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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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A trip up to Blencathra this week to bag the main top for Sue and two unconquered Birkett tops for me.
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It's not a bad morning but the weather was forecast to close in later in the day. Sue was coming down with a cold so we chose what is probably the easiest route, the path just beyond Scales farm takes a nice slanting course up the fell.
Although if you fancy more of a challenge there is the direct route from the farm.
Height and views were gained quite easily. This is looking back to Clough Head on the left with high rigg and the western fells beyond
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Passing above Mousethwaite Comb.
Nearly at the junction of a few paths now, looking over to Souther Fell. We take the obvious shoulder on the left leading up to Scales Fell.
View from higher up looking to the western fells again.
Blencathra top comes into sight.
Zooming across to Sharp Edge. We both remarked that although the day was dry the rocks even on our easy paths were slippy so definitely not a day for us to climb the edge.
Mosedale viaduct on the old Penrith to Keswick railway line.
I have been unlucky the last couple of times on Blencathra and there were no views from the top again.
We walked the full ridge of Blencathra to visit the Birkett tops of Gategill Fell and Blease Fell. This is Blease Fell.
We did consider dropping down to the valley from Blease fell but decided to stay high so we paid a second visit of the day to Hallsfell top and had a look down Hall's Fell Ridge.
We then had a walk around to the top of Sharp Edge where we spoke to a couple who had just come up and confirmed that it was very tricky.
As we descended around the back of Foule Crag we heard a helicopter and were dismayed to see that it was the air ambulance and they were heading for Sharp Edge.
Heading down the path above Scales beck. The helicopter landed out of sight and a few minutes later members of the Keswick mountain rescue team came running up the path. I'm not ashamed to admit that the sight of the heavily laden rescuers running up the mountain in deteriorating weather brought a lump to my throat.
Soon the Keswick team where joined by the coastguard helicopter which seemed to be ferrying equipment and rescuers up to the area around the Edge.
We heard from another walker that someone had fallen down the "usual gully" on the north side of the edge. Here is a link to what turned out to be a lengthy and protracted operation. Like most regular walkers we appreciate the rescue teams and having seen them in action that appreciation is only reinforced.