Date & Time: Thursday 31st January 2008. 3.30 pm start.

Location of Start : Roadside, north of Low Rigg, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 306 240 )

Places visited : Tewet Tarn and Low Rigg.

Walk details : 1.86 mls, 375 ft of ascent, 1 hrs 20 mins.

Walked with : Ann and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Cold and very windy with wintery showers in evidence around us.

The footpath sign to St Johns in the Vale Church and Tewet Tarn

We parked just down the road on the wide bend.

The forecast and the reality, was strong winds and wintery showers.

The windproof down jackets last used in Alaska, came out of the cupboard a few days ago and were back in action again today.

Off-road parking for two cars but there were no queues to fill them today. It looks reasonable weather but there's a strong breeze blowing and the wind chill temperature must be below freezing. Clough Head in the background has a light dusting of snow, or more probably hailstones.

The black bags in the fields store grass cut in the late summer to be fed as silage to the cattle during this winter period.

The first field was full of sheep who, rather than run away, came over to see us and the dogs.

Behind is Lonscale and the more distant Skiddaw Little Man.

Ah ! . . . What they had seen was the farmer bringing them extra rations of food.

Blencathra looking cold and grey as we climb above the first field.

Tewet Tarn looking west to Robinson and Red Pike with sunshine over the coast.

No flat reflections today, just wind and waves and a couple of hardy ducks on the far side.

Did I say it was cold and windy ?

The prominent low ridge is Gategill Fell, the second of the five front spurs of Blencathra.

A close up on grey skies above Skiddaw Little Man and the path up from Gale Road.

The white buildings of Derwentfolds looking small under the towering crags of Lonscale Fell.

Great Calva comes into view as we climb above Tewet Tarn.

The ground is very wet here and boots were essential. In summer this can be a "trainer shoe walk".

Windometer Harry - trying to do an Angus, but without his extremely long winter coat.

Ann hanging onto the stile post as she crosses the fence.	The adjacent gate is locked but the mud looks rather deep anyway.

Our objective today was Low Rigg summit.

The high fells were out of bounds due to the conditions but even these low ones were made more difficult by the windy conditions.

" Made it Dad " . . . Low Rigg summit.

The summit of Helvellyn with a slight winter covering of snow and looking very cold today.

In the lea of high ground the wind dropped and standing still on the rock was easy for Bethan.

The fast changing skies above St Johns in the Vale.

Blue skies above wispy cirrus, bright white cumulonimbus and fast moving grey cumulus clouds.

Look again a minute later and it had all changed.

Blencathra with a hint of early evening sunset pinks.	North western fells and the source of that colour.

We reversed our route back from the summit, past the tarn and returned to the car.

The walk had been very windy but dry and we had been beautifully warm despite the conditions.

- - - o o o - - -

Someone once said . . . " There's no such thing as bad weather . . . just inappropriate clothing "

Now if we could just predict the conditions correctly every time we go out walking, things would be a lot easier !

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my Canon G7 or Ann's Ixus Digital cameras.

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

This site best viewed with . . . a cup of tea at Fornside Cottage.

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Previous walk - 30th January 2008 Allonby by the Sea

A previous time up here - 20th Oct 2007 Low Rigg, High Rigg & Carrot Cake