Despite not winning the Lottery Jackpot of X million I woke to a new dawn bringing in colder weather with thankfully less rain.
Are you inspired by the familiar or the unknown? On our most recent trip, Sir Hugh and I were soon faced with the above sign. To avoid arrest or worse I shan’t go into full details of today’s walk. The virtual views from the summit included an alpine Langdale Pikes.
We had originally planned a full days walk further north but on seeing the latest forecast I suggested a shorter morning’s stroll visiting Williamson’s Monument on High Knott. This has an interesting history – ‘the cairn was erected by the Rev T Williamson in memory of his father who used to climb up to High Knott every day before breakfast’ The tablet in the cairn states In memory of Thomas Williamson of Height, in Hugil, gent who died Feb 13th 1797. Aged 66 years. Erected 1803. Why is there no official access to this monument?
Once we were up here Sir Hugh was charged to cut across pastures new to a couple of nearby fells, Hugill and Reston. I had to follow him through bogs and over fortified walls, we should not be doing this. We were rewarded with unusual views down into Kentmere from the first and into Staveley and the busy road at Ings to Windermere from the second.
At 12 o’clock when the rain arrived on schedule we were sitting in the porch of Staveley Church enjoying a hot flask. it was then a short walk back to the car.
I think you should be off on a foreign trip before they catch up with you. That was a good day out – looking forward to the next one.
I wish I’d continued on over the walls and not gone back to my car – the other two women up there did and some of my friends have in the past!
Access to the fells is supposed to be improving but doing the Wainwright Outliers has shown otherwise, mind you some of them are rather esoteric. Boggy ground and difficult forestry abound.
Just found an extremely boggy one – have you done Ponsonby Fell? the summit cairn was hidden in all the tall rushes!
Yes, it was boggy in places [still keeps raining] but I found the local area quite interesting, views to the coast and to Scafell. If you thought that boggy try nearby Cold Fell – this must be the most uninspiring of them all. https://bowlandclimber.wordpress.com/2016/04/04/wainwright-outliers-back-of-beyond/
I did Cold Fell the same day. No views at all as the cloud was too low on both. Found the old ruined farmhouse “Farmery” on the map quite interesting though under Ponsonby Fell
I must admit that nowadays I don’t bother to go out on misty days if possible, I like to fully experience the ‘fell’ otherwise I feel short changed and frustrated. Weather forecasts are becoming far more accurate and using them I’ve not had bad visibility or any rain of sorts on my Winter blitz on Wainwrights Outliers – nearly finished.
Well we need to do something when we’ve booked a B&B in the Lakes. I don’t mind really – the Wainwright stuff is much easier in bad weather than the Scottish stuff is!
Fair enough. I suppose I come at it from a different angle, been there – done it – got the tee shirt – relax. I want to see where I am. I can be choosy for my timings, weather and companions and in between there is the climbing wall or library if needed.