Just a fantastic 21 mile run out from Braithwaite yesterday with Gav, Hes and Haz, going over 13 tops , bumps and paps and basically visiting a good chunk of the north western fells of the Lake District in the process. Straight off the bat we headed up Grisedale Pike (791m), then onto Hopegill Head (770m) and the adjacent bump of Sand Hill (756m) before dropping down into Gasgale Gill and following that all the way down to the top of Crummock Water.
We then took route one (which we later christened the "twats' ascent") straight up the side of Mellbreak (512m) - this ascent turned out to be pretty much an hour of vertically hacking through heather, ferns, bilberry bushes, spongey moss, scree and rocky crags to travel about 600 meters in distance and 400 meters in ascent; the main path would have been so much easier for us to follow and, although it was about a mile longer in distance, it would have taken us 20 minutes tops to get to the summit! Harry it has to be said was a true soldier going up Mellbreak as, at his diddy height, the heather and ferns were nire on impassable, snagging him and blocking his path continually - it wasn't that easy for any of us to be honest and it was the first hill I've ever climbed where my arms ached (from pulling myself up by the heather branches) more at the top than my legs! We were also plastered in bilberry juice by the time we reached the summit too, as the super ripe berries burst as we passed them - they made for excellent snacking on the way up though.
After Mellbreak we dropped down to the waterfall of Scale Force and then climbed the Buttermere version of Red Pike (755m) (not to be confused with the Wasdale version of Red Pike just 3 miles away), with glorious views of Crummock Water and Buttermere from Lingcombe Edge, a ridge edge that we followed for about half of the climb. Then it was straight down to Buttermere itself, visiting the pap of Dodd (641m) on the way. A brief stop in Buttermere village for a drink and a slab of millionaires shortbread and we were off again on the way back to Braithwaite. Our route back took us over Whiteless Breast (439m), Whiteless Pike (660m), Wandope (772m), Eel Crag (aka Crag Hill) (839m), Sail (773m), Outerside (568m) and Stile End (447m).
21 and a bit miles with almost 10,000 feet of ascent. And then a pint of Jennings Cumberland in the Royal Oak in Braithwaite - the perfect finish to a perfect day
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| The team on Grisedale Pike in the early morning low cloud |
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| Harry the wonder dog |
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| Gasgale Gill |
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| The team weighing up our route up Mellbreak |
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| Crummock Water |
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| Some friendly cows |
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| Route one up Mellbreak |
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| The path on top of Mellbreak was great.... when we reached it! |
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| Hester overlooking Crummock Water with Buttermere beyond |
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| The descent to Scale Force |
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| Scale Force |
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| Above Buttermere |
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| Harry ridge walking |
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| Red Pike ahoy! |
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| Looking back towards Lingcombe Edge |
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| Hester dancing her way down to Buttermere |
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| Time for a quick lie down in the river |
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| Where are the Wallys? |
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| Hester and Gavin clambering up Whiteless Pike |
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| Buttermere |
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| H and H both looking knackered |
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| The gob smacking view from Wandope |
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| The curly whirly path down from Sail |
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| Harry striding out in style |
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| The team not far from Braithwaite now |
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| The weather is always perfect in the Lake District |
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| Ze route |
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