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These five hills were ones that got left behind when we did others, so mostly it was a mopping up expedition, with Keswick the most central base. Although the weather forecast was the same for the whole week, with light rain, it varied with the addition of strong gusts, heavy showers, or no wet at all. One day was so bad, I decided to swim inside. The Keswick pool is now closed and my B & B landlord pointed me to Cockermouth where they were awaiting a spare part so the receptionist gave me the Workington Pool postcode for my satnav which lead me to a CLOSED tunnel. I backed and parked and was 2/3 way through before Health and Safety could stop me. I had a great swim, since I overtook two blokes, something that hasn't happened at home for decades, if you don't count the one I was thrilled to pass, until I looked down and discovered he had only one leg.
Day 1. Hopegill Head. I did this from a high road near Lorton, at Swinside.It was very wet with strong gusts on the summit, so I made the mistake of plunging down off the ridge to my upward route and was knee deep in heather for an age.
Below: looking back towards Lorton from the road
Below: wet bracken going towards the hill
Below: Hopegill Head is on the left, but I followed the stream up wherever I could.
Below: I followed a path from this lump along a ridge
Below: ridge to the summit
Below: summit. The wind was very strong here, so no selfies. Moreover it snatched away my waterproof rucksack cover which I can't have attached properly.
Day 2. Seathwaite Fell.. I waited until 11.15 am in car for the torrential rain to ease off, then climbed Seathwaite Fell. Had intended to walk round it and climb from Sprinkling Tarn, but got to a swollen burn? beck? I didn't dare leap, so walked back and went steeply up the fell. First lump had a small cairn on, but nowhere near enough Wainwright trod to be summit, nor was second cairn I tried. Third time lucky. Should have set my track to record, but eventually found a way down, if not the one I came up, after sitting on a rock bent double to shelter under my rucksack. The paths were all covered in rain.Did see a glimpse of sun from time to time.
Below: from the car-park/
Below: Bridge
Below. Not quite clear which is the river and which the path
Below: it doesn't look much in a photo, but was enoughto send me back to climb the steep way
Below: steep sides of Seathwaite Fell
Below: Up again
Below: Not the summit
Below: Not the summit again
Below: and not the cairn again
Below: the cairn at last
Below: after much marching about looking for a descent, and turning down several on the grounds that my imaginery friend wouldn't like it, I found this with a cairn half way down
Below: the walk in.
Day three:: Ullscarf. from the non-road side of Thirlmere I very optimistically put 4 hours on the parking, but actually tool
4 hours up and 3 down. I have never seen a bridle path before that consisted of a very narrow rivulet. It was right because I bumped into a stalker who said he thought no horse had used it in his lifetime. Came down a near parallel path he recommended whose opening I wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't said "Turn left before the bridge." Showers forecast as yesterday, but no rain, and even some sun.
Below; the "bridle" path. Labelled andon the map.
Luckily I didn't want to do anything it told me not to
Below: my legs start wobbling whenever I see stepping-stones, but luckily there was a bridge
Below: what a shame I have got this tarn a bit squint, because it was lovely. On the way back I met a family who had just been swimming, and walked back with them.
Below:the forest eventually gives way to open hillsaid
Below: at the top, I just followed a fence along to the left but circled round the hill
Below:Blae Tarn
Below: what a coincidence that a lady appeared out of nowhere for this summit photo. The only other people I met were the swimming family, the stalker and a couple of anglophile Germans. My new hat was knitted by a friend who did them for charity and insisted on knitting the fifty before I could have mine. Pressed back out of retirement to jab people for Covid he found he had time on his hands when people didn't show up, but not in hill walking sized chunks.
Below:another view from the summit
Below: looking back into the forest
Final day: Whiteless Pike and Wandhope: There was a slight scramble in one place, but I found a way round on return. A Californian carrying 3 litres of water caught me up on the former and took my pic. On the way back I met a couple. I was admiring the way a couple of fell runners had sped past and saying what great athletes they must be, but becase their discipline isn't in the Olympics, nobody knows who they are. He replied, rather grumpily "Like power lifting" I asked if he was involved in that, and his wife told me he had been world champion!!! They have moved north to take advantage of the hills, even tho his power lifting career hasn't helped his joints.
Below :i f there wasn't a path through all this bracken it would be near impossible
Below to the left is the lovely Rannerdale Knott
Below: the American took this photo of me on the summit.
Below: an easy stroll over to Wandhope
Below: Wandhope summit
Below: path back round Whiteless Pike
Below: Over Whiteless Pike
Below: World Power-lifting Champ. Neil Arnold
Below: nearly back to the pub.
ckr
