Buttermere at its Best

[The English Alpinist]

Easy start, from Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere.

Another one down, 2 to go! Just 2 - two - walks to do to finish my Wainwrights in Winter quest. The next one is just the small matter of going back to Rosthwaite Fell to make sure I find the summit properly. Yep, it's got to be done. It will make for a neat 40 walks in total anyway. Finally it will be 7 Central Fells from Castlerigg Stone Circle, about 6 hours. Today, however, it was my last visit to the Buttermere valley and a walk along the High Stile and Red Pike ridge no less. Quite biggies, but the weather was perfect, and full of the joys of Spring (I exaggerate) I set out. First up was Haystacks, Wainwright's favourite. Alas, I felt I started too late to do the full circuit of this, and contented myself with a straight up and down to the summit from Gatesgarth Pass. Besides, with leg-rash worry (I suspect biological washing powder) and knees which had felt the strain lately, I could do without the mileage. Even so, I was rewarded with one of the campaign highlights: another colony of freshly-spawned frogs!

On the summit of Haystacks. The bigger fare of High Crag awaits.

AW stood at the same place 40 years ago.

View of Haystacks from Grey Knotts 2 weeks ago.

The frogs of Haystacks.

High Crag ahead.

On top of High Crag.

Along the ridge to High Stile.

The ridge continues to Red Pike.

Big cairn on High Stile summit.

Along the edge to Red Pike.

Can see why Red Pike gets its name.

Stylish cairn on way to Starling Dodd.

Starling Dodd summit.

Starling Dodd summit, with Great Borne ahead.

Great Borne summit, last of the day.

Looking back to Great Borne on descent.

Surprise shelter encountered on improvised descent route.

Long valley trek back.

Lower down towards Crummock Water.

The day went without problems. Just two to do now!

Crummock Water.

Buttermere, nearly done now.

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3 guesses for whose car was last to leave the car park today. 6.45 pm.

[ChrisW]

I see you've been saving the best of the weather for the last few TEA, lovely pics again though I think the excitement of the frog patch caused some camera wobble .....almost there now mate