It looked a morning full of possibilities but it wasn't until we had climbed about half way up the steep grassy slopes that the true glory of the dawn was beginning to become apparent as the fells were unlocked one by the light streaking through the clouds.
Morning at TheHause
Light breaking on Place Fell
Drama over Ullswater
Take the Long View
Low Light
Light catches Gowbarrow
Towards the Dodds
Understandably it took longer than normal to surmount this small summit with all the turning around to take photos but soon enough we arrived at the trig point to be the recipients of another gift of an intense rainbow provided by a shower crossing the Eden valley.
Little Mell Fell Summit
Looking to the East
That's where you'll find me....
I headed off from the summit without too much of a pause happily snapping away at glorious sights on offer before I was brought to an abrupt halt by a large, unstable gate that was also chained up.
The benefit of hindsight suggests I should have persevered and clambered over the unsteady edifice but in reality I went searching for a better way over the barbed wire fence which bisects the fell.
Light on Great Meldrum
Matterdale Morning
Towards Gowbarrow
Light streaming in
Matterdale Mono
As it was I ended up losing quite a bit of height before I had to climb over not one, but two gates
I capped this off by then precariously clambering over another fence only to see a stile that had been hidden by a tree just a few yards down the slope
By now however, I was on a track off Little Mell Fell and assumed that today's misadventures were now well and truly behind me. 
Finally getting off Little Mell Fell
Now I don't like crossing farmland or going through farmyards, even if there is a public footpath. There are many times it's your only option of course, but if I can avoid it I will, as part of me always feels as if I'm intruding. With this in mind I did briefly consider taking the roads to my next target of Great Mell Fell but as it looked like quite a detour I decided to cross over the fields, via the public footpath to Brownrigg Farm.
I've looked at old pictures of the field that the public right of way crosses and to me things have definitively changed. Now an extra enclosure has been added covering the area of good ground, this was full of very curious and skittish young cows. This left me with what remained to make my way across which was what could only be described as stinking bog. My decision to not bother with gators was quickly regretted as I sunk into the sodden ground well over ankle height and filled my boots with filth. We eventually made it through, with the mix of bog and cow s**t near the gate being particularly pungent.
Abandon all hope...
The road was greated with some elation and soon we were squelching our way, well I was Hughie was just plain minging, up Great Mell Fell. The light was still fantastic which took my mind off my soaking feet and a steady plod took us up to the top of the Greater of the Mell Fells and it's fine view of Blencathra. I de-booted on the summit, squeezed out my socks and had breakfast contemplating the view.
Glorious light on the way up Great Mell Fell
Mell Fell Mono
Bent over backwards
Shaft of sunshine in Matterdale
Through the trees to the higher ground
Blencathra from Great Mell Fell summit
Towards the West
Hughie surveys the scene
I had Planned to head off this top in a vaguely South Westerly direction to link up with the path around the base of the fell, but in all honesty the urge for exploration had been somewhat dented, so I retraced my steps back the way I had came.
Back on the road I made my way along the quiet lanes without seeing too many cars to Ulcat Row and the path around the base of Gowbarrow.
Little Mell Fell
Great Mell Fell
Blencathra
Bit of road walking
Mid Autumn Colour
Path below Norman Crag
On the well used path up to Airy Crag, Gowbarrow's summit, the views opened up over Ullswater which were quite fantastic with dramatic swathes of light and shade cast by the passing showers, all of which seemed to be passing me by.
We arrived at the summit in intense sunshine before retreating to the true top to have lunch with the sublime view of Ullswater to enjoy to the full.
Ullswater Mono
Sunshine and Showers over Ullswater
Another Rainbow on the way up Gowbarrow
Follow the wall
Not everybody having a nice day
Sunshine on Gowbarrow
Hughie on Gowbarrow
Ullswater glory, a lunch time view
West from Gowbarrow
All that remained was three little Birketts on the way back to The Hause. Great Meldrum's grassy expanse was nice and easy going but it's little cousin less so with a carpet of felled trees proving very tough progress, especially for a short legged dog who got a carry over the worst both before and after the summit.
Airy Crag
Blencathra and Great Mell Fell from Great Meldrum
Hughie on Little Meldrum
One more fence negotiated and we were finally on the way to the final top of Watermillock Fell. This is one where Mr Birkett has seemingly decided upon a name himself, better than nameless green lump I suppose, with nothing suggested on the OS map.
More great light over Ullswater
View from ]Watermillock Fell
Far Eastern Fells from Watermillock Fell
This was a walk blessed with some amazing conditions that seemed to go on all around me while I stayed dry, apart from my feet which was a small price to pay for being out on a day such as this.
on the state of the path through the fields. It was boggy last time I went that way but it sounds horrendous now 
Looks like we'll have to use the road for a short while 
