Heading over Honister Pass on what was forecasted to be a grey day, however the company will be great and the Cumbrian Fells unchanging

apart from the surprises they offer due to the slightly different of weather you experience each time you visit.

Our walking group today . . . Myself Sue, Peter, Richard, Julie, Chris and Pip.

Pip is just back from a hospital visit so will not be on the big walk . . . instead she'll take a gentle stroll in the valley and see us all later.

[ Loes and Dylan are back home in Loweswater today, each looking after the other.]

- - - o o o - -

A brief glimpse back across the river at the old fish farm (note the concrete tanks) that used to offer Borrowdale Trout for sale.

The weather forecast was pretty accurate by the look of the low cloud base today.

Conditions were generally dry but the path rocky and needed care as ever.

A ladder stile at the corner of an old wood, as the path gradually leaves the river and heads on up the fell.

Borrowdale of course has the highest rainfall in England due to its proximity to the high fells

and with the rains of the last month the conditions underfoot are damp and consequently the rocks quite slippery.

In the background is the twisting Borrowdale Valley with Kings How the slightly triangular peak down at the narrows close to Castle Crag.

We round the corner into a side valley and have our first view of Taylor Gill Force cascading from what is effectively the glacial hanging valley of Styhead Gill.

Above the falls the steepness eases but the path is still damp and the rocks wet and slippery . . . not the easiest walking.

We had to avoid the slabs, which offer an easy and more direct route closer to the river when dry.

The main valley path that climbs via Stockley Bridge crosses Styhead Gill to join us on this side of the river.

There's more sheep than people up at Styhead Tarn today.

An hour and a half into the walk and we've reached the Stretcher Box at Styhead Pass.

It has a rescue stretcher inside which saves the Mountain Rescue Teams having to carry one up from the valley should it be needed.

It is one of the focal points of the walk and a good spot to stop for a coffee.

The stretcher box is located at the crossroads of the four paths, ours from Seathwaite, Great Gable, Wasdale Head and Esk Hause up there in the cloud.

We'll take the Esk Hause path but at some point divert right towards Great End and climb up "The Band", which is effectively the right hand skyline seen here.

The path known as "The Corridor Route" leaves the track here at Spout Head and climbs across the fell side just under cloud level, heading towards Scafell Pike.

Part of the Piers Gill Ravine at the other end can just be seen as a dark shadow on the distant side of Lingmell.

The path to Esk Hause climbs progressively up and we get a lovely view down to the tarn from above.

Even the 2.5k Ordnance Survey is of limited help here as the path isn't shown, just the distracting symbol of a CP Bdy (Civil Parish Boundary) which may or may not have been be the route.

By following the higher ground and occasionally checking the electronic map on the phone, we reach our objective, the summit of Great End.

We can tell we're at the summit as the wind is blowing up the west facing slope and the wind-chill temperature has dropped accordingly.

Perfect timing . . . a quarter to one and time for lunch, once we've put on an extra layer or two.

[ These two summit photos courtesy of Peter . . . with thanks]

Richard led us on a curved route following the more gentle slope and we soon joined a larger walker's path.

This was the main route from Esk Hause up onto the ridge which eventually leads to the distant summit of Scafell Pike.

We paused to re-group and make sure we hadn't lost anyone !

Visibility was about 25 yards making the structure in the background easy to miss.

This dry stone wall was a smaller version of the famous one found on the summit of Helvellyn.

It was a cross shaped wall structure with a slight seat at it's base which would have offered shelter irrespective of the wind direction.

It is thought to be a pony shelter, this being the highest point that Victorian ponies would have carried visitors to.

The ground above here is quite rough and the boulders from here to the summit would be unsuitable for carrying human loads safely . . . you'd have had to walk to the top from here yourself.

A similar shelter exists lower down closer to the Esk Hause.

Esk Hause came and went as we turned left and headed down on the next section of the walk.

Beyond the hause we walk out of the mist and the visibility gradually cleared.

Another junction and we leave the Styhead Pass route and head right, following Ruddy Gill down towards Borrowdale once more.

I held back to get this specific photo of the group walking the edge above the Ruddy Gill / Grains Gill ravine.

Do stop and admire the view ahead to Castle Crag and Kings How . . . essential today as it was easy to get distracted and slide on the slippery rock path.

The wooden footbridge over Ruddy Gill before it merges with other tributaries and changes its name.

It's been a tough walk on the legs, with the slippery conditions and the stony path . . . I must be getting old . . . or perhaps just out of practice.

The last of the pitched path as we reach the lower section of the valley.

The end is in sight . . . but it's taking longer than expected to get there !

Another landmark reached . . . Stockley Bridge.

Here we met a lot more people who had been using the Styhead path to ascend and descend the valley.

The next stop is Seathwaite Farm where we are met by Pip, after her more gentle walk towards Grange . . . perfect timing.

She offered to take a final group photo of the summiteers . . . we're all looking in good form despite one or two aches and pains.

- - - o o o - - -

Back to the car now and time to celebrate a great day out in classic fashion . . .

The village of Seatoller has a new pub this year.

The Yew Tree Inn has re-opened and is serving food and drink most days of the week.

The perfect place for three of us to sit and relax after the walk, the others having made their own way back home in the other car.

Thanks to Richard, today's leader, Peter who organised it and to my fellow walkers on this tough but excellent day out in the fells.