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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
I spent a couple of days at Glenridding with a few folk from the Outdoors Magic forum. We stayed in the hostel owned by Bury council, which given the conditions over the week-end was considerably more comfortable than a tent.
Saturday was a very windy day but we set of in the hope of climbing Catstycam by the steep Northwest ridge, in the end the wind only got stronger so we climbed the (slightly) more protected path on the Eastern side. This is Swart Beck roaring down the hillside.
Our home for the week-end.
Looking down past Glenridding youth hostel to Ullswater with Place Fell behind
We found a nice patch of snow on the side of Catstycam which made a nice slide.
Red Tarn, Striding Edge and Helvellyn.
The wind really was ferocious as we reached the top of Catstycam and we were all blown about. We could hardly stand at the summit and we all huddled together and rode out a fierce hail storm before we quickly got to safer ground by Red Tarn.
Looking back to Catstycam from the climb up to Hole in the wall. The weather calmed down a bit and it became quite a nice day.
Helvellyn flanked by striding Edge on the left and Swirral Edge and Catstycam on the right.
Following the wall up Birkhouse Moor.
We found an even better snow slide on the walk down Birkhouse Moor
Although Sunday started dull and windy as soon as we set of walking the weather improved and again the day became quite pleasant. Catstycam seems to be bothered by a bit of low cloud but we were heading in the other direction following Swart Beck up to the area marked on the map as Tips (disused).
Higher up the hill now looking down the valley with Ullswater, Place Fell, Angle Tarn Pikes and the Far Eastern Fells behind.
Swart Beck from the top..
Walking through the strange landscape of industrial spoil heaps.
Looking across more spoil to Raise and Sticks Pass.
Back to more familiar Lake District ground at Nick Head looking down Glencoyne with Sheffield Pike on the right.
The view from the post at the top of Heron Pike.
Zooming in on the large cairn on Thornwaite Crag.
Ullswater again, this time from Glenridding Dodd.
Looking back to Heron Pike from Glenridding Dodd.
Heading down now by way of the steep path known as the Rake. We called in to the Travelers Rest pub for a winter warmer before some of us walked back up the road to the hostel, me and the other slow coaches at the back blagged a lift from another of our party who had been walking elsewhere. Great thanks to Milly from the OM forum who organised the meet and to my fellow attendees who made it a brilliant week-end.