Date & Time: Saturday 5th April 2008. 1 pm start.

Location of Start : Newlands Hause, Buttermere, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 193 176 )

Places visited : Moss Force, Buttermere Moss, Robinson, Buttermere Moss, High Snockrigg and back

Walk details : 3 mls, 1575 ft of ascent, 3 hrs.

Highest point : Robinson 2,417ft ( 737m )

Walked with : Ann and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Sunshine and wintery showers. Cold with excellent visibility.

Ann on Buttermere Moss high above Moss Force and the Newlands Valley

 

Today they predicted sunshine and wintery showers as a cold blast of northerly air would bring wintery conditions back to northern Britain.

The sun is out, it's cold and the air is clear for the start of our walk up Robinson Fell.

   
There's a Veterans Car "day out" event today - classic E type Jag
But we're off for a walk up Buttermere Moss and Robinson.

Newlands Hause from the start of the climb

( For those of a mechanical disposition, there's two E type convertibles and a Reliant Scimitar down there )

The significant feature of today would be weather though ( not cars ) as we look down the valley just a few minutes later.

A classic winter cumulus cloud drops snow over the far end of the valley.

High Hole on the side of Robinson Fell

A classic cirque or hanging valley but too small to have a tarn inside.

We cut across the top of Moss Force and got this view back down over the top of the falls

Harry - Mountain Dog

   
The view across to Eel Crag and Sail . . .
. . . is suddenly obscured by a passing snow shower.

By the time we reached the slopes under Robinson it was clear again.

Wainwright mentions a classic view of Loweswater flanked by fells.

This is it with several more snow showers progressing down the Solway Firth.

" Light and shade " Mellbreak and Rannerdale catch the sun but High Snockrigg on this side doesn't.

   
The view back of Crummock and Loweswater
The view up of Ann nearing the top.

More showers can be seen as inverted funnels, progressing down from the north in the left hand photo.

I reach the higher ground near the top too.

I'm in the shade but there's sunshine on Glaramara and Bowfell behind.

A wider panorama without me in it !

( l to r ) Dale Head, Glaramara, Bowfell and Esk Pike, Great End, The Scafells with Great and Green Gable in front.

A close up here on Green Gable and Great Gable across the top of a dark Fleetwith Pike.

Scafell Pike summit cairn is just clear of Gable's summit, but Scafell itself fills the gap above Beck Head pass.

Harry pretending to be a Polar Bear, by the fence on the western end of the Robinson ridge.

Another snow shower blows on across Grasmoor and Crummock Water.

   
Time for waterproofs - this one looks bigger
"Visibility will be poor in showers"

They always say that on the forecast - now you can see it in reality.

Looking back at Robinson summit . . . . Cold, clear light returns as the shower passes over.

The remnants pass across High Stile opposite

Today is a brilliant day for localised weather which changed by the minute as one shower after another raced through the fells.

The snow shower has left a dusting of white on High Crags before proceeding into Ennerdale beyond.

Now what was I taking about . . . . Snow ?

Ann crosses Buttermere moss on our way back down.

We make our way over to High Snockrigg edge to catch the view across to the south west.

The two middle distance fells are Fleetwith and Haystacks.

Zooming in on Great Gable. Scafell Pike is now seen clearly through the gap.

   
The mossy pools on the top on the moss . . .
. . . hold something interesting.

A new batch of frogs spawn amongst the bright green water plants.

Harry posing again in the clear blue sunshine by the pools.

Both dogs flank Ann as she looks down at the view below.

Hasness House and Buttermere round to the left.

Buttermere village down below her now.

Buttermere Church is the top building near the string of parked cars.

What's this - yet another wintery shower as we make our way back to Moss Force.

That clear view of Buttermere is now rather altered.

Only two cars left now, ours and one other. the cold weather has cleared the crowds away.

- - - o o o - - -

On the way back we called in at Buttermere Church to see the restores leaded glass windows

     
The outside of Wainwright's window.
The entrance porch looking out.
A clear view of the fells again.

- - - o o o - - -

Post script :

On our way back down the valley we were engulfed again by the weather which to us fell as wet sleet.

Once we had unpacked and the mist had cleared and we found most of the rain had fallen as snow.

High Stile Ridge.

Dramatic cloud clearing from Haystacks and Great Gable, from here in Loweswater.

As darkness fell we had a consistent fall of snow, even down to the field level around us.

A cold starry night is in prospect. Winter has returned !

 

- - - o o o - - -

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

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

This site best viewed with . . . a warm coat that we had put towards the back of the cupboard.

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