Thirlmere Loop

A gorgeous autumnal run around Thirlmere on Saturday with loads of stoppings for photos, stick chucking and Harry swims. We also discovered a new lake for Harry to swim in, Harrop Tarn, which we have now correctly named Harry Tarn and at the same time advised Ordnance Survey of their original typing error.

Piney and larchy and ferny

The team charging through the forest

Hester sheltering from the rain!

The boy

Moss growing on the north, east, south and west side of the trees

Gorgeous boy

Gorgeous girl and gorgeous boy

Hazzer ahoy!

Harry getting ever so slightly peed off with another photo break

Where's Wally?

Harry among the Birches

Looking towards Helvellyn on the way up to Harry Tarn

Looking towards the southern end of the lake with Dunmail and Steel Fell beyond

The Larch

Harry at Harry Tarn

Harry Tarn plus Christmas Trees

Harry admiring Thirlmere

Thirlmere

Our route looking south with the Helvellyn ridge line on the left - about 12 miles and a bit all told

Sat: Settle Hills ~ Sun: Sutton Bank

Two fabulous runs over the weekend - Cleatop Wood and Settle Hills straight out the back door on Saturday with Harry and a trot round Gormire Lake and Sutton Bank with Hester and Harry on Sunday. Lots of lovely mud too.

Harry in one of his favourite places - Cleatop Wood

Waiting for a stick chuck

By Hunter Bark trig

Wolf running

Haz on Sugar Loaf Hill (not to be confused with Sugar Loaf Mountain)

Attermire ahoy!

Stick boy

Harry exploring Victoria Cave

By Warrendale Knotts trig

Harry Hose down time

Sunday now and we're exploring the woods below Sutton Bank

Hester fungi inspecting

Running in Larch woods in Autumn - chuffing fantastic

Our mud claws!

Beautiful

Pratting about at Gormire

Pre-launch

Post-launch

Plover Hill and Pen y Ghent on Saturday and an extended version of the Fairfield Horseshoe on Sunday

A great blast over Plover Hill and Pen y Ghent on Saturday with H's 1 and 2 with lots of lovely mud to plough through. We all felt both invigorated and battered by the wind which was blowing a hoolie but it was a grand run and we fairly pushed it all the way round. A lovely pint of tea and a slab of cake in the 3 Peaks cafe in Horton after and jobs a good 'un.

The H Team setting off

My handy rock chair

Quite firm going for Plover Hill to be honest

Stile-ish Hester

Misty on top and, although you can't see it, flipping windy too

Follow me, down here!

Flapping your arms is an important fell running technique

Hes and Haz disappearing into the wilds

The final race back to Horton

On Sunday we ran the Fairfield Horseshoe back to front (anti-clockwise) with an accidentally added 4 mile extension but the 'Fieldfair shoehorse' as it will from this day be known turned out to be an inspired 13 mile route, even if I say so myself. Me Harry and Hester joined Andrew and Stef (who'd only gone and got engaged the evening before) and Ian on the way round and stopped off briefly at Darren Holloway's memorial plaque on a very breezy Hart Crag going up. I took us down the wrong ridge line after Great Rigg but the whole run was truly glorious, albeit taking a bit longer than planned.

Ze route

Harry (the small black and white dot) blazing the trail ahead of us

Looking back towards Ambleside and Windermere

Our descent on the other side of the horseshoe

As views go, not so bad

Looking back from below Hart Crag

We went right here but should theoretically gone left

Grasmere ahoy! But we need to get back to Ambleside.....

X marks the spot of Daz's plaque