Hiley Website

Jo is over from her caravan near Ullswater and Mike and Ian from their place in Seascale

and after lunch we all pile in one car for a short drive down the Lorton Valley to climb Hopegill's Dodd Fell.

It's an unfrequented fell for Jo and Ian and a new one for Mike.

We vary the route today so that it is fresh for us too after our recent walk up Hopegill Valley itself.

The assembled crowd . . . Ann is photographer in chief today as I decided to go camera-free for the day.

	If you followed our walk eleven days ago you may have remembered the frogs spawn on the flooded path at the start of the walk. Today the tadpoles have hatched and grown, swimming around in their little pool. [ The blue is reflected sky . . . I had to cast my shadow over the picture to see anything, instead of the more normal efforts to keep my shadow out.]

We walk up the main valley path, climbing up as Hope Gill falls away beside us.

Before we reached the sheepfold at the top we crossed the valley and joined a sheep track through the heather,

that climbs diagonally towards the hause behind Dodd Fell.

What do photographers do when they haven't got a camera.

[ Hold your cursor over the picture to see.]

The narrow gap between Dodd and the Whiteside Ridge has a rocky outcrop on one side

and we climb up through the loose slate that has naturally fallen from the crags.

Hopegill Head behind us . . . and the path from the hause up onto the Whiteside Ridge can be seen on the other slope.

The steepest part of the climb over and we near the heather clad summit of Dodd.

Ian's out ahead and his brother Mike checks the view left up the Lorton Valley before continuing on.

A wider shot looking back as we climb . . . with Ladyside and Hopegill Head to the left, Loweswater to the right.

The path from the hause up onto the Whiteside Ridge is much clearer now.

I bend down, probably to repair the summit cairn

while the others look out and enjoy the view of the Loweswater Fells, then Low Fell and Fellbarrow on the other side of the Lorton valley.

Don't you agree that Dodd has a much better, more defined summit once again ?

The narrow edge of the upright stone faces into the prevailing breeze so hopefully it may stay in place for a while.

The lads discuss the surrounding fells . . . Which one . . . that one . . . which one . . . that one . . .

[ Hold your cursor over the picture to see the conversation ]

Harry has seen it all before, he just smiles at his Mum !

From the top you get a great view north to Scotland

but you can't quite see the whole of the valley below due to the extended shoulder . . .

. . . so we walk over to the northern end to where there is a lower viewpoint cairn.

[ This is actually the cairn marked on the map and is a great place to take in the whole view.]

A slight rebuilding of the cairn to replace the fallen stones and a quick photo . . .

. . . and we're off, around the fell this time, looking for a lower escape route down.

A sheep track leads round the edge of the lower summit area . . . nice views ahead once again.

Hey Ian . . . you can see the sheepfold from here !

Then it is a zig-zag route down the more gentle slope

but it is a 'pick your own route down through the heather' sort of descent.

Soon we're out onto grass once more and I go across for a photo with a foreground feature.

The others took a more direct route down . . . this is the second sheepfold they've avoided today . . . it is becoming a habit.

Walking the grass slopes with the backdrop of the steeper slopes of Dodd.

The cairn we reached is out of sight above, but the small crag half way up is the highest point of the Loweswater Show Fell Run

Some competitors have run up to this point and back to the show ground, way down in the valley, in a record time of 23 minutes.

Look Ian . . . another sheepfold . . . but this is the one we passed on the way up the valley so you've already done this one.

Now to find a place to cross the beck without getting wet.

Logistics sorted and everyone across with only one slightly wet foot between the five of us.

Just the short path back to the tadpoles and the car and we're done.

A celebratory drink of water, or is that an unspecified sugary energy drink, after a successful walk.

. . . and from the car, if you look carefully, you can see the viewpoint cairn once again !

- - - o o o - - -

There have been some lovely days in the last week . . . so I'll just add a few pictures from both of us in here if I may.

This was last Sunday on a local walk to give the dogs some exercise.

The Buttermere Valley with Crummock Water from our short ascent to the pine tree.



Ten days ago we had a pink sunset . . .	. . . a few nights ago it was more yellow.

Looking out of our bedroom window at 'Yellowside' and Grasmoor.

. . . every few minutes the colour changed.

. . . becoming a richer, deeper orange now.

. . . until it closed in a glorious display of pinks.

- - - o o o - - -

Sunset is getting on for eight o'clock in the evening now and the days are really stretching out.

It will be time to plan out some of my seedlings from the greenhouse soon.

- - - o o o - - -


Remember: Press F11 for a full screen view of this page.