TR Swindale, Howes and Selside Pike Sat 4 to Sun 5 Jan 20

[karl h]

Hope you don't mind the 'behind the scenes' question, it's 80mph winds on the tops today so I figure you guys will be likely at home rather than out this weekend!

I don't mind at all   
I suppose planning a trip involves everything you mention but the one thing which usually rules over everything else is the weather.
For this paticular trip as April mentions in her TR we ( or I should say I ) originally wanted a camp somewhere near the High Gait Crags area on Esk Pike the reasons being that A I have never camped there and B I love the view of Upper Eskdale and the Scaffells from there.
 As the week progressed however it was obvious that the forecast was for high wind and low cloud in the central/western lakes so I started thinking of routes we could do in the far east fells. This also fitted in with the logistics of our trip ie. I was coming on the train to Penrith and as April lives in the north Lakes this was the most convenient pick up point.


I then remembered that I had wanted to visit the tarn on Howes ( that's the bagging angle covered ) so It was then simple to make a circular route from Mardale and as a bonus I discovered that April and Beefy had never walked in Swindale or visited the falls.


As April mentions again when the weather deteriorated on Saturday evening / Sunday morning we altered our proposed route to visit the bothy and come back over Gatescarth. This is another factor in that plans are not set in stone and can be altered to suit weather, fatigue or couldn't be arsedness 


After saying all that the Lakes is such a wonderful compact area you probably could stick a pin in the map and have a great walk

[April]

Great photos....& yours is ok too Karl

Thanks Sunnydale 

If you'd indulge me for a bit - how do you guys plan your trips for weekends? 
Hope you don't mind the 'behind the scenes' question, it's 80mph winds on the tops today so I figure you guys will be likely at home rather than out this weekend!

Aye, you are right we aren't out camping tonight  We've just come back from a 7 mile walk in Gelt Woods where it was pretty sheltered and we didn't even get wet  It is really windy and tipping it down elsewhere, we have been lucky.

As to your question, it is a little bit of everything you mention and what Karl mentions. We are doing Squeaky's Wainwrights so that is a factor in where we go. The weather decides where we go/how high we go and where we pitch is weather dependent too. The route we take revolves around where we want to pitch and we like to pitch somewhere new if we can. We always try to pitch where we will get a sunset view if there is one to be had. Now I have the car it is easier to plan because we can go anywhere we like now we aren't tied to bus timetables. Last year I had a choice of 6 routes and camps written on bits of paper folded up and numbered 1 to 6. Beefy chose a number and if the weather was ok we did that one  I might do that this year for when the weather improves. It has been particularly crap the last month.

couldn't be arsedness

Congratulations Karl you have won the best phrase of the month competition 

[forgotmyoldpassword]

Cheers both of you - reason I ask is that as someone not part of the 214 club - it's pretty easy when it comes to planning routes - I tend to 1) do something I've not climbed yet 2) do something based on the weather - i.e. if it's a westerly wind all day I'll try and keep in the lee of it and do those routes to make the most of it.  As you say Karl - there are many low routes which are absolutely magical and the 'bad weather days' are often just an opportunity to get yourself along one of those little gems - I'd put Swindale in that bracket as it's relatively well protected with the prevalent north westerleys the area tends to get.


I'm glad you mention the pitch as a priority because I've been thinking that from reading a few TRs that it's a theme - it's like you plan your pitch/view and then work the route in behind that - whereas I'm at the stage where I tend to push the most I can in terms of a route in a day and then throw the tent up somewhere nearby - often missing out on an incredible view just through my legs running out of steam.  Perhaps that can be my 2020 resolution, the tent is not just for sleeping, it's for views too!