Hiking
Hike from Keswick, up Spooneygreen Lane to Lattrig Saddle and onwards to the gate in to Glenderaterra Valley, which has Lonscale Fell and Skiddaw one side with Blencathra the other. A familiar route made magical by the snow. Frosty on Latrigg but soon getting to be heavy going traversing Lonscale Fell because of drifted snow up to knee height. The clouds were closing in over the fells beyond Ullswater as I took my picnic. The path past the rocky shoulder was even more heavily drifted so it was time to come down.
More photos: Glenderaterra Valley gate in the snow - Lake District National Park
Family hike in the Blackdown Hills around Culmstock Beacon (250 m.) and Blackdown Common. Frosty start after the storm had blown itself out overnight. Enjoying the magnificent Devon countryside plus sharing that peculiar pleasure of stomping through iced puddles.
Low level hike in the calm between storms. Up a steep path through the trees to Irton Pike (230 m.). Grand view from Irton Fell over Wast Water to the central fells and out to Ravenscraig in the opposite direction. Dry but the cloud level pretty low. Early picnic over the ridge to Miterdale then the descent through Miterdale Forest to get home before the next storm rattles the roofs.
More photos: Irton Fell & Miterdale Forest - Lake District National Park
Skiddaw (931 m.), view from Crosthwaite Road roundabout
Really fantastic walk in three parts: flat valley among the drumlins between Keswick and Underscar. Upwards though mixed woods to Latrigg Saddle, then breaking out of the tree line to open fell.
I took my picnic of the first mince pies of the season just up from the gate to Lonscale Fell, with a view of all the tops clear through the haze. Reluctantly descending through Brundholme Wood as the sun was setting fast.
I hiked slowly, enjoying the colours and views (the fells equivalent of “smelling the roses”) as this has been the best day’s hiking in Cumbria all summer. Yes, this is now November, what a year!
Plus, chatting with others out there also enjoying the sunshine, looking around and doing the “One life, live it!” thing.
Shower at home in Keswick, then the long journey back to London.
But... I enjoyed the sunset at the Three Bears bus stop for rather longer than expected as the buses were stuck in Keswick’s gridlock; many thanks to Mike who baled me out with a lift to Penrith so I didn’t miss the big train sauth.
More photos: Lonscale Fell Gate - Lake District National Park
Hike from the Rifugio Albergo Pian del Re (2040 m.) under the North-east face of Monviso (3841 m.) to see the Sources of the River Po, Italy’s longest river that flows from here in the Cottian Alps to the Adriatic across the whole of the north of the country. Close by is the mountain in France, Le Pain de Sucre (3208 m.), another of the very few summits over 3000 m. to which I've hiked.
