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Memories on Cat Bells

Memories on Cat Bells


Postby johnkaysleftleg » Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:38 pm

Wainwrights included on this walk: Cat Bells

Date walked: 06/08/2013

Distance: 6 km

Ascent: 440m

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This walk was a father and daughter day out with the excuse being to help Hughie catch up in the bagging stakes. Cat Bells during the summer holidays is, to say the least, a popular hill and the most difficult part of the day was getting parked. Eventually we managed to dump the car along the Grange end of the road and set off up the hill.

Image
Grace and Hughie by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Image
Looking up Borrowdale by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

A trip up Cat Bells is as much of an exercise in people watching as it is looking at views. Many of the torrent of bodies moving at various speeds up the hill could be split onto obvious groups: those walking up their first hill full of wonder, those that were finding this the hardest most pointless activity ever and those who were terrified by this precipitous mountain. :lol:

On the way down we came across a man pleading with his wife to walk up one of the rockier sections on Cat Bells northern ridge. She wasn’t budging however and was close to cragfast. :shock: Not sure what I’d have done if Nicola or Grace reacted like this the first time we walked up a hill. :?

Image
Hello Mrs Robinson by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Image
Newlands Valley by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Click on Link for Larger version http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkaysleftleg/9555594377/in/photostream/

Seeing all of this made me think back almost six years ago to the day when Cat Bells was our first ever Wainwright. Needless to say we were in the full of wonder group with my clearest memory being grace just about running up the final pull to the summit, not sure she’s moved as fast since. :lol:
It also made me think about the places our walking has taken us in the years since we last climbed up here. I’m not sure I thought for one second that we’d have bagged over a hundred Wainwrights and over two hundred tops of various types, stood on the Cuillin ridge and Blaven or developed the confidence to wander off up pathless hills in the Outer Hebrides over rough open country, it’s been quite a wonderful journey so far.

It has transformed all our lives and perhaps my life most of all. I spend my time either writing reports or planning walks to do in the future. I used to get upset about football, now I get upset about a bad weather forecast on a free day (or a good one when we can’t get out). I can say for sure that I’ll be climbing up hills for the rest of my active life; the thought of not doing so just doesn't enter my head.
I’ll stop rambling now and post some photos of the walk because for a small hill it certainly has some wonderful views.

Image
Hurcules over Derwent Water by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Image
Grace and Hughie on Cat Bells by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Image
Derwent Water Mono by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Image
Newlands Valley by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

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Lakeland Contrasts by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

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Sunlit Skiddaw by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Image
Hands on by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr


our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Last edited by johnkaysleftleg on Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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johnkaysleftleg
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:38 pm

Whoops wrong button :oops:
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johnkaysleftleg
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby ChrisW » Tue Aug 20, 2013 10:10 pm

Great shots of a truly beautiful location JK, it really does leave me hankering for a bit of home....it's time to plan a visit to my family in sunny lincolnshire I think :wink:
I confess I would have avoided this hill like the plague with all those cars around (not that I'm anti social or anything) in doing so I would have missed a wonderful hike in great conditions :D love that hercules shot :clap:
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Wed Aug 21, 2013 9:10 am

ChrisW wrote:Great shots of a truly beautiful location JK, it really does leave me hankering for a bit of home....it's time to plan a visit to my family in sunny lincolnshire I think :wink:
I confess I would have avoided this hill like the plague with all those cars around (not that I'm anti social or anything) in doing so I would have missed a wonderful hike in great conditions :D love that hercules shot :clap:


To be honest Chris it's worth avoiding :lol: the footfall in easily on a par with The Ben or Snowdon. Best way would be very early on a morning and include it in a Newlands round.
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby MarkyMark10 » Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:45 pm

Lovely report JK. Never been on Cat Bells but definately a one to include little Daniel in I think. I saw that Hercules when on Blencathra but its just a dot on the photo I took.
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby SusieThePensioner » Wed Aug 21, 2013 4:14 pm

Yes, great memories for me as well! I've probably mentioned this was also my very first foray into walking in the Lakes................1960!!! :shock: :lol:
Lovely to see you and Grace both helping Hughie with his Wainwrights :lol:
Some wonderful photos, particularly like the Newlands Valley ones.......pity you've disabled your comment thing on flickr otherwise I'd have said something on there as well :roll:
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Wed Aug 21, 2013 6:00 pm

MarkyMark10 wrote:Lovely report JK. Never been on Cat Bells but definately a one to include little Daniel in I think. I saw that Hercules when on Blencathra but its just a dot on the photo I took.


Thanks Mark, It's a fine (but very busy) little fell. I was very pleased to capture the Hercules, I'm normally rubbish at photos of things that move.

SusieThePensioner wrote:Yes, great memories for me as well! I've probably mentioned this was also my very first foray into walking in the Lakes................1960!!! :shock: :lol:
Lovely to see you and Grace both helping Hughie with his Wainwrights :lol:
Some wonderful photos, particularly like the Newlands Valley ones.......

Thanks Susie
SusieThePensioner wrote:pity you've disabled your comment thing on flickr otherwise I'd have said something on there as well :roll:


Sorry about that Susie wasn't aware that I had :shock: Flickr does some very strange things sometimes and behaves almost as if it has a mind of it's own. Drives me up the wall TBH :crazy:
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby Sarah86 » Wed Aug 21, 2013 7:11 pm

Even more disappointed I missed Catbells on my last visit, we ended up in the Lakes during the heatwave of July and it was going to be too much for my dog everything we had planned. I had been warned it was a very popular hill but the views you got are lovely.
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby Ibex » Wed Aug 21, 2013 7:13 pm

More lovely photos, as usual.
Nice to see you both pulling together to help Hughie catch you both up. What a lucky doggy! :)

That is a fantastic Father and Daughter day too.
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:20 am

Sarah86 wrote:Even more disappointed I missed Catbells on my last visit, we ended up in the Lakes during the heatwave of July and it was going to be too much for my dog everything we had planned. I had been warned it was a very popular hill but the views you got are lovely.


It is well worth the climb and putting up with the crowds for the views alone. Another smaller hill with great views and far fewer people is Barrow which can be easily climbed from Brathewaite, highly recommended on your next lakes visit.

Ibex wrote:More lovely photos, as usual.
Nice to see you both pulling together to help Hughie catch you both up. What a lucky doggy! :)

That is a fantastic Father and Daughter day too.


Cheers Ibex
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johnkaysleftleg
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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby martinhartley » Mon Jun 04, 2018 11:37 am

Thanks for this lovely walk report. I will be following in your footsteps with my daughter this weekend coming. Nice to know where I'm going - and thanks for the warning on parking.

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Re: Memories on Cat Bells

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Tue Jun 05, 2018 12:25 pm

martinhartley wrote:Thanks for this lovely walk report. I will be following in your footsteps with my daughter this weekend coming. Nice to know where I'm going - and thanks for the warning on parking.

Martin


Thank you Martin, hope you get some nice weather for your walk
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johnkaysleftleg
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