We got the bus to Patterdale on Saturday. We were hoping not to get too wet before we pitched the tent. It was raining when we got off the bus. Joy. We walked by Rooking then up on the higher path toward Silver Crag.
If this seat is good enough for the future King and Queen it is good enough for Beefy!
William and Kate sat on this very seat a few days before this photo was taken.
We wanted to pitch somewhere near High Dodd and we had planned to go to Boredale Hause ascend Place Fell then drop down to High Dodd. With the rain already falling we thought we would follow the shore path around to Scalehow Force instead. The rain stopped and the weather improved a bit.
Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike
We came to the turn off to the Hare Shaw ascent of Place Fell. We thought why not go up this way, we hadn't done this route before and the weather looked pretty good.
It was an interesting ascent twisting and turning through juniper, very steep at times.
On the way up the Hare Shaw path
Across Ullswater to St Sunday Crag
Birks and Birkhouse Moor
Looking back at the route up
We weren't going fast enough for Squeaky and she squeaked at us for most of the way up.
We stopped for some lunch near The Knight
The weather had changed and rain threatened again. We took a traversing route below Place Fell when the heavens opened and got as quickly as we could to Low Moss. The rain was very heavy for about 20 minutes and the wind was strong too. We got some water from Low Moss Gill and thankfully the rain stopped.
The view from Low Moss
We wanted the tent up as soon as possible so we found a pitch near High Dodd. It was early at 2.30 but nobody could see us from the path.
The MSR near High Dodd
We had a brew when the water filtered and we were surprised when the sun came out and we had a very pleasant few hours in the sunshine. We managed to dry our rucksacks and waterproofs.
The MSR view to the west
The pitch was a bit more sloping than we had realised but we couldn't be bothered to move the tent. Beefy is still getting over a virus and I am still bring careful with my knee and we were pleased to relax for a few hours. We could pop onto Place Fell tomorrow on the way back to Patterdale.
Hallin Fell and Ullswater
The Helvellyn Dodds and Blencathra
After tea we had some wine and waited for the sun to go down. We thought it would go down near Blencathra and quite late, 21.50 at this time of year. It was cloudy but we dared to hope we would get something to see.
The start of the sunset
The sun dips down behind Blencathra
Almost gone
Nice colours in the sky
Not bad! We went to sleep happy with our day despite the drenching. Our route was Patterdale - Rooking - Hare Shaw path - The Knight - Low Moss - pitch near High Dodd 6km with 500m ascent.
We awoke to heavy rain at about 5 o'clock and it continued until 9. We quickly packed the tent away when it stopped and had an hour or so of dry walking. We had sacked the idea of Place Fell and dropped down to the Scalehow Force path. The summit was covered in clag and the wind was strong, no point as far as we are concerned!
The mine below High Dodd
The ruined mine buildings
Low Moss Gill in spate after the rain
Beefy and Squeaky on the way down to the shore path
Scalehow Force
The view of Silver Point on the way
The rain started in earnest and there were no more photos until we had passed Side Farm
Birks from near Side Farm
The sun came out and we were pretty dry when we got on our bus. Our route was Scalehow Force from our pitch - Silver Point - Side Farm - Patterdale 8km with 270m ascent. Not a bad camp and we got a sunset.
One casualty is my phone. I didn't put it in a plastic bag and it got soaked in my jacket pocket. It survived the last soaking but not this one
My knee has held up quite well and although still not 100% it hasn't got any worse