A couple of hikes up from Keswick in mild and fine spring weather. Whinlatter forest park offers fine views of Keswick, Bassenthwaite and Skiddaw. Not yet enough mountain bikers on the trails nor kids on the “ape” high route of ropes and poles through the treetops to be a nuisance to walkers; the famous red squirrels were keeping themselves hidden though the birds were making good use of a feeding station at the headquarters of the forest park.
We took the route past “Keswick’s answer to the Eiffel Tower” and Walla Crag on our hike up to Bleaberry Fell (590 m.), one of the peaks on Castlerigg Fell above Keswick. Still a bit wet under foot, but the reward for the climb was an all round view of Lakeland’s three highest peaks, Scafell Pike, 978 m., Helvellyn, 951 m. and Skiddaw, 931 m. clear in the spring sunshine. The ridge and summit of Helvellyn are over my shoulder in the picture.
Far away over the Solway Firth, we saw the granite shape of the hills of Galloway. The return route took us down Cat Gill/Ghyll, no longer inhabited by escaped domestic cats.