A Sunny Winter’s Day on the Caldbeck Fells

Just occasionally, I get the timing of a walk precisely right and, in retrospect, from a Cumbrian summit with the glare of the sun on the snow and superbly cold conditions, my decision to drag LTD out of his stink-pit and into his harness, and myself of course (no harness for me, though) proved exactly right.

And so it was with Carrock Fell. The stupidly steep start is a bit of a shock to the NHS stent that is still, somehow keeping that cardiac artery open just enough to make all these contours vaguely bearable, which leads up through the green world into the white-and-blue world which lies above.

LTD celebrated by sliding around on his belly on the frozen crust and we had a brief choccy break inside the orange greenhouse-effect group-shelter which was flapping madly in the wind. It was clear, by LTD’s shivering that he needed his cosy coat, so, before moving on, I fitted it to him, cheering him up no end, and put on some crampons which |I’d not yet had a chance to use. I don’t think these were really necessary, but there was the odd bare patch of ice and I’d never put them on before, so….

We wandered over to Round Knott, which although just a small knobble on the wide ridge, defended itself with a deep and soft drift. LTD revelled in the drift, tail high.

Next, was Milton Hill – a bit nonedescript and then, in deeper snow which broke underfoot with each step, making for increasingly hard going, the vague top of Drygill Head – where I’d never been before… and where I#ll probably never go again.

More tough going gave us Hare Stones and then, more easily and with a strong bit od wind-assistance, High Pike, where conditions were just too cold and windy for a stop – so we started on the descent route, having a late lunch in a bit of a sun-trap beside some ancient open-casting with a final bagging of the very vague top of West Fell.

A short road walk brought us back to the knipemobile.

This walk was only six miles and it left me utterly banjaxed. I was never hungry on the walk, so I didn’t eat much and I think that the conditions must have made me dehydrated.

Back at knipetowers, all I could do was drink and not the boozy stuff (It’s not Friday y’know..).  I’m OK again now, and ready for another jaunt – probably on Saturday.