Keswick Mountain Festival 2011 - 18th to 22nd May

Yes they are already getting ready for this festival and we are thinking about the walks we will offer next year. So I thought it might be a good idea to ask you if you have any requests for particular walks during the festival. I can't promise we will incorporate them, but if you don't tell us what you want we all lose out. So if you would like to comment on the bottom of this posting you never know you may get your heart's desire!

Remember we always try to use public transport or local taxi firms (8 to a minibus) so that the costs are kept well down. But we can be flexible too and sometimes arrange car transport providing we don't clog up the car parking spaces near well known hills. It is usually our policy to try and give walks which appeal to people trying to tick off a few Wainwrights too. So there you are, but you will need to be fairly quick because we don't intend to hang about waiting for too long before we decide.

Our Leaders like to be complemented

Well it stands to reason after all we are only human and when we make your day out a truly memorable experience many of you tell us. Infact this morning Judith who is one of our regulars even sent us a postcard all the way from Montana. So thank you Judith that was very kind. She had bad weather, sleet and snow, well it has not been wonderful here for the last few days. Blowing a gale and pouring down on Monday I seem to remember. She climbed 2500 feet and did 5 miles on her way up towards Crypt Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada. She said it had all the "ingredients", well yes so it seems because the last walk I did with Judith was Esk Pike and I remember her feet got wet crossing the stream at the top of Langstrath. She was going to drive south to Idaho next and then on to Wyoming, what a gad about Judith, I hope you remember to bring the photo album next time your in Keswick.

Meanwhile, I have received some photos from Gaz and Nay who came up Haystacks with me, here they are clearly looking pleased on the top.

Wonderful views that day despite it being a bit murky. We saw hardly any other walkers until we descended Scarth Gap then they all seemed to be coming up that way. We arrived in Buttermere just in time for a quick slurp (tea) before the bus came to pick us up

Publishing the October walks programme

I am in the process of putting the finishing touches to the October programme before I post it here and on the website. So it is imminent and I know some of you have been waiting patiently to see it. Remember you can also pick up a printed copy of the programme from the Tourist Information Centre at the Moot Hall when you are in Keswick.  These will be up to date inclusive of the October walks and available from the Moot Hall sometime this weekend.

Because I usually put things on this blog first (it is the quickest method of communicating), I advise looking here if you are in a hurry.  I update the website next and lastly print the programmes. So now you know....

Meanwhile, the sun has been beaming on us for the last few days, and we have had many satisfied customers and returning clients on our walks this week. We also bought a new camera which has been taken out on a couple of walks but has proved to be more difficult to master than the previous one. However, we did manage to take a few shots on a recent Catbells foray and I include a shot or 2 for your amusement.

The idyllic scene as we disembark from the Keswick Launch at Hawse End.

The walk underway and ensuring we go up by the old mine workings so I can give my Beatrix Potter patter about Mrs Tiggy Winkle. (You must have read the tale of the hedgehog.)

A summit shot, all of us being blown to kingdom come by the wind......and just before we descended and saw the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team and the Air Ambulance in action that day 29th August.