Date & Time: 8th Feb. 2006, 3pm start.

Occasion : An afternoon walk with Ann to Bleaberry Fell via Walla Crag, Cumbria Uk.

Location & starting point : Road end (almost) beyond Castlerigg Camp site (NY 283 223) overlooking Keswick.

Walk details : 4.75 mls 1600 ft of ascent. 2 hrs 40min

Weather : A fine day, good viz, but high cloud base.

The start of the walk and Ann pauses to look back at Skiddaw as we start our climb up the path above the farm.

Our walk today was up Walla Crag overlooking Keswick, and then hopefully on to Bleaberry Fell and home before dusk.

Keswick, Bassenthwaite Lake and Scotland from the walk to Walla Crag.

Skiddaw's Little Dodd is the fell rising to the right.

A Walla Crag panorama, from Derwent Water round to Clough Head

Click here or on the picture for a full size panorama.

High Spy, Maiden Moor and Hindscarth	Catbells, Causey Pike and Grisedale Pike

Two views from Walla Crag.

A third, looking south into the high fells

Kings How is the darker fell in the middle distance, Gable appearing the highest, with the Scafells in the centre.

The weather was on our side even though time may have been a bit on the tight side. Time enough to go for Bleaberry, the summit partially hidden behind the tree.   Yesterday it was blowing a south westerly force five or six and raining. Today the cold front has moved through, the temperature had dropped, the north westerly air was clear and the cloud high. The weather is building again for a winter high pressure, but it is not predicted to be as persistent as the one of the last few weeks which gave us calm winds and cloud inversions. At least there should be little chance of rain.

The walk above Brown Knotts was sheltered from the cool breeze

so Ann stops to pack away her windproof.

The path up here is another of the mechanically engineered type.

Good drainage and a stoney surface makes for easy walking once we passed that last sheepfold.

On the last part of the climb, the path has been cleverly pitched and is blending in well.

Walking up these paths is a delight. (walking down isn't quite so easy on the legs though !)

Harry claiming the high ground, with the Helvellyn Ridge and Steel Fell in view behind.

The elongated summit also has a small stone shelter. This was curved to keep out most winds, but it was open to the north and was rather cool today. Still we hadn't planned to stop for long.

The high fells at about 3000 ft and the clouds at about 4000 ft leaves a small gap for the late afternoon sun to penetrate.

On the way back down now, and the sun is starting to add colour to the surrounding hill tops.

Scotland to the north, and the Pennines to the east, were enjoying full sun compared to the central Lakes.

Looking down on Derwent Water at Lodore

from the Brown Crags area.

"Sun burst"

as the setting sun shown for a few minutes in the clear gap beneath the high cloud.

Evening light catches the Bleaberry Fell summit

as we make our way back.

"Study in yellow"

of the north western fells

Keswick was starting to prepare for the evening

as we passed Walla Crag on our return.

- - - 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 . . .waterproof boots for that first section of the climb towards Brown Crags !

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