Hiking
Wast Water, one of the least visited and least developed of the Cumbrian lakes. It’s a natural lake so at the foot of the steep scree the sides of the glacial U valley slope gently in to the lake. Wasdale Head seems to be known mostly as the start of one of the routes to the summit of Scafell Pikes.
Worthwhile enduring today’s uncomfortable weather to see Langdale in such interesting light. A full autumn day hiking out from the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel, past an old tractor at Stool End (it’s a farm); the old tractor’s driver’s chair is now being taken over by bracken.
The gate to the fells is the boundary between organised farming and National Park “wilderness”; this is one of the most unwelcoming: “No cycling” and “Sheep worrying is an offence. Dogs caught will be shot”, which makes the gap in the stone wall for the tree seem fantastically tolerant as well as visually interesting, representing farming as the organisation of natural life to provide food for humans.
Day trip to the Lake District for a raid hike up England’s sixth highest peak. Not wishing to experience the “Cumbrian Monsoon”, I chose the day for this raid only after obsessive following of the weather forecsats and decided the route at the last moment; even then, choosing the short, steep path up Skiddaw was a bit of a punt. It worked out well, dry but with very strong winds on the ridges at the summits.
The view from Skiddaw Little Man (865m.) south over Derwent Water and towards Great Gable (899 m.) was dramatic as the weather was still unsettled following yesterday’s storms; Honister (in the middle of this view) received more than 200mm of rain yesterday, more in one day than this month’s average rainfall.
Down the rocky road (Skiddaw Slates, early Ordovician metamorphosed sedimentary rock), still windy, then tea in the garden in Keswick with Mike and his sister before catching the big train back to London. The same effect as my Day hike from London to Blencathra but this time I didn’t drop my camera!
Views of Mt Blanc over the autumn colours in the deciduous trees around the Lac de Roseland. A couple of little hikes up from the car at the Cormet de Roseland (1967 m.), this with a friend from the Ski Club of Annecy. Hiking above the tree line, we enjoyed the last of the views in the quiet and clear air before the storms set in. Probably my last opportunity this year to hike above 2000m.
Summer’s over, the last hike of our holiday, the cliff and beach path to Monte-Carlo with a picnic watching some of the comings and goings to the ostentatious naval architecture on show at the Monaco Yacht show 2017. Presumably the short visits by the tender boats are by prospective clients.
