost all its heat and is setting fast.

Beautiful contrasting shades of light as we look south this time. The darkness emphasised by the camera perhaps.

The cloud reflecting the last colours of the sun

as it sets behind the High Stile Ridge.

Two early evening fell walkers.

 

Red Sky at night - ok it was about 4 pm.

Click here or on the photo for a full panorama.

Last of the colour as the sun sets over the quarry's JCB !

Ok - It's a man's thing - JCBs

Time now to make our way to Rosthwaite to meet Lin and Chris for a beer.

- - - o o o - - -

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 . . . with a pint in the Riverside Bar of the Scafell Hotel !

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