Parking at the finger post in High Lorton . . . room for two or three cars.

She's staying at the cottages below and this is a favourite walk of hers each holiday.

Two thirds of today's walking group, plus Dougal . . . Dylan is relaxing at home.

We headed up the farm track across the fields, the long distance views improving as we gained height.

	- - - o o o - - -   Another two-thirds view of the group this time of Loes and I, photo by Debbie of course.   - - - o o o - - -   The views of Lorton Valley from up here were lovely today. Click here or on the photo above for a larger annotated panorama.   - - - o o o - - -

The wooded slopes of Harrot Fell,

more recognisable when seen from the north as it has a phone and TV mast on the other side.

Mellbreak, Low Fell and Fellbarrow on the far side of the Lorton Valley

with the village of Lorton and the large white houses of Lorton Hall below.

- - - o o o - - -   Through a gate and out onto the fellside . . .   We had the option of two routes, left or right and we decided to take the wrong one unfortunately.   We were hoping it would give us an alternative ascent route so that we could return by the path Debbie knew of old.   This good looking path however, did give us brilliant views across the valley which is why we probably took it.   - - - o o o - - -

The well made track took us up towards High How, a promontory more often seen from the Whinlatter road.

It has been re-planted with trees in recent years which may account for the good track.

The route topped the rise and then started to head down the other side, into the Whinlatter Valley.

Great views as we parted company with the track and headed more directly up the fell.

The distant two peaks are Whinlatter's Brown How and Grisedale Pike.

- - - o o o - - -   The paths took us up the fellside with renewed confidence.   Below us was the farms of Scales and Boonbeck which together looked a lot bigger than they do from the road.   In the group of trees to the right (with a white square object) is their trout pond.  They used to offer fly-fishing there but I'm not certain whether they still do that now.     - - - o o o o - - -

There's a path going this way !	The sheep that made it . . . must have been lost too !!

Eventually we did make it up to a higher path that seemed to follow an abandoned wall.

As you can see from the slope, we had moved around the fell to the steepest part where paths were basically non-existant.

We followed the horizontal wall for a short while but it was going nowhere	. . . this was the picture of Debbie making her descent from on high.

Re-tracing our steps back along the lower fell track, passing High How

and curling back around the fell till our views forward were once again of Cockermouth and the distant Solway.

We'd had a great walk but didn't make the summit, but no matter

We'd re-united a lost lamb with its mother and returned to the valley after a lovely walk.

Too early to adjourn to the pub . . . anyway Debbie was offering coffee and biscuits . . . who needs a beer !