Great Gable with Pete and Bella

Buttermere and Crummock Water, a classic view from the path to Great Gable.

Pete and Bella were guiding on Great Gable recently and here are some pictures of our adventure. The weather was perfect to start but soon turned cold and windy with cloud well down over the high fells though there were moments when the sun burst through the swirling mist and if you were quick there were opportunities for some dramatic photos.

View towards the Drumhouse with Fleetwith Pike on the left and Dale Head beyond. 



Path in Stone Cove leading to Beck Head.

Windy Gap and Stone Cove

 Beck Head Tarn with Kirk Fell beyond.

Steve takes a photo of Wastwater as the mist clears

North West ridge of Great Gable, our route of ascent, with Gable Crag on the left. 

On the North West ridge of Great Gable with Kirk Fell beyond and Ennerdale below.

Mist clearing to reveal Ennerdale far below

Descent from Great Gable, Langdale Pikes in the distance, Sprinkling Tarn in the centre. 

Prayer flags on a cairn above Sty Head.

Great Gable from the summit cairn on Green Gable.

Thanks to Tess and Ewen

Guess what dropped through the letter box this week? Yep some photos from last years walk taken by Tess of our dear old Jockey. So this posting is for Tess and Ewen to say thanks for the memories and as you particularly liked the one of Jock on his own, well here he is just for you.

Some of you will know that Jock passed away this February at the age of 14 with many many fells bagged and even more Munros. He was a lively, lovely lad and I just wanted to share this photo with you. You may not realise but when he was younger, no butty was safe... I was once on a remote Munro with only one ham roll for sustenance (rations were short that day) and Pete and I were just starting lunch when I glanced aside at something at the same time inadvertently placing my butty on the lunch box lid (uneaten). Well in the next instant it was in Jock's voracious jaws and the tug of war contest which ensued resulted in a 50:50 split.... I was not pleased!

So you see this next photo shows how Jock had mellowed or perhaps Pete (two hand grip) was not in a mood for sharing.

I wonder who the other fellow is? Does anyone know? It's not Tess that's for sure.

Occasional 'ramblings' about our walks

I thought that our wanderings over the Lakeland Fells could be shared with each other, so the idea of this blog was formed. Many of you have not met each other and yet so far this year I can honestly say that I bet you would all have got on well with each other and nattered away all day if you had all come together! Not that I could have taken so many of you up the fells at once. But perhaps in the comfort of your homes, after the wind, rain and sometimes snow this year, you can sit back, relax and reflect on the walks we did together. Perhaps you will be planning ahead to the walks we offer next year and maybe you will find some new inspiration.
So although there are not many weeks left until we hang up our boots for the season, I hope to post a few entries here, mostly in retrospect at the summer which came and went within the blinking of an eye....At least that's how it seems now but at the time, well didn't we do well all the hills we climbed and the sheep we saw, and the cairns we sat at.