A spectacular day in the Lakes today, wall to wall sunshine and clear views.

From Grasmere we climbed onto Silver How and followed the ridge towards Blea Rigg, seeing a grass snake sunning itself on the path, the first I have ever seen n the fells!

After a short lunch stop on the summit of Blea Rigg we continued toward the summit of Sergeant Man, a great little rocky summit and walked over to High Raise, with wonderful panoramic views of the lakeland fells. There was cloud blowing over the Scafell Range (the group up there just caught the cloud as they reached the summit).

We descended over Tarn Crag and down to Easdale Tarn, it is amazing how dry everything is this year already.

From Easdale we followed the path down by Sour Milk Gill back to Grasmere.

A good 4 days in the south eastern Lake District assessing an air cadets Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition group, camping near Staverley on the Sunday night before following the Longsleddale Valley to Gatesgarth Pass before descending to Mardale and camping at Small Water, below the High Street ridge.

The following day we climbed onto the High Street ridge, crossing to Thornthwaite Crag before descending the Roman Road to Troutbeck and camping for the night at High Skellgill Farm.

The final day was spent walking south from High Skellgill to Great Tower, a good gentle day walking over easy ground to finish off a good 4 day expedition.

A good day on the Fairfield Horseshoe today, dry most of the day with broken cloud and some great views.

We climbed Nab Scar from Rydal, although the high tops were in cloud we had some good views over the lakes. As we climbed on towards Heron Pike the cloud began to break up, we were rarely in the cloud until on the top of Fairfield, but even here the cloud kept breaking giving us views over Helvellyn and Striding Edge, showing us what we couldn't see yesterday!

After leaving the summit we were back in the cloud until Dove Crag where te cloud once again broke giving some great views over Ullswater.

As we descended over High and Low Pike we ha some good views over Windermere, Coniston and south to Morcambe Bay. We dropped down by High Sweeden Bridge and followed the track back to Ambleside getting back to the town just before the rain started.

Another days navigation training today, climbing from Chapel Stile we made our way along the Silver How ridge with several excersises on route before descending back to Chapel Stile by Meg's Gill.

A good day despite heavy showers today on Silver How, we climbed from Elterwater onto the ridge above High Close Youth Hostel and undertook several navigation excercises along the ridge and over Silver How and above Blindtarn Moss before descending down to Chapel Stile and Elterwater.

Strong wind and a few heavy showers in the early afternoon made the conditions interesting for a little while.

A great day above Kentmere today in wonderful weather.

From the village we climbed the Garburn Pass onto the ridge and followed the path north climbing to Yoke. From the summit of Yoke we continued north making good time over the summits of Ill Bell and Froswick before climbing to Thornthwaite Crag and then the gentle slope up to High Street where we stopped in the sun for our sandwiches.

After our lunch stop we followed the path down over Mardale Ill Bell to Nan Bield Pass and climbed the steep path onto Harter Fell, following the ridge south over Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts before descending back to Kentmere.

A good day above Elterwater today practising navigation skills.

We climbed from the village onto the ridge above High Close before following the ridge to eventually have lunch on the summit of Silver How with a magnificent view over Grasmere and Rydal Water.

After lunch we continued along the ridge towards Blea Rigg before doubling back on ourselves and descending by Megs Gill back down to the Valley at Chapel Stile and walking back alongside the river to Elterwater.

A wet and windy day today on the Fairfield Horseshoe, the day didn't start too bad, we were up on Great Rigg before the heavy rain set in, up until then it was just showers and drizzle on Nab Scar and Heron Pike, although we had been in the cloud from about 10 minutes after starting the climb above Rydal.

We continued over Great Rigg and up to the summit of Fairfield stopping in the shelter at the summit for a very short break before heading on. We crossed the head of the valley to Hart Crag and Dove Crag, the wind was very strong on this stretch, before descending the long ridge over High Pike and Low Pike.

As we descended from Low Pike to High Sweeden Bridge we began to get views over Ambleside and Windermere. The rapids below High Sweeden Bridge were pretty impressive. We descended the track from the bridge back down to Ambleside.

A good day above Grasmere today following the ridge from Silver How over Blea Rigg to Sergeant Man and High Raise before descending over Tarn Crag to Easdale Tarn and back down to Easdale and Grasmere.

The weather held off all day for us and the winds were light and we had good views all day except around Codale Head where the cloud descended on us but we were soon out of this as we descended towards Tarn Crag.

A good day on the Fairfield Horseshoe, from Ambleside we crossed the fields to Rydal Hall climbing the steep path onto Nab Scar, the first peak of the day.

The views were great, most of the summits were below the cloud level and we had clear views over Grasmere, Rydal and south over Windermere.

From Nab Scar we followed the ridge climbing to the summits of Heron Pike and then Great Rigg, a little rain was falling as we climbed Great Rigg, we pressed on to climb to the summit of Fairfield, stopping in one of the shelters to eat our packed lunches before pressing on, crossing to the summit of Hart Crag and then onto Dove Crag.

We descended the ridge over High Pike and Low Pike, the rain returning in patches as we descended from Low Pike to High Sweeden Bridge and followed the track back above Scandale Beck to Ambleside.

A good day on The Fairfield Horseshoe today.

We set off just after 10am from Ambleside following the track to Rydal Hall and climbed the steep slope up Nab Scar,  there was a little patchy low cloud this morning which gave some impressive views over Windermere, Rydal Water and Grasmere as we climbed over Nab Scar and followed the ridge over Heron Pike and up to Great Rigg.

As we climbed towards Fairfield the cloud broke on all but the highest fells to the west and we sat and ate our packed lunches in the summit shelter with a magnificent view over the Far Eastern Fells.

After lunch we continued south along the ridge crossing the summit of Hart Crag to Dove Crag and followed the long gentle ridge down over High Pike and Low Pike descending to High Sweeden Bridge and following the track back to Ambleside, back into town just after 4pm.

A cold day on Silver How with a Navigation Training Course today.

From Elterwater we climbed onto the ridge above High Close and ran several navigation exercises along the ridge over Silver How and as far as Blea Rigg.

There was a strong northerly wind all day and it was very cold in the wind, there were occasional snow showers during the day, but there were some great views of the higher fells surrounding us.

We descended by Meg's Gill to Chapel Stile and followed the river path back to Elterwater.

A good days Navigation Training on Silver How today.

We set off from Elterwater and climbed above the High Close Youth Hostel and ran several exercises between her and the summit of Silver How, stopping for lunch just below the summit of Swinescar Pike.

We continued a little further along the ridge towards Blea Rigg before doubling back and descending by Megs Gill down to Chapel Stile and following the river back to Elterwater.

A great day on Silver How today with a Navigation Training Course.

We set off from Elterwater at 10am and climbed onto the Silver How Ridge above High Close and followed the ridge over Silver How and along to Swinescar Pike running several navigation exercises along the way, descending to Chapel Stile by Megs Gill and following the river back to Elterwater.

A fantastic day with some great views throughout.

A misty day climbing High Street from Hartsop today, we set off from Hartsop Village at 10am and followed the track to Hayeswater and climbed the path to The Knott.

As we climbed above Hayeswater we saw a group of Red Deer grazing on the slope, they seemed uninterested in us as we climbed the steep slope.

As we approached The Knott we entered the cloud, there was now very little to see so we didn't stop for long on the summit. The easy climb to the summit of High Street along the wall didn't take us too long so we continued to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag, stopping for our lunch out of the wind behind the pillar.

After lunch we descended the Gray Crag ridge, watching several groups of red deer in the valley below us. As we neared the summit of Gray Crag we emerged from the cloud and were rewarded with good views all around, particularly the view behind us, of Windermere across Threshthwaite Mouth.

We descended from the ridge to the Hayeswater path and followed it back to Hartsop Village.

A cloudy grey day on the Fairfield Horseshoe today, we set off from Ambleside at 9am and followed the track to Rydal Hall climbing the steep slopes to Nab Scar. It wasn't long before we were in the cloud, seeing very little from then on.

We followed the ridge from Nab Scar over Heron Pike to Great Rigg, from here on we were walking on good snow, much crisper than on Wednesday.

We climbed to the summit of Fairfield and sat in the summit shelter to eat our sandwiches, watching a few people appear and then quickly disappear in the mist.

From Fairfield we continued to follow the horseshoe route, crossing to Hart Crag and then Dove Crag, as we descended towards High Pike we dropped below the snow line onto the damp grassy slopes below, and as we descended from High Pike to Low Pike we dropped below the cloud to get some murky views over Windermere and Ambleside.

We dropped down from the ridge to High Sweeden Bridge and followed the track back to Ambleside.

Navigation Training today on Silver How, the weather wasn't great with low cloud and drizzle pretty much all day but we had  good day following the ridge from above Red Bank along over Silver How to Swinescar Pike, with several navigational exercises along the way.

We descended by Megs Gill and Thrang Crag to Chapel Stile and followed the riverside path back to Elterwater.

A great day on The Fairfield Horseshoe today. After a damp start the weather quickly improved and by the time we had climbed Nab Scar the drizzle had turned to sunshine.

We followed the ridge from Nab Scar along the ridge over Heron Pike and Great Rigg to the summit of Fairfield. There was a strong northerly wind on the summits today, quite cold and gusty at times and a light dusting of snow on the higher summits, there seemed to be a little more snow to the west on Bowfell and the Scafell Range.

We stopped in the Fairfield summit shelter to eat our sandwiches before following the ridge over Hart Crag and Dove Crag following the long ridge down over High Pike and Low Pike in bright sunshine and dropping down to High Sweden Bridge and following the track back to Ambleside.

Wonderful weather today on Silver How for a Navigation Training day. We sett off from Elterwater in bright sunshine and climbed onto the ridge above High Close and ran several navigation exercises along the ridge to Megs Gill before climbing to the summit of Silver How.

We stopped for lunch on Silver How to admire the view over Grasmere and Rydal Water, without a breath of wind, before continuing along the ridge by Lang How and Swinscar Pike, descending by Megs Gill to Chapel Stile and back along the river to Elterwater.

A near perfect day today climbing High Street from Patterdale. We set off from the Patterdale Hotel just after 10am and climbed to Boredale Hause following the path below Stony Rigg to climb to the summit of the Angletarn Pikes.

The weather was near perfect, very little wind and clear skies giving us wonderful views across the valley towards Helvellyn and Fairfield. We continued past Angle Tarn and climbed past Satura Crag to the summit of The Knott, stopping for lunch at the Straights Of Riggindale, watching the deer in the valley below while we ate our sandwiches.

The short climb to the summit of High Street was climbed quickly after lunch and we stopped on the summit for a while to take in the views before pressing on, descending to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag with it's wonderful views south over Windermere.

The ridge north from Thornthwaite Crag gave us a good route back to the valley, over the summit of Gray Crag before the steep descent to Hartsop and the path back along the valley to Patterdale.

A near perfect day again today on Silver How for a Navigation Training Course, we set off from Elterwater at 10am and climbed above Red Bank onto the Silver How Ridge near Dow Bank, running several navigation exercises along the ridge to reach the summit of Silver How for lunch.

After lunch we continued west along the ridge as far as Swinescar Pike before returning to descend to Chapel Stile by Megs Gill and following the river back to Elterwater.

Two great days running a navigation course. Day one was spent on Silver How and on day two we negotiated lumps, bumps and tarns on Loughrigg Fell.
The weather was fantastic throughout.

A great day on the Fairfield Horseshoe today with good views all day.

We followed the track by Rydal Hall to climb the steep slopes of Nab Scar, with great views south over Windermere and down over Rydal Water.

The ridge continued north crossing Heron Pike and Great Rigg before climbing to the summit of Fairfield. We made good time along the ridge reaching the summit of Fairfield in good time for lunch, stopping in the summit shelter to get out of the fairly strong wind and admire the panoramic views before continuing to cross the summits of Hart Crag and Dove Crag.

We descended the long southern ridge of Dove Crag, crossing the summits of High Pike and Low Pike with great views ahead of us over Windermere throughout.

From Low Pike we dropped down to High Sweeden Bridge and followed the track back to Ambleside.

A god day climbing High Street from Patterdale today despite some wet and windy weather.

We set off from the Patterdale Hotel a 10am and climbed by Boredale Hause to The Angletarn Pikes, so far so good the rain was holding off well.

We descended by Angle Tarn and continued to climb, climbing by The Knott onto the main High Street ridge, crossing the Straits Of Riggindale and climbed alongside the wall to the summit of High Street. As we climbed the final slopes of High Street the rain set in, blowing across us on quite a strong wind.

After a brief lunch stop behind the wall at the summit of High Street we pressed on, climbing to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag, it was decided to drop out of the wind as soon as possible so we dropped down north east to meet Hayeswater Gill finding a good route down along the gill to Hayeswater to meet the track down to Hartsop and the path back to Patterdale.

A good day above Elterwater today with a GPS Training Course.

After a short trip around the woods on the lower slopes of Lingmoor Fell we headed up onto the slopes of Silver How practising several techniques with the GPS units before descending to Chapel Stile and back along the river to Elterwater.

Great weekend running a Silver NNAS course. Based at Elterwater, day one was spent on Silver How running various navigation exercises. Day two was spent on Loughrigg Fell, navigating our way around lumps, bumps, tarns and ponds.

A wonderful day today climbing High Raise from Grasmere, we set off at 10am and climbed by Allan Bank to the summit of Silver How with wonderful view over Grasmere and Rydal Water.

From Silver How we followed the ridge west, climbing over Blea Rigg to Sergeant Man, stopping on the summit of Sergeant Man for lunch.

After lunch we climbed the short slope to the summit of High Raise, a wonderful panoramic view from the summit before descending the rough ridge to Tarn Crag and down from the crag to Easdale Tarn.

We returned to Grasmere by Sour Milk Gill  and along the Easdale Valley.

A good days Navigation Training on Silver How today, once again with some wonderful weather.

We set off from Elterwater at 10am and ran several navigation exercises above High Close and along the ridge to the summit of Silver How where we stopped for lunch.

After lunch we continued west along the ridge with several more practical exercises before descending by Meg's Gill to Chapel Stile and following the river back to Elterwater.

A great day on the Silver How ridge today with a Navigation Training course.

Setting of from Elterwater at 10am we climbed onto theridge above High Close and followed the ridge over Dow Bank to Silver How, running several navigation excercises on the way to the summit.

After lunch we continued along the ridge past Swineside Pike before descending to Chapel Stile and following the river back to Elterwater.

A great day above Mardale Head today, we set off from the Mardale Head car park and followed the lakeshore east a short way to meet the 'Old Corpse Road' above Rowantreethwaite Beck to meet the grassy path climbing to the summit of Selside Pike.

From Selside Pike we followed the fence-line west climbing to the cairns on Artlecrag Pike before reaching the summit of Branstree.

We descendded south from Branstree over Selside Brow and after a short lunch stop we continued to follow the ridge south over Tarn Crag to Grey Crag, this section of the walk was a little boggy underfoot, but we reached the fine viewpoint of Grey Crag.

After a short stop at the summit of Grey Crag, we returned north, skirting around the summit of Tarn Crag and crossing to Gatesgarth Pass before descending back to Mardale Head.

Really nice day on the Fairfield Horseshoe. From Ambleside, we walked along to Rydal Hall then steeply up to Nab Scar.  We then followed the ridge over Heron Pike and Great Rigg to Fairfield where we stopped for lunch.

After a bite to eat and time spent taking photos, we wandered over to Hart Crag and Dove Crag before descending over High Pike and Low Pike before returning to Ambleside.

Weatherwise, it was also a good day, being dry with good visibility for the duration.

A great day on the Silver How ridge today on a Navigation Training Course. The near perfect weather made it an enjoyable day as we climbed from Elterwater above High Close and followed the ridge west running several navigational exercises as we crossed Silver How to Swinescar Pike.

We returned from Swinescar pike to descend to Chapel Stile by Megs Gill before following the river back to Elterwater.

A great day on the Kentmere Horseshoe today.

We set off from Kentmere just before 9.30 and climbed by the Garburn Pass to Yoke, the low cloud cleared as we neared the summit giving us good views of the surrounding fells.

We followed the ridge north over Ill Bell and Froswick before climbing to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag, stopping behind the wall to eat our lunches.

After lunch we crossed to Mardale Ill Bell, now in thick in cloud and starting to rain a little, this soon cleared as we descended to Nan Bield Pass and we reached the summit of Harter Fell in sunshine.

From Harter Fell we descended the southern ridge over Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts before descending back to Kentmere.

A great day!

A good day on Silver How today with an Navigation Training Course.

From Elterwater we climbed above High Close and followed the ridge over Dow Bank to the summit of Silver How running several navigation exercise on the way to Silver How.

On and off drizzle persisted for much of the morning, although after lunch this got a little heavier for a while it was much better than expected! After a short lunch stop on the summit of Silver How we continued west along the ridge exploring the area around Swinscar Pike.

We descended to Chapel Stile by Thrang Quarry and followed the river back to Elterwater.

A damp day climbing High Street from Mardale Head today.

Although a dry start to the walk the rain soon set in and the strong winds. As we reached the summit of Kidsty Pike the clouds cleared for a short while giving us views down into Riggindale to a group of red deer.

From Kidsty Pike we crossed to Rampsgill Head where once again the cloud briefly cleared giving s a great view down Ramps Gill to Martindale.

We followed the roman road to the Straits of Riggindale and climbed to the summit of High Street, sheltering behind the wall for a short break to eat our sandwiches before continuing, crossing to the summit of Mardale Ill Bell and descending by Nan Bield Pass to Small Water and back down to Mardale Head.

Another fantabulous day walking in the late summer sun!

I met Joan in Grasmere ready to tackle High Raise. We climbed out of Grasmere up onto Silver How and were quickly feeling the heat of the sun. As we got to the top we were greeted with stunning 360 degree views of the surrounding fells, as well as being able to see our entire route for the rest of the day. At this point Sergeant Man looked like it was miles away (technically it was, but it looked like a proper mission! haha) We made our way over the undulating ground up towards Swinescar Pike, followed by Blea Rigg. From here we had another short section of flat ground before we started the toughest ascent of the day up onto the summit of Sergeant Man. On the summit we gained fantastic views over the Langdale Fells, Coniston Fells and even the Scafell Massif. We were both ready for lunch, but I was keen for Joan to see the amazing views that High Raise had to offer, so we pressed on and after just a few minutes we were looking down over Borrowdale from the summit.

After our lunch stop we retraced our steps slightly and then headed down towards Tarn Crag. We reached Tarn Crag and started to descend the final sections of the day in the gorgeous afternoon heat. We were soon back on flat ground and on our way back into Grasmere.

Another great day above Grasmere today, this time a longer route climbing to High Raise and then descending over Helm Crag.

We set off from Grasmere at 9am and climbed onto Silver How. There was some mist in the valley and the views were magnificent. After a short stop on the summit we pressed on, following the ridge climbing past Blea Rigg and climbing to Sergeant Man.

From Sergeant Man we crossed to the summit of High Raise, stopping for our lunch in one of the summit shelters to eat our lunches.

After Lunch we descended by Mere Beck and crossed to the summit of Calf Crag flown the ridge over Gibson Knott to Helm Crag.

From Helm Crag we descended to Easdale ad followed the lane back into Grasmere.

A damp day on Silver How with a Navigation Training Day.

We set off from Elterwater at 10am and climbed above High Close making our way to the summit of Silver How running several navigation exercises on the way.

After a short lunch stop on the summit of Silver How we continued to follow the ridge west crossing to Swinescar Pike and continuing as far as Raw Pike before returning by Sheep Crag and descending by Megs Gill to Chapel Stile and following the river back to Elterwater.

A good day, although a little damp and windy at times!

A wonderful day above Grasmere today, we set off from Grasmere just after 10.30am and climbed by Allan Bank, now with it's new roof, and followed the path up by Wray Gill to Brigstone Moss, climing to the summit of Silver How.

The views were great today, nothing distant, but the views over Grasmere and Windermere were magnificent.

We followed the ridge west climbing onto the summit of Lang How to stop for lunch.

After lunch we continued along the ridge, over Swinescar Pike and up to Blea Rigg before descending by Easdale Tarn and Sour Milk Gill back down to Easdale and Grasmere.

A wonderful day above Troutbeck today, we set off at 10am and climbed by the Garburn Track to the Garburn Pass.

From the top of the pass we climbed in bright sunshine to the summit of Yoke, the views were great, south over Morecambe Bay and to the Yorkshire Dales and to the north and west across the Lake District, only the highest tops were in cloud.

We followed the ridge north climbing to the wonderful summit of Ill Bell and it's multiple cairns. There was a great view south over Windermere from the summit.

We continued north crossing the summit of Froswick and climbing to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag.

There was quite a cool breeze on the tops so we ducked behind a wall to eat our packed lunches with a good view over High Street and north towards Ullswater.

After lunch we descended west dropping down to Threshthwaite Mouth and followed the Trout Beck south descending to the valley and following the track back to Troutbeck.

A good days Navigation Training on Silver How today.

We climbed from Elterwater and climbed above High Close onto the ridge and ran several navigation exercises along the ridge by Dow Bank and up to the summit of Silver How, stopping on the summit of Silver How for lunch and continuing after lunch along the ridge by Swinescar Pike before returning along the ridge to descend to the west of Megs Gill and down to Thrang Crag Quarries and Chapel Stile following the river back to Elterwater.

Perfect weather today as we headed up onto Silver How for a Navigation Training Day, Peter and I headed out from Elterwater just before 10am and climbed above High Close onto the Dow Bank ridge running several navigation exercises along the ridge before climbing to the summit of Silver How and then along the ridge to Swinescar Pike.

After lunch we descended by Megs Gill and down to Thrang Quarries walking back by the river from Chapel Stile back to Elterwater.

A wonderful day with some amazing views.

Day 1:

I met Robin outside the Brit Inn in Elterwater this morning, and before we made our way towards the fells we sat on the benches and ran through some basics. After covering Grid References, scales, contours and map symbols we got on our way. We slowly worked our way up past Dub How and towards Silver How via multiple navigational legs, each time adding new techniques such as pacing and timings. At the bottom of Megs Gill me had a spot of lunch and enjoyed the stunning views (another great November day!). After lunch we moved onto bearings, stressing their effectiveness when done correctly. Robin picked up bearings extremely quickly, and with great accuracy so we continued to build on overall navigational tactics, combining everything we had learnt previously. After a few more legs we decided to turn back towards Elterwater and enjoy a leisurely walk back to the cars.

Day 1:

I met Catherine in Elterwater, and before we got going we discussed Catherine's current standard of navigation. After just a short chat with Caroline she clearly had enough knowledge to cover the basics such as grid references, map symbols etc so she wanted to focus on techniques such as bearings, and what to do when in thick mist. Taking all this into mind we headed straight for the fells. Along the way we covered pacing and navigational technique and before long we were up by Dub How. From here we could see Helvellyn with a blanket of snow on it, Winter is here!

We spent most of the morning covering short navigational legs and focusing on distance, timing and pacing. Shortly after midday we had a spot of lunch and then focused on bearings. We got cauight in a hail storm and we both frantically threw on more layers. After the hail storm had passed we noticed Fairfield and its surrounding peaks were now covered snow too! We spent the next couple of hours using bearins and utilising all the techniques we had covered over the course of the morning.

Day 2: Another clear morning in Elterwater today, with the higher fells in view holding more snow than yesterday!

We focussed our navigation over towards Lingmoor Fell and after a couple of 'warm up' legs to refresh what was learnt yesterday, we continued some more complex legs, taking in all the techniques learnt. Catherine was navigating extremely well, so I progressively made each leg harder. We spent a lot of time on contour interpretation of which Catherine also grasped extrmely well. We also spent some time working on the 1:50,000 maps to test the same skills on a different scaled map. We finished the day just as a long shower was setting in and got back to Elterwater after another great day out! Congratulations to Catherine who also passed her NNAS silver award over the course of the two days!

A fantastic day on a navigation course, on a very wintry Silver How!

I met ray, an aspirant ML in Elterwater, and after having a quick chat we were soon on our way up onto the fells. Ray was joining us on a navigation course to refresh his skills, as well as to learn some of the more technical elements such as contour interpretation. We climbed onto the undulating ground below Silver How and worked our way up onto the snow via Megs Gill. In places we were really exposed to the wind, which mixed with the falling snow made for some interesting conditions to navigate in!  Above about 350m we were walking on snow but these very wintry conditions did not phase Ray as he continued to navigate extremely well. We focused much of the day on contour interpretation, comparing the map to the ground and focusing on the intricate features. We got off the hill just before nightfall, slightly damp, but both having had a great day out on the fells.

A truley beatiful day out on the fells today!

I met the Brendan, Ian and 12 year old Will at the Britania Inn, and all being self-procalaimed novice navigators we started from scratch. To start we covered Grid references, Map features, symbols and finally map orientation. The fells were beckoning so we got on our way. On our way up towards Dub How we covered pacing, handrails and a small amount of contour interpretation. Feeling a bit hungry we found a great lunch spot in the sun and enjoyed our sarnies with fabulous views of the Coniston Fells standing proud under a white blanket.

We spent most of the afternoon working our way towards the summit of Silver How consolidating all the skills we had already covered, and then bearings. The summit plateau was very snowy and great fun to be walking on! We took a nice gentle stroll off the hill and enjoyed the views. A great day out, and Ian and Will will be out navigating with us again tomorrow!

Another great day on a navigation training course today! I met Chris in Elterwater and as usual started off by discussing his current navigational abilities. Chris had done map work previously and is a very keen walker, so wanted to be taught some of the grittier techniques such as pacings and bearings. We got on our way up towards Dub How, doing navigational legs on the way covering some of the basics such as handrails and catchment features. We spent the morning making our way up to the higher ground where it is better for bearing practice, and after walking up by Megs Gill we had a quick spot of lunch. Now up over the snow line, in the mist, plus the rain (which hadn't stopped all day!)  we had some perfect conditions for some tough nav practice. We spent the next couple of hours running nav legs which got progressively harder, starting with tarns then moving onto smaller contour features. Chris navigated exceptionally well and had obviously grasped the techniques. We took a nice stroll off the hill, just as some of the mist cleared to give some nice views down to Elterwater.

I met Claire in Elterwater and we started off by discussing her previous experience with a map and compass. Claire told me that in the future she hopes to lead walking groups, so coming and working towards her Silver NNAS Award is a great way to start!

We discussed Grid References, map symbols contours and orientation before setting off towards the fells. We completed multimple Nav legs as we made our way towards Silver How, each time covering something new such as Pacing or timing. After finding our usual hidden sheepfold we sat and enjoyed some lunch, along with the views as it was a glorious day! After refuelling we ran through bearings and spent the afternoon putting everything taught throughout the day into practice. We finished the day with a nice gentle stroll off the fells enjoying the weather.

A great day above Elterwater today with a Navigation Training Course.

We set off from Elterwater at 10am and climbed above High Close, following the ridge west climbing eventually by Meg's Gill to the summit of Silver How. After a short lunch stop on the summit of Silver How we continued west running several navigation exercises as far as Swinescar Pike before descending by Thrang Crag to Chapel Stile and following the river back to Elterwater.

Wow, what an amazing day to be out on the fells! Not a breath of wind, clear blue skies, nice temperature, and snow capped fells all around...Magic!

I met Mark, Carole and Jess (the Dog) in Elterwater and after covering Grid references, map symbols and orientation we got cracking towards Silver How. The ground was hard in most places, but now snow down to the roadside. We covered pacing, timing and following the map whilst slowly making our way towards the summit. We had a spot of lunch and enjoyed the amazing views before covering bearings in the afternoon.

A grey day today as we headed up onto Silver How for a Navigation Training day.

A little rain had fallen this morning onto frozen ground making it a little slippery underfoot and once we were up onto the ridge we spent most of the day wearing crampons!

We climbed above High Close before running several exercises over the summits of Silver How and Swinescar Pike before heading back along the ridge to Down Bank and descending back down to Elterwater.

Mark did really well in some tough conditions today, at times it was near white out!

A great day on the Fairfield Horseshoe today, despite the mist!

We set off about 9am from our shop in Ambleside and made our way easily out of town and to Rydal along the track that runs through Rydal Park. We reached Rydal and set on up the steepest part of the walk, up the southern face of Nab Scar. The path weaves its way up the steep fellside, and we ascended into the mist. The forecast was also showing strong winds and rain but at this time we only had the mist to contend with. As we climbed higher and higher we took in Heron Pike, Great Rigg and then finally ascended the final slope onto the summit plateau. We bagged the summit of Fairfield by which time the wind was whipping up and the rain had set in. We made our way off to the east through the thick mist and descended to Link Hause before again climbing over the rocky summit of Hart Crag. As we descended we met the long wall that was to guide us down the eastern spur of the horseshoe. We were again on the ascent and not before too long we had summited Dove Crag and then turned south to start our long descent. We stayed the left and slightly boggier side of the wall, but it was acting as a fantastic windbreak. We bagged High Pike shortly followed by Low Pike, and then the path forked and we descended down to the lovely High Sweden Bridge. Now finally out of the mist we got to enjoy views across to Rydal Water and to Windermere. We arrived back in Ambleside a little wind swept but having had a great day out on the fells.

The forecast said the weather for today would be the best to the east of Helvellyn, and that was exactly where we were heading onto High Street and the surrounding fells.

We started from the small village of Hartsop, and although there was some mist covering the tops we knew it would improve, and it was creating some quite dramatic views. We ascended on the good track up to the large Hayeswater Reservoir. We now climbed far more steeply up towards The Knott, from one side a large domed fell, and from the other side just a small pimple of a fell! We descended off The Knott and climbed the slopes up to Rampsgill Head. Just as we summited Rampsgill Head the mist cleared a little and provided us with some views of our next objective, High Raise. We descended and climbed the gentle slopes to the summit, and after a few pictures we turned and started to head back towards Kidsty Pike. We contoured around the head of Randale Beck and summited the fell. After our first little extention we were now heading for our main objective of the day, High Street. We walked around the Head of Riggindale Beck and across the top of Two Penny Crag before crossing the Straits of Riggindale. Now on our ascent up High Street and having already got 4 summits with no views we were really happy when the mist started to clear again. Firsly it cleared to provide views down in to Riggindale and to Haweswater in the distance, and then to our delight the summit of High Street emerged, and with it came some glorious sunshine. We reached the flat summit and thought it would be a great time to have some lunch. A mini inversion was happening as we found ourselves above most of the cloud, and the most impressive thing was that Helvellyn and its edges emerged out of the cloud, followed by Fairfield and St Sunday's Crag, a great lunchtime view! We descended to the south and then climbed again to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag, which hosts an impressive Roman Beacon. Doing well for time we thought we would extend the route once more and not descend over Gray Crag. We descended off the fell to Threshwaite Mouth and then climbed the rocky path to the summit of Stony Cove Pike. With another wall for assistance we followed it to the North towards Hartsop Dodd. On the way the cloud was breaking again to provide some more nice views. We summited our eigth and final fell and now just had a steep descent back down into Hartsop. On the way down we were treated with some lovely views of Brotehrs Water and Ullswater to the north.  Just before we reached the valley bottom we saw some old mine shafts which we went to see. We got back to the car having had a fantastic day out on a lovely group of fells.

Day one of a two day navigation course today and Silver How was our destination. Meeting outside the Brit Inn in Elterwater we ran through some map based information such as Grid References, symbols and orientation. Not before too long we started to make our way up onto the fellside. The weather was glorious, with blue skies, crisp views and even a bit of heat from the sun! (Such a contrast from yesterday its mad!) As we worked our way up towards Silver How we covered Handrails, Catchment features, timings and pacings.

Our lunch break was great. We sat and admired the views and even had a few fly pasts from RAF helicopters and Jets. We sent the afternoon focusing on bearings, as well as taking in the summit of Silver How. Martin and Anne navigated well today and took on everything very quickly. Up onto Lingmoor Fell tomorrow for some more practice and an NNAS Assessment.

An amazing day on the Lakeland classic that is The Fairfield Horseshoe.

After meeting Terry and Carol at our shop in Ambleside, we set off through Ambleside and towards Rydal Park. We made our way through Rydal Park, enjoying a warm morning, and watching the low cloud slowly rise off of Nab Scar. After passing Rydal Mount we were now on the steep climb up towards Nab Scar. As we climbed the views opened up nicely. We had great views over Windermere, Coniston Water, Rydal Water and Grasmere. We summited Nab Scar and then the gradient eased as we climbed towards Heron Pike. As we climbed towards Heron Pike we seemed to be chasing the cloud up the fellside which was a nice suprise. We enjoyed the views until we summited Great Rigg. Now in the cloud we headed up the final climb to the windswept summit of Fairfield.

We didn't linger on the summit long as it was a bit chilly, so we continued along the ridge to Hart Crag. Along the way we found a nice sheltered spot in which we had some lunch. After lunch we climbed over Hart Crag, and then the cloud really started to lift. This produced some amazing views, especially down into the quiet Deepdale Valley. We followed the wall up to Dove Crag which provided great views over Windermere again. The cloud was now lifting higher and higher by the minute all across the Lakes, and we started picking out some of the major fells. We descended by the wall down the gentle grass slope over High Pike and Low Pike before descending to High Sweden Bridge.

We enjoyed a nice rest by the bridge in the sun before finishing off this great route on the fine track that runs back into Ambleside.

Another fantastic day out taking in High Raise from Grasmere.

Starting from an already warm Grasmere we headed out of town and towards Silver How, the lovely little fell that overlooks the village. We climbed slowly up the fellside, firstly up a little lane and then out into the open land. Not before too long we had made our way up onto the summit of Silver How, a remarkable little summit with great views. From here we could see most of our route, with Sergeant man standing far in the distance.
Our route was now over undulating terrain, which climbed slowly towards Blea Rigg. Along the way we had great views of The Langdale Pikes. As we reached Blea Rigg we had a small bite to eat before continuing up to Sergeant Man. The summit of Sergeant Man was like Butlins when we arrived, just without the towels! We stopped here for a lunch stop before continuing the short distance to High Raise. The views from High Raise are also spectacular, what it it being the highest of the central fells, you get a 360 degree view of pretty much all the lakes.

We now started our return journey and started our descent over Tarn Crag. The long spur that stands high over Easdale tarn makes an enjoyable route down. We enjoyed the afternoon heat along the way and back into Grasmere. A fantastic day in the central fells.

A short afternoons walk from Grasmere today climbing Silver How.

We set off from the village at 1.30 and climbed by Allan Bank up the slopes to the summit of Silver How, meeting with some of the Workington Ramblers on the summit.

The views from the summit were great, we decided to follow the ridge a little and descend back to Grasmere from Lang How.

After meeting outside the Patterdale Hotel in the glorious sunshine we made our way across the fields and onto the track that traverses the hillside. After even just a short while of climbing we got some amazing views back down to Ullswater. We continued up the track to Boredale Hause from which we continued along to the summit of Angletarn Pikes. On this summit it was quite windy, and we could also see a larger band of cloud sweeping in. Within just a few minutes many of the highest summits in the area were covered with cloud, so we thought our views for the day were gone. We made our way past the lovely Angle Tarn and towards The Knott, a rounded summit that stands high above Hayeswater Reservoir. Fortunately by the time we had got here the cloud had once again blown through and we could see the summit of our next objective, High Street.

We enjoyed views down to Haweswater as we climbed the long and sustained slope up to the summit. On the summit we stopped for lunch and enjoyed extensive views right across the entire national park.

After our stop we descended and then climbed up to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag, which holds the large impressive beacon. From this summit we made our way back northwards over Gray Crags and back down to Hartsop. From here we followed the long track back along past the fields and into Patterdale.

A great day running a Navigation Training Course on Silver How.

After discussing Christine's current navigational abilities outside the Britannia Inn in Elterwater we made our way up onto the fellside. Along the way we ran through multiple techniques such as handrails, catchment features, countour interpretation, pacing and timings. Christine navigated very well all morning and was utilising each new technique every time. After a spot of lunch we spent the afternoon running through bearings, and then adding in the pacings with them.

A great day on the Lakeland classic that is The Fairfield Horseshoe.

After meeting the group at our shop in Ambleside, we set off through Ambleside and towards Rydal Park. We made our way through Rydal Park and could feel the weather was a bit cooler than the previous days, but nonetheless it was clear. After passing Rydal Mount we were now on the steep climb up towards Nab Scar.  As we climbed the views became more and more impressive, and we had great views over Windermere, Coniston Water, Rydal Water and Grasmere. We summited Nab Scar and then the gradient eased as we climbed towards Heron Pike. As we climbed towards Heron Pike we got hit by the winds and our first hail storm, but we were sure this would just pass through. We enjoyed the views  as we made our way to the summit of Great Rigg. All feeling a bit low on fuel we stopped for a bite to eat out of the wind before taking on the easy climb to the windswept summit of Fairfield.

We ducked into the shelter to dodge a hail storm but as it was a bit chilly we didnt stop for longer than needed!m We battled our along the very windswept ridge to Hart Crag abnd then we  followed the wall up to Dove Crag which provided great views over Windermere again.  We descended by the wall down the gentle grass slope over High Pike and Low Pike in the warm sun before descending to High Sweden Bridge.

We enjoyed an easy descent back into town on the fine track from the bridge.

A great but soggy day climbing Fairfield from Patterdale today.

I met James and Louise, newlyweds as of saturday (Congrats!) at the Patterdale Hotel, and their mini-moon activity of the day was to take on Fairfield!

We started the day, in the rain, by walking along the roadside to the Deepdale Bridge, from where we crossed the fields and started climbing onto the massive grassy spur that is Hartsop Above How. As we climbed alongside the wall we seemed to be chasing the cloud up the hill and our views continued to get better and better. Unfortunately this ' last forever, and shortly after summiting Hartsop Above How we were in the cloud. By now the rain had eased, but we were feeling the force of a strong easterly wind. We climbed the steep eastern flank of Hart Crag and onto its rocky summit.

We left the summit almost immediately, but just before Link Hause we found a sheltered spot in which we had a bite to eat. After our lunch we climbed onto the slopes of Fairfield. Along this section the wind was super strong, but nonetheless we made great progress to the summit. On the summit we met the only other walkers of the day!

From the summit of Fairfield we descended to the north down the steep rocky slope onto the ridge that leads to Cofa Pike, a small little rocky lump. From this summit we descended under the cloud to Deepdale Hause. The route would usually now climb over St Sunday's Crag, but based on the winds we opted to descend into the secluded Deepdale Valley.

This decision was not disapointing as we gained amazing views of the northern buttresses of Fairfield, as well as 'The Step', a spur that sticks out with sheer cliff faces on 3 of its sides. We enjoyed this long walk out past the waterfalls and these great cliffs. The path brought us back to the road, and a short walk took us back to our start point.

A fantastic route, and one that deffinitely gives The Fairfield Horseshoe a run for its money!! Amazing!

A great day on Silver How today with a  Navigation Training Course.

We set off from Elterwater at 100am and climbed above Red Bank and ran several navigation exercises, stopping for lunch on the summit of Silver How before continuing to Swinescar Pike and returning along the ridge to Dow Bank and descending back to Elterwater for a well deserved drink at the Britannia Inn.

A good day on Silver How today with a Navigation Training Course.

Although the weather was a little dam we climbed above Red Bank and ran several exercises along the ridge to the summit of Silver How, stopping for lunch just below Lang How before continuing along the ridge over Swinescar Pike.

The rain got a little heavier through the afternoon but we pressed on, following the ridge back to Dow Bank before descending to Elterwater.

A scorching day on the route that is High Raise from Borrowdale.

After meeting in Stonethwaite we got on our way up the valley next to Stonethwaite Beck. Eagle Crag, our first objective of the day was standing high in the centre of the valley, and with its sheer sides it looked quite daunting! Instead of taking the steep line up the front of Eagle Crag we contoured around its side and took an easier slope up towards its summit. It was already baking hot, and it wasn't even half 10! We got to the summit and enjoyed the amazing views. From the summit we walked the short distance along the grassy spur to our second, slightly higher summit of Sergeants Crag. From this rocky summit we continued along the grassy spur. As everyone had been to High Raise before, and as it was soo hot we opted to not head up to its summit, and instead we cut along the top of Long Crags and made our way towards Ullscarf. On the way we stopped and had a bite to eat, during which a Hercules flew right over our heads.

After lunch we followed the long grassy slope up to the flat top of Ullscarf. From here we headed to the north, over High and Low Saddle to Dock Tarn. We picked our way through the heather over the lumps and bumps to the summit of Great Crag. With four more Wainwrights ticked for Suzanne's list we descended down the steep path through the woods and back into Stonethwaite.

A damp day on the Fairfield Horseshoe today.

We set off from Ambleside at 10am and folllowed the Coffin Route to Rydal, climbing the steep slope of Nab Scar in good time.

There were a few drops of light rain as we climbed the track to Nab Scar, but nothing too bad, and most of the high fells were out of cloud, although there was some low cloud approaching from the south. As we climbed to the summit of Heron Pike the cloud base descended and shortly after leaving Heron Pike we were in the cloud.

From now on we were in thick cloud but we made good progress, crossing Great Rigg and reaching the summit of Fairfield at 12.45.

After a short lunch stop in the summit shelter we headed off again, crossing Hart Crag to Dove Crag before descending the long ridge over High Pike and Low Pike, dropping back out of the cloud just below Low Pike and following the path back to Ambleside by High Sweden Bridge.

A good day on Silver How today with a Navigation Course.

From Elterwater we climbed above High Close and ran several navigation exercises along the ridge, stopping for lunch on the summit of Silver How before continuing as far as Swinescar Pike before returning along the ridge to Dow Bank and back down to Elterwater.

A great day on The Fairfield Horseshoe.

After meeting the group at our shop in Ambleside, we set off through Ambleside and towards Rydal Park. We made our way through Rydal Park and could see the little cloud that was around was clearing nicely. After passing Rydal Mount we were now on the steep climb up towards Nab Scar.  As we climbed the views became more and more impressive, and we had great views over Windermere, Coniston Water, Rydal Water and Grasmere. We summited Nab Scar and then the gradient eased as we climbed towards Heron Pike.  We continued to make great progress as we made our way to the summit of Great Rigg. Ready for lunch we pressed on and decided to stop in the shelter on the summit of Fairfield.

After lunch we headed along the back stretch to Hart Crag and then we  followed the wall up to Dove Crag which provided great views over Windermere again.  We descended by the wall down the gentle grass slope over High Pike and Low Pike in the warm sun before descending to High Sweden Bridge. From the bridge we followed the good track back into Ambleside.

Another fantastic weekend of toughing it out on the 24 Peaks Challenge in 24 Hours.

On Saturday morning I met the group in Buttermere, and after a few minutes of finalising kit we were on our way (8.17am). The start of the challenge is not a kind one as we got straight into the climb by heading up the steep steps leading to Red Pike. We made great progress up this steep climb, despite intentionally taking it easier as to not burn out. After the final scramble we were on the summit of Red Pike after 1 hour and 20 minutes. There was a bit of mist on the Buttermere Fells but there was more over towards Great Gable where we would be heading later.

From Red Pike we followed the ridge and a short climb brought us up to summit number 2, High Stile. From High Stile another ridge walk brought us quickly onto summit 3, High Crag. With 3 summits in the bag within a couple of hours we now had a large descent to deal with. We descended the steep slope of Gamlin End before heading across Scarth Gap. From here we scrambled quickly up the slope to the summit of Haystacks, unfortunately not one of the 24 peaks!

We headed south from Haystacks past Inominate Tarn and weaved our way around the many tarns and outcrops before joining the track that climbs up to the Moses Trod Path. We joined this path for a short while before cutting off to hoin the northern slope of Green Gable. A short drag up into the mist brough us summit number 4, Green Gable. Great Gable soon followed as we headed across windy gap and up over the boulders to its windswept summit. We didnt linger long as we were planning on having Lunch at Styhead pass. We reached Styhead Pass after the knee crunching descent and the break was very well received!

After the break we were back on the ascent and we made our way up the Corridor Route to the summit of Lingmell. We were still climbing really well and focused on now reaching the highest summit in England. The group continued to climb well and after about 20 minutes we were on the summit of Scafell Pike. We were lucky enough to have some views so we took a moment to soak them up before heading onto our next peak. We crossed Broad Crag Col follwed by Broad Crag and Ill Crag before a short ascent brought us up to Great End. We continued with great pace across Esk Hause and summited Esk Pike shortly after. 9 down, 1 to go. We crossed Ore Gap and picked our way through the boulders and onto the summit of Bowfell.

With all of Day 1's peaks done we now just had to descend, and we had 1 hour 30 to get to the bottom to do it in 12 hours. We descended to the Three Tarns before turning east and joining The Band. We walked very quickly down the good path and we got to the bottom at about 12 hours exactly!

The alarm clock went off way too soon on Sunday morning, but we had some unfinished business to attend to, so out of bed we had to get! Unfortunately 3 of the 10 were unable to continue onto day 2 of the challenge.

After meeting in Ambleside at 7am we got our lift to the Kirkstone Pass, a great place to start the second day as its 350m above sea level. However, despite having a head start the first slope up Red Screes was by no means an easy one. We set off and the sun was already breaking through the patchwork of clouds, it was looking like a good day. We actually made amazing progress up this steep slope and we were on the summit after just 35 minutes.

We took a few minutes to have a breather on the summit, but then we made our way across the grassy slopes to Dove Crag. Hart Crag and Fairfield followed soon after. With just over 2 hours gone we were now on the toughest section of the day. We descended down the steep western side of Fairfield before climbing the very steep slope on the side of Seat Sandal. From this summit we had to descend straight away. Back in the col we chose to take the steep runners path up to the summit of Dollywagon Pike, this was hard work, but once again the group climbed well.

We were now onto the easier section of the walk and the summits would start to come much quicker. After Dollywagon Pike we took in Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, White Side and Raise. We had just 3 summits left and we seemed to be walking better than ever. It had been windier across these last few summits, but the sun was starting to come out again. We cracked on to the Dodds, and we had soon taken in Stybarrow Dodd, Great Dodd and our final summit, Watson's Dodd. We had done it, all we had to do was descend down to the roadside.

We descended down the grassy slope towards Castle Rock, and after passing the rock face we had made it to the roadside. John met us at the bottom and produced some champagne to celebrate our success. We had managed to complete the second day in just 8 hours 20 minutes, brining our total time to 20 hours and 20 minutes! Well done Chaps!!

A great day above Troutbeck today on the Troutbeck Skyline.

We set off from Trutbeck Church at 10am and climbed the gentle Garburn Track up to the Garburn Pass, turning north at the summit of the pass and following the path north alng the ridge, eventually climbing to the summit of Yoke.

From Yoke we continued north, following the ridge to the summit of Ill Bell. We stopped for lunch at the summit of Ill Bell before continuing north, as we descended Ill Bell a little cloud blew in so that as we crossed Froswick and climbed to the summit of Thornthwaite Crag we were in and out of the cloud.

We descended from Thornthwaite Crag south dropping down onto the Roman Road and dropped down to Hag Gill, following the track back to Troutbeck.

A good day on Silver How today on a Navigation Training course.

We set off from Elterwater at 9.30am and climbed above High Close onto the Dow Bank ridge, running several excercises along the ridge to Silver How and then as far as Swinescar Pike before returning along the ridge as fae as Down Bank and then back down to Elterwater.

A few showers today, but we seem to have got off lightly compared to others.

A great day out today above Grasmere climbing High Raise.

The weather this morning was great, cold but very bright and clear as we set off from Grasmere village, climbing up by Allan Bank and Wray Gill to the summit of Silver How.

As we followed the ridge from Silver How by Lang How and Swinescar Pike towards Blea Rigg we were rewarded with some wonderful views as far as Blackpool to the south, Scotland to the north and most of the Lake District fells around us.

We stopped for lunch just behind the summit rocks of Blea Rigg with a wonderful view over Langdale and to the Old Man of Coniston to the south before continuing to climb the ridge to the summit of Sergeant Man where after a short stop we continued up onto the summit of High Raise.

The views from the summit were spectacular but after a long stop we pressed on, crossing to Codale Head before descending east above Lang Crag to the summit of Tarn Crag.

From Tarn Crag we followed the path east dropping down into Far Easdale and crossing the bridge by Stythwaite Steps before following the valley track back to the Easdale Road and into Grasmere.

A blustery day on Silver How with a navigation training course.
We set off from Elterwater at 10am and climbed up by Huntingstile Crag and onto the ridge by Dow Bank, running several excercises to the.summit of Silver How.
By the time we were on the summit of Silver How the wind was getting quite strong and blowing the showers in quickly, we went as far as Lang How before returning by Megs Gill and following the Langdale Beck back from Chapel Stile to Elterwater.

A good day on Silver How today with a Navigation Training Course.

We set off from Elterwater just before 10am and climbed up onto the ridge by Dow Bank, stopping off at plenty of 'lumps and bumps' on the way to the summit of Silver How.

We stopped for lunch on the summit of Silver How and continued west picking out plenty of features as far as Swinescar Pike before picking a route back by Megs Gill and Dow Bank to Elterwater.

We had a pleasant evening today on the lower slopes of Silver How with a Night Navigation Course.

We  set off just before 7pm from Elterwater and by the time we were near the Hammerscar Plantation it was dark.

We spent four hours picking out plenty of the 'lumps and bumps' and streams along the Dow Bank and Spedding Crag ridge before returning to Elterwater just after 11pm.

A glorious day on Silver How today with a Navigation Training Course.

From Elterwater we headed up onto the Silver How ridge near Dow Bank and ran several navigation exercises along the ridge over the lumps and bumps to the summit of Silver How.

After lunch we continued west along the ridge as far as Swinescar Pike before returning to Elterwater by Megs Gill and Spedding Crag.

A good evening today on the lower slopes of Silver How.

We spent several hours around Dow Bank and Spedding Crag picking out plenty of 'lumps and bumps' before returning to Elterwater at at about 11pm.

A good day on Silver How today with a Navigation Training Course.
We set off from Elterwater at 10am and climbed above High Close and up onto the ridge below Dow Bank.
We picked out plenty of lumps and bumps along the ridge to the summit of Silver How and then along to Swinescar Pike before returning by Megs Gill and Dow Bank dropping back down to Elterwater.

A great walk from Patterdale today climbing Fairfield by Hartsop Above How and then descending over St Sundays Crag.

Although the high tops were in cloud we had a good day and some good views on the slopes of Hartsop Above How and then again as we descended over Arnison Crag.

From Paterdale we followed the road down to Deepdale Bridge and took the path up onto the Hartsop Above How ridge, there were some good views over Patterdale and across the valley towards the Far Eastern Fells as we climbed this long ridge eventually going into the cloud around the summit of Hartsop Above How.

We pressed on, climbing the steep slopes at the head of the ridge to the summit of Hart Crag, the visibility here was poor and there was a cool breeze so we dropped down below the summit out of the wind to eat our sandwiches before pressing on to the summit of Fairfield.

The steep descent over Cofa Pike was negotiated with little difficulty and we were soon at Deepdale Hause and again on the climb up to Saint Sundays Crag, after a short stop and a bout of cramp we were off again and at the summit of St Sundays Crag, we dropped down by Gavel Pike to pick up the pleasant path down towards Birks, crossing the grassy summit ridge of Birks quickly and then dropping down east to Trough Head and out onto the final ridge to the summit of Arnison Crag. By now we were below the cloud again and had some wonderful views as we descended back to Patterdale.

A great day on the Silver How ridge today with a Navigation Training Day.

We set off from Elterwater just after 10am and climbed above High Close onto the Dow Bank ridge, running several navigation exercises along the ridge to Megs Gill and then up onto the summit of Silver How.

We stopped for lunch by the summit cairn of Silver How before continuing along the ridge as far as Swinescar Pike before returning by Megs Gill and Dow Bank to Elterwater.

A great day today on the Deepdale Horseshoe from Patterdale.

We set off from Patterdale just after 9.30 and followed the road south to Deepdale Bridge and followed the ridge up by Gale Crag climbing eventually to the summit of Hartsop Above How.

By now we were in pretty thick cloud, although there  were a few breaks we had the odd good view across Deepdale towards St Sundays Crag.

We followed the ridge west climbing to the summit of Hart Crag where we stopped for a short lunch break.

After lunch we continued, this time north climbing to the summit of Fairfield, our highest point of the day and after a quick photo stop at the summit were off again, descending the rocky ridge over Cofa Pike to Deepdale Hause and then up again, this time onto the summit of Saint Sunday Crag.

A short descent to the east towards Gavel Pike brought us down onto the good path above Gavel Moss and out onto the summit of Birks, our final summit of the day from where we dropped down Thornhow End and onto the path back towards Patterdale.

Another great day today on the Fairfield Horseshoe.

We left Ambleside a little after 9am today and headed out on the Fairfield Horseshoe, following the Coffin Route to Rydal before heading up the steep slopes of Nab Scar.

We were soon at the top of Nab Scar with some wonderful views down over Rydal Water and Grasmere and as far south as Blackpool Tower!

From Nab Scar we followed the ridge north over the summits of Heron Pike and Great Rigg before climbing to the summit of Fairfield. There was a slight dusting of snow on the high tops today and quite a chilly breeze on the summit of Fairfield as we sat and ate our lunches in the wind shelter.

After lunch we crossed the head of the horseshoe to the summits of Hart Crag and Dove Crag, two showers just missed us as we descended from Dove Crag towards High Pike and then down to Low Pike, dropping down to High Sweden Bridge.

As we followed the track back to Ambleside we got caught in our first shower of the day, but it didn't last too long and we were soon descending into Ambleside in the dry.

A wild day above Grasmere today.

The forecast for today was foul, but as we set off from Grasmere this morning the winds were light and there was little more than light drizzle in the air.

We climbed by Wray Gill and up to the summit of Silver How in good time, by the time we were on the summit of Silver How the rain had intensified a little, still not too bad though.

As we followed the ridge from Silver How past Lang How and Swinescar Pike the wind got stronger and stronger and by the time we were approaching Blea Rigg we decided to head down by Easdale Tarn and back to Grasmere.

We dropped down to the tarn and out of the mist and followed the path by Sour Milk Gill down to Easdale and the track back to Grasmere.

A little shorter than the day we had planned but still an enjoyable one!

A glorious day on the Fairfield Horseshoe today.

We set off from Ambleside at 9am and headed out of town on the Rydal Road, shortly turning off onto the track to Rydal Hall.

From Rydal Hall we climbed the steep path up Nab Scar, the views this morning were wonderful, there was a mist over Windermere and blue sky and snow capped mountains.

From Nab Scar We followed the ridge over Heron Pike and up onto Great Rig before reaching the summit of Fairfield.

After a short lunch top on the summit of Fairfield we were off again, crossing to the summit of Hart Crag and then Dove Crag, following the wonderful ridge down over High Pike and Low Pike and then down by High Sweden BRidge back to Ambleside, getting back to the village just before dark.

A great day today climbing The Fairfield Horseshoe.

We set off from The Lake District Walker Shop in Ambleside at 9am and followed the road to the start of the Coffin Route, taking us to Rydal Hall and the start of the climb up Nab Scar. The forecast weather of low cloud didn't materialise this morning and we were in sunshine all the way up the steep climb to Nab Scar and then along the ridge to Heron Pike. From Heron Pike we followed the ridge north to the summit of Great Rigg and then up the long drag to the summit of Fairfield.

There was quite a chilly breeze on the summit of Fairfield today, we stopped in the wind shelter to admire the views over Helvellyn and eat our sandwiches before pressing on, crossing to the summits of Hart Crag and Dove Crag before descending the long ridge over High Pike and Low Pike dropping down to High Sweden Bridge and following the track back to Ambleside, getting back just after 3pm.

Towards the Scafell and Great Gable range

Towards the Scafells from Dove Crag

The Coniston Fells, The Crinkles and Bowfell from the climb up Nab Scar

Looking over Rydal Water from Nab Scar

Windermere from Nab Scar

Red Screes

Over Windermere

Grasmere

Windermere from Hart Crag

Dove Crag

The view down Rydal

The view down Rydal

On Hart Crag

On Hart Crag

On Hart Crag

Back towards Heron Pike

We set off from Elterwater at 10am today with a little snow on the ground, but a poor forecast and headed up onto the Dow Bank Ridge, taking the path below the summit of Dow Bank and following the ridgeline up onto the summit of Silver How.

The weather was getting worse as we climbed to the summit and at the summit it was wild, we soon decided not to head along the ridge any further towards Swinescar Pike and instead dropped down by the upper section of Megs Gill, getting a little shelter out of the wind and following the ridge back towards Dow Bank and taking the path back to Elterwater.

Despite the difficult conditions we had a good few hours.