Hiking
Another big hike in the Lake District: I had an early start yesterday and got up Grizedale Pike from Whinlatter. That's a serious straight climb for more than an hour solid. Bimbled around a bit at Grizedale Pike waiting to see what the weather would do: just dark clouds, no rain so I went on to Grasmoor, which overlooks Crummock Water and Buttermere, where we were on Saturday.
I came back via Grizedale Pike, I had planned to drop down to pick up a bus but I reckoned that, having got to Grasmoor, I couldn't comfortably make the 1503 bus at Lanthwaite farm.
Nice touch: I saw an oldish lady with a white stick and an assistance dog walking the low level tracks in the forest as I walked in to the trailhead. I think she and the dog were enjoying the cool morning air and sounds and smells.
That was a big hike, about 750m up and 750m down. There's a significant descent and reclimb between Grizedale Pike and Grasmoor.
So I'm hiked out for the moment. Whatever the weather, I won't be hiking today. There are a couple of fronts on their way as well for Wed & Thursday.
Hiking up with the Ibex and the clouds above the limestone rocks of the Vercors! The Pas de l’Œille (1960 m.) connects the Vercors with the valley of the river Drac. It’s a steep climb, the haunt of shy animals like marmottes and the long-horned Ibex, which we were careful to observe but not disturb.
Spring light and clear skies gave us a couple of excellent days out in the Grand Canyon of the Verdon. Clear views even as far as the snow of the Ecrins and Alps near Digne and Gap. Plenty of water in the river, though very few rafters or canoeists.
A couple of hikes in the Vercors in Dauphiné in France: the mountain rockscapes near La Grande Moucherolle (2284 m.) above Villard-de-Lans. In the south west of the Vercors region, the Tête de la Dame (1506 m.) near the Col de la Batalille (1313 m.), with views to the Ecrins, the Savoie Alps and even the Corniche of the Cévennes far away in the haze. Summer is late here so as well as the green grass, the flowers are at their best about now, thanks to lots of rain.
A couple of hikes up from Keswick in mild and fine spring weather. Whinlatter forest park offers fine views of Keswick, Bassenthwaite and Skiddaw. Not yet enough mountain bikers on the trails nor kids on the “ape” high route of ropes and poles through the treetops to be a nuisance to walkers; the famous red squirrels were keeping themselves hidden though the birds were making good use of a feeding station at the headquarters of the forest park.
We took the route past “Keswick’s answer to the Eiffel Tower” and Walla Crag on our hike up to Bleaberry Fell (590 m.), one of the peaks on Castlerigg Fell above Keswick. Still a bit wet under foot, but the reward for the climb was an all round view of Lakeland’s three highest peaks, Scafell Pike, 978 m., Helvellyn, 951 m. and Skiddaw, 931 m. clear in the spring sunshine. The ridge and summit of Helvellyn are over my shoulder in the picture.
Far away over the Solway Firth, we saw the granite shape of the hills of Galloway. The return route took us down Cat Gill/Ghyll, no longer inhabited by escaped domestic cats.
