Catbells

We knew the weather was going to be good, so after a very late start, we set off across the A66 heading for the Lake District.

We wanted to have a go at Blencathra, but the thing about Lake District fells is that the sides tend to be steeper than the slopes of our lovely local Yorkshire Dales.  Slipping and falling here is more likely to end in pain, and neither of us fancied slipping off  Blencathra.  Looking Blencathra's snowy topping we decided to drive past, heading for Keswick and a lower, safer walk.  Catbells and High Spy here we come.  Did you know you can see Catbells from a webcam on the MWIS site here? 

We set out  to walk a circular route of 8 1/2 miles. The weather was fantastic, there were loads of people out enjoying the sunshine.  On a day like today, it would be hard to take a bad photograph. 

Skiddaw, Blencathra and a few others looking stunning in the sunshine.  

Views on our right as we walked,  Causey Pike and the Derwent Fells

The Northern Fells from Catbells.  Derwent Water in the foreground.  Beautiful.

This tent at the top of Catbells belongs to an entrepreneurial pair of lads who used the snow and made tea and coffee for the walkers as they reached the top.  For a price of course.   They probably got several hundred pounds from it, judging by the numbers of walkers handing over the cash.  Note snowy  Bull Crag behind - the next fell of our walk. 

We reached the summit of Catbells, loving the views, the sun, everything.  It was now afternoon, so we stopped for our lunch, and were joined by a cute little meadow pipit.

As we ate, we looked across at Bull Crag, making up our minds about the next part of our walk  Now to be honest, Peter had had a bad night with a bad tummy, and still wasn't feeling right, our leg muscles had been whining about the abuse yesterday, and we still don't own any micro spikes. Bull Crag looked like it might be icy, as did the route beyond  We decided not to go on.  It was the possibility of slipping all over the place that did it for me to be honest.  I'd seen so many MRT call out stories, I didn't want to risk becoming one of them. I think that Peter just wasn't feeling well enough, and unusually for him, just wasn't up for giving it a go.

Our lunchtime view

I was a little bit disappointed that we were here, in the Lake District in fantastic weather, and we weren't planning to get up some hill or other.  But then, we made a inspired decision to do something nearly as good........we went shopping in Keswick.   Net result?  A pair of gaiters each (read yesterday's walk), a brilliant furry hat that covers me ears, and a BARGAIN new pair of boots. (My old ones were letting in water. I'd only had them a year!  Humph!).  Not so bad after all eh?  

Micro spikes..........?  Gonna get them next Autumn ready for the winter.

( PS, today was 3 miles and 1000ft of up.)