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A gentle start to our 2017 Wainwright collecting campaign, the weather was really good to us which added to the relaxed and steady mood we were hoping for.
Away from home early to get ahead of the traffic and avoid any hold-ups in the road works around Manchester. We arrived in Patterdale at 9.30 and managed to get one of the few remaining spaces in the car park, just goes to show how popular the Lakes are.
Arnison Crag was our first target, we headed out of the car park towards the White Lion pub, opposite the pub there's a track running between some cottages and public loos, we went up this heading towards Glenamara Park. A bit further on there's a foot bridge then a gate in a wall, through this and continue to the next gate, we didn't go through the second gate, instead, we turned uphill on a good path heading for Oxford Crag.
This path is well used and the views soon open up.
Birks.
Ullswater.
Place Fell.
Raise, Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd.
We followed the wall for most of the way, around where the craggy bits start there's an indistinct path leading left off the main one heading directly over the crags, we took this one, although it presents no difficulty it adds a bit of interest and leads directly to the summit. There was a bit of snow around this height which added to the views and highlighted the craggy nature of the mountains around us.
On the summit the views are great.
On the summit, Birks behind.
Ullswater and Place Fell.
Boredale Hause, We'll be there later.
Towards Highstreet.
Sheffield Pike, Hart Side behind it, just a couple weeks ago we were on those.
Towards Kirkstone Pass.
Red Screes zoomed.
Hart Crag and Dove Crag.
Place Fell, our next destination.
From the summit we retraced our route back down to Patterdale.
Once back on the road we headed for Rooking and the start of the path to Boredale Hause.
View from the bridge on the way to Rooking.
There's no problem finding the start of this path as there's plenty of signs to help you.
Once on the path it's easy going all the way to Boredale Hause where we were in the snow again.
Views from Boredale Hause, towards Fairfield.
Helvellyn.
There are many paths heading in all directions up here mostly hidden by the snow today, the one up Place Fell is plain enough and well made.
The path up Place Fell.
It's a nice steady pull up Place Fell, steep in parts, so there were a couple of photo stops.
It eases once at the cairn on Round How and the path becomes more or less level from there until the summit of Place Fell.
On Place Fell.
The views were fantastic today, the visibility was excellent and the air clarity helped to really highlight the mountains.
Towards the top end of Ullswater.
Helvellyn Group.
Towards the Dodds, Blencathra right in the distance.
North.
To Arthurs Pike, Bonscale Pike, Loadpot Hill and Wether Hill.
Towards Kirkstone, Red Screes in the middle.
Fairfield.
Helvellyn again.
The Mell Fells.
Pano of Helvellyn.
Highstreet Pano.
We found a sheltered spot to have lunch so we sat down and relaxed, it was nice to take our time.
After lunch we set off back down to Patterdale.
Views on the way down.
Striding Edge, Helvellyn in the cloud and Catstye Cam.
Brothers Water and Red Screes.
A little bit of Ullwater from the path back to Rooking.
Place Fell from Patterdale.
We had an enjoyable day out, a good start to 2017.
Just about turned all the red balloons blue in this area now.
