" Alexander Cantelo's Mellbreak Walk "

Date & start time: 4th April 2012, m start.

Location of Start : The red phone box, Loweswater , Cumbria, Uk ( NY 143 211 )

Places visited : Kirk Head Farm, Mellbreak and back.

Walk details : 3.5 mls, 1400 ft of ascent, 3 hr 15 mins.

Highest point : Mellbreak north top 1654 ft - 509 m.

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

Weather : Beautifully sunny, fluffy white clouds, slightly cold when in the breeze.

Our youngest grandson has reached the grand young age of seven years old

and following the visit to Camberley he has travelled back with us for a week's holiday in the Lakes.

Plenty to do till his Mum arrives later in the week . . . she'll be here in time for the Easter weekend.

The last walk we did up Hen Comb was a "sunscreen and tee-shirts" walk.

What is this in the air . . . a full on blizzard.

Shortly before dusk the snow was settling and the colours of the valley were changing back to those of winter.

Hours later it was still snowing . . . would it be snowmen or just snowballs in the morning ?

The high fells were well covered but the valley has retained the heat of the last week

and therefore by the morning the snow was beginning to melt rather than cover the landscape.

Hen Comb was looking nice . . . its white mantle set against a grey sky.

Black Crag behind the Church was looking decidedly white.

We had a busy morning at home . . . and as time went on the weather was improving nicely.

- - - o o o - - -

After lunch it was check out the smaller sizes of fellwalking equipment and lets get out for a walk

Where do you want to go today Alexander ? 

Mellbreak . . . starting at the red phone box in Loweswater !

Plenty of time to look around and enjoy the view . . . up the valley to Robinson Fell.

Spring has sprung and the May blossom is starting to show in the hedges.

We walk up past the farm . . . and at the top of the lane find sheep on the other side of the gate.

Raymond and his grandson are gathering some of the sheep from the open fell.

There are a number of youngsters amongst the flock.

Expertly guided through the gate.

They forgot to round this one up . . . . Oh . . . that's Harry !

Residual snow in the bracken makes a few snowballs . . .	. . . I seem to be the target again.

[ Spot the 'ball in each photo ]

Alexander ventures out into the north-easterly breeze to get a view of the cottage from the corner.

Looking north along the length of Loweswater.

Alexander was pleased to see Scotland . . . " less than an hour away " across the Solway.

You can take the path  . . .	. . . or you can enjoy a short scramble.

Either way we gain height quickly as we climb the northern end of Mellbreak.

Views today across to Whiteside, Hopegill and Grasmoor are superbly clear.

Must have the one from the 'surprise view' on the way up.

That looks like a little Smartwool Man under there Hi Alexander !

Dragon's teeth . . . no, but it is cold enough for icicles.

Ann nearing the top of Mellbreak

. . . but Alexander is there first.

Time for a well earned chocolate biscuit and a look around.

That's Scotland over there.

. . . and that's Low Fell . . . that looks big from our kitchen window.

Behind them are the high central fells.

The snow is nearly gone off Robinson that we saw earlier, but the distant tops are still white.

Zooming in on Fleetwith Pike.

The whitest of the fells on the left will be High Raise which overlooks the distant Langdale Valley away to the south.

Green Gable and Great Gable with rocky little Haystacks in front.

High Stile and the snow covered slopes of Red Pike.

Harry stops for a photo . . .

. . . Bethan is ready to go after her turn in front of the lens.

Alexander wanted to find " Tom's Pool " as he had seen the photo in the cottage.

Ann tests out the depth of the pool that her other grandson loves so much.

Hold your cursor over the picture to get her to check the depth.

We continue along the central part of the fell, walking parallel to the Mosedale Valley.

The bright sunshine was reflecting in the beck, causing a silver streak to form far below.

Time to be dropping down ourselves.

Below is the Floutern Valley, the marshy ground beneath Great Borne and the Mosedale Holly in solitary splendour.

We take the sheep track that traverses slowly down.

It starts with an airy crossing of the head of a dry ravine . . . hold tight for a minute till we've passed it.

"Are you taking a picture of me or Alexander ? "

The screes successfully traversed, we're on the home straight, dropping down the grassy fell side.

Looks like they may have missed these two earlier.

Almost down to the woods and the firebreak again.

Softer late afternoon light as we end the walk . . . Mellbreak never fails to please.

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Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Fuji Finepix Compact or my Canon G10/1100D camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . A fine moon to bring the afternoon to a close.

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Previous walk - 31st March 2012 Jack Cantelo's 18th Dinner

A previous time up here - 2nd June 2011 Mellbreak with the Family

Next walk - 5th April 2012 Alexander, local and Low Fell