Hiking
Family hike on Exmoor to the Iron and Bronze Age monuments at Dunkery Beacon (519 m.). Under the moorland peat is Middle Devonian sedimentary rock. Clear air so views across the Bristol Channel to the Gower Coast as well as Porlock and the North Somerset coastline below Dunkery Hill. Great to enjoy sunshine and cake from Cumbria at the highest point on Exmoor.
Just down from Skiddaw Little Man summit (865 m.)
Skiddaw Little Man summit (865 m.)
I’m planning on more and harder mountain hiking next year but feel I need to build my strength and endurance. So today’s session was a fitness training hike up from my Keswick front door (110 m.) to Skiddaw Little Man (865 m.). “Training hike” to me means structured hiking and rests, so about a three minute rest every 100 metres of altitude, as shown by the barometric altimeter on my watch; rucksac loaded to 5kg gross. The Skiddaw path from Latrigg Saddle is ideal for a training hike as it’s a steady climb, well-defined with relatively few scenic distractions.
More photos: Skiddaw training hike - Lake District National Park
Wonderful woodland walk up the gorge of the River Arve, route known as Le Paradis des Praz. Calm and mysterious, away from the bustle of Chamonix and unaware of the Alpine granite giants in the clouds above. Fragrant and cool, always walking with the roar of the torrent alongside. We walked up the footpath from Chamonix-Mont Blanc (1038 m.) to Argentière (1250 m.) and returned on a narrow gauge (1.000 m.) train of the Mont-Blanc Express railway.
Scafell (964 m.), Lake District National Park
Snaefell (621 m.), Isle of Man
Snow on Scafell (964 m.) and Snaefell (621 m.) seen from our hike to Hooker Crag (231 m.) on Muncaster Fell, Eskdale in West Cumbria. I wore an orange jacket and JCB wellies expecting to hike through snow but we weren’t high enough for that; the wellies were anyhow good fun stomping iced puddles.
Albergo Plan del Rei (2020 m.), Mont Viso (3841 m.) and Le Pain de Sucre (3208 m.)
Hiking in the high valley of the River Po, around and above the sources of Italy's great river. Setting out from the Albergo Plan del Rei (2020 m.), our route was dominated by Mont Viso (3841 m.) and Le Pain de Sucre (3208 m.), stirring memories of previous hikes from the French side when I reached the summit of Le Pain de Sucre on a birthday.
More photos: Lago Fiorenza (2133 m.) - Parco nazionale del Monviso
