Date & start time: Saturday 19th December 2009. 1 pm start from Penrith

Location : Penrith Railway Station, then by car back to Keswick and Loweswater.

Places visited : Pooley Bridge, Aira Force, Kirkstone Pass, Ambleside and back via Keswick.

Walk details : Several small local walks to see the sights.

Highest point : Meeting new friends as arranged . . . despite the weather.

Walked with : Nicole, myself (Ann) and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Cold and overcast turning snowy in the South Lakes but rain over the North Lakes.

We have Nicole, the granddaughter of Jack and Joan Westcott (two of our Australian Loweswatercam viewers) staying for the weekend.

Ann arranged to meet her at Penrith Station but rather than return straight home

she diverted to show her some of the wintry beauty of the Eastern Lake District.

Pooley Bridge and the Ullswater Steamer Pier, taken at lunchtime.

Harry and Bethan with Nicole in tow.	Cold, icy conditions in the valley leading to the falls.

Nicole and I stopped off half way down Ullswater to visit the waterfall at Aira Force.

Before starting our walk we warmed up with delicious soup in the Tearoom adjacent to the car park.

The part frozen falls from below . . .	. . . and above

The spray from the waterfall has frozen in the cold air of recent days and coated the walls at the side of the falls.

Some of the plants higher up are coated with a thick hoar frost and what ice has fallen in the water has been trapped

and forms a thick ice coating on the pool below the viewing platform.

Wintry skies as we climb up out of the valley and make our way back to the car.

After driving down through Glenridding and Patterdale we start the ascent of Kirkstone Pass.

This is the Brothers Water Hotel (and campsite) with views across to High Hartsop Dodd and cloud covered Dove Crag.

At the top of the pass it had been snowing for a while and conditions were definitely wintry.

Back down at Lake level we visited the boat landings at Waterhead on Windermere.

There's more snow here at lake level than there was at the other side of Kirkstone Pass.

The ticket office and one of the ferries moored up for the day.

A misty Loughrigg Fell in the distance beyond the piers.

Water levels are back to normal levels after the recent rains.

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As we drove north over Dunmail Raise the weather changed and instead of snow we had rain . . . isn't the weather strange.

The Moot Hall, Keswick and the Christmas lights are on as the market winds down at the end of the day.

Not having to worry about the conditions on a snow-less Whinlatter pass we had time to call in and see Roger at Fishers,

and enjoy another Abraham's Cafe snack upstairs . . . mmmm !

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Technical note: Pictures taken with Ann's Canon 75 digital camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . A pot of tea and Mulled Apple Juice at Fisher's.

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Previous walk - 14th to 16th Dec 2009 Rannerdale and Cockermouth

A previous time up here - 14th February 2009 An OFC Walk around Gowbarrow and Aira Force

Next walk - 20th Dec 2009 Did someone say it was snowing ?