Date & Time: Sunday 23rd March 2008. 10.45 am start.

Location of Start : The red phone box, Loweswater, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 143 211 )

Places visited : Kirkhead, Mosedale, Little Dodd, Hen Comb, Mosedale bridle way, Kirkstile Inn.

Walk details : 5.5 mls, 1450 ft of ascent, 3 hrs 30 mins.

Walked with : Richard, Jack, Matthew, Sam and the dogs, Saffi and Theo, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Blue skies and sunshine most of the way. A cool breeze on the top.

The summit party at base camp

The Easter weather, far from being disastrous as the forecast had suggested, turns even more beautiful with overnight snow and extensive sunshine.

Richard and I take the three boys up to enjoy the snow on Hen Comb. It's rather too big a walk for the fourth.

" But I want to come too Daddy "

Don't worry . . . there's something planned for you which is equally exciting for little boys !

We set off past the church and ahead is the summit, already in view.

A wintery northern face of Grasmoor from the same place.

Picture postcard view of Whiteside, living up to it's name today.

Further up the track we get a more open view which includes Grasmoor and Hopegill Head in sunshine behind.

First we must cross the stepping stones over Mosedale Beck.

Climbing now, our view of the surrounding fells improves with every turn.

Carling Knott over the fell wall, on the way up Hen Comb ridge.

Blake Fell with a good covering of snow too.

Once more the trio of North Western Fells catches my eye.

Ahead and to our left, Red Pike and the High Stile Ridge with the summit of Pillar Fell just showing over the ridge.

Fleetwith Pike and the fells around Honister Pass.

The Isle of Man is showing up well in the clear northerly air, despite being so far away.

Richard starts the last climb to the summit . . .

. . . but the dogs are there before him . . .

. . . but Sam beat everyone to the top today.

Matthew enjoying the warm sunshine, but his clothing says a different story about the temperature in this summit breeze.

Like father . . . like son.

The successful summiteers, my place being taken by the snowman.

The sculpture is in the bright sunshine, but Hopegill ahead behind is now in shade.

( Move your cursor over the photo for a rare view of the Snow Puffin )

Who do you think it looks like ? (Pause . . . then move your cursor over the photo again.)

Behind Miss Piggy is Loweswater, with snow on the distant Scottish hills.

Quite surprisingly Criffel, just in picture behind Carling Knott, appears to have little or no snow at all.

We decided to make the walk a round trip by descending down the back of the fell.

Matthew leads the way while Jack watches.

The slight rise at the head of Floutern Pass, known as Floutern Cop, is well covered in snow today.

The snow line started at about the 1000 ft contour on the fells surrounding Buttermere.

In the shelter of the back of Hen Comb, and having enjoyed a rapid descent through the fast melting and slippery slush on the steep fell side,

it was time to shed those extra layers of clothing for the walk home.

Keeping above the valley bottom to avoid the bog, Richard and Sam head back into Mosedale.

Saffi, Richard and I at the steel bridge over the Mosedale Beck.

( Picture by Jack )

A final look back at Red Pike.

Down in the valley the colour has returned and it's like a different world.

A reasonable pace on our return means we have time to call into the Kirkstile for a refreshing Kirkstile Beer and three J2O's . . .

. . . before returning towards that rather nice looking cottage by the red phone box.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my Canon G7 or Ann's Ixus Digital cameras.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a rare view of a Snow Puffin

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Previous walk - 22nd March 2008 Anglers Crag at Easter

A previous time up here - 4th March 2008 Hen Comb in the snow ( including Floutern Tarn )