Date & Time: Wednesday 7th May 2008. 2.40 pm start.

Location of Start : The Signpost on the Birker Fell Road, Cumbria, Uk. ( SD 171 977 )

Places visited : Rough Crag, Water Crag, White Pike, Woodend Height, Seat How and back.

Walk details : 5.1 mls, 1500 ft of ascent, 3 hrs 40 mins.

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

Weather : Very sunny with a warm breeze.

The signpost points everywhere but where we want to go !

The sunny weather continues and we invite a neighbour to walk with us for the first time. Her dog, Watson, made a great companion for our dogs too.

For today's walk we drove down to the south west of Cumbria to walk a circuit of Devoke Water and six of Wainwright's Outlying Fells.

A great afternoon and the first suntan of the summer !

Parking on the junction of the track to Devoke Water and the Birker Fell mountain road.

Climbing slightly, we topped the rise and got our first view of the tarn.

The water and the boathouse aren't really visible from the road so it's a pleasing discovery the first time you see it.

The dogs run over to the rock and climb with only the slightest of encouragement.

Ann captures the photographer at work. - - - o o o - - - Nothing I could do would make both dogs look the same way at the same time. There were too many interesting things to see this early in the walk.

The first summit and the hazy view of Scafell and Slightside from Rough Crag.

Looking back in the direction of the car were Harter Fell and Green Crag (in slight shadow)

Click here or on the photo above for a fuller annotated panorama.

No need to annotate this one of Bethan !

Joan tried to teach Watson the art of posing for a photo.	Harry turns to find out what's happening behind !

In order to keep Watson in one place I held on to his lead behind the rock , Harry turned round to watch me, I overbalanced trying to see if Ann was ready . . .

Not a great success !

Moving on , Ann and Joan leave Water Crag heading towards the western edge of the tarn.

Crossing the small outflow from Devoke Water.

The iron mesh presumably stops the fish escaping from the lake, and by so doing preserves stock for the fishing enthusiasts ?

A delightful waterfall just down from the lake.

A little more erosion of the ravine in millennia past might have caused the lake to drain completely.

From the crossing we climb to a cairn marked on the map.

Now a shelter, it may have been an old neolithic pile of stones on the pass between Ravenglass and the Duddon Valley

What appears to be a wild grassland moor does hold a few surprises to the botanist   These beautiful but small violets and the surrounding green shoots of the grass add a splash of colour to the otherwise yellow vegetation on this part of the hillside.

Wide open views to the north east as Joan and Ann climb high above the lake.

Our next objective, White Pike, silhouetted against a backdrop of the Ravenglass estuary.

The coastal main line viaduct can be seen crossing the river Esk, but the Isle of Man is lost in the haze today.

Stainton Pike and Whitfell as we cross to our next summit.

Our objective is Yoadcastle, and it will be the highest point of the day.

Summit photo . . . shows the strength of the sun but not the warm breeze.

We stopped briefly at the summit to enjoy a snack and some of Joan's fruit cake.

After a few dog biscuits were handed out the dogs took the opportunity for a little shut-eye, as we relaxed in the sunshine too.

" Do not disturb "	If he can, why can't I ?

On now to Woodend Height as we regain our view of Devoke Water far below.

We pass a barely discernable sheepfold as we drop down towards the last summit of the day, Seat How, close to the boathouse.

Well . . . I was walking along minding my own business when this sheep came over . . .

She seemed friendly but when she worked out I wasn't a sheep too she stamped her feet and got really shirty . . . honest officer !

Down by the waterside.

Bethan, first in for a change.	Harry chooses to just cool his feet.

A lone fisherman on Washfold Point just beyond the old boat house.

The house is all boarded up but I wonder whether it is still in use ?

Late afternoon sun from behind the boathouse.

A little further up now as we start the short climb to Seat How.

As isolated as many a Scottish Loch, the boathouse stands sentinel at the end of the summer's day.

Joan and Ann on the summit of Seat How, with Yoadcastle and White Pike behind.

All that remained was to return to the car alongside the fell road and make our way home via the Bower House Inn for a nice meal..

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my Cannon G7 or Ann's Ixus 75 Digital cameras.

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

This site best viewed with . . . a new walking companion for us and the dogs.

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Previous walk - 5th May 2008 Mellbreak and the two Jens

A previous time up here - 30th April 2007 A windy circuit of Devoke Water