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The fine weather continued into New Year's Day, and with a spring in my step I headed out of Buttermere and straight up the stone-stepped path through the woodland on the lower slopes of Dodd and Red Pike. Once out of the trees, the stone path became quite wet and slippery, with light touches of ice, and at times I found it easier to climb around or alongside the path, until eventually I arrived at the beautiful Bleaberry Tarn. There were patches of ice on the surface of the water, and as the wind rippled the water there were some satisfying cracking sounds! I hung around a while, admiring the surroundings and the sounds, before plodding up the good path to the Nuttall that is Dodd for excellent views back to Buttermere.
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
The apprach to the summit, on red clay and scree, was uncomfortable at times, and it was with some relief that I clambered up to the fairly flat summit of Red Pike, and then 'took a right' to head off and take-in some of the grassier Western fells.
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
For much of the remainder of the walk, it felt like I was back in Donald country, with the distinct, rolling hills, noticeable ascent and descent, but eminently pleasant walking. I made pretty quick progress between hills, taking in Starling Dodd, Great Borne (perhaps not quite so quick on the decent of Steel Brow
), Gavel Fell, and then dropping down quite steeply and climbing Hen Comb. By this time, however, I was suddenly quite fatigued, and talked myself out of dropping down from Hen Comb to tackle one more hill - Mellbreak would have to wait.
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
And so I contoured back around Hen Comb and joined the path overlooking Floutern Tarn, walking as if to return to Buttermere. After a little while of easy walking on the muddy but easy path, I had a word with myself and summoned the energy to strike-off up the side of Mellbreak, after all. Once past pt.338 at Scale Knott, it didn't take half as long as I expected to reach the summit, and then dropped back down the same path for a break out of the (by now) very strong wind at Scale Knott once again.
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
The path led me easily down to Crummock Water, and then along back to Buttermere, where I reflected on my first substantial foray into the Western Fells, and hoped this good weather would continue until my third and final day in the area.
The Lake District - Western Fells by
Christopher Watson, on Flickr
