Remember: Press F11 for a full
screen view of this page.
|
|
|
Remember: Press F11 for a full
screen view of this page. |
| Date & start time: Saturday 13th June 2009. 11.40 am start. Location of Start : By the red phone box, Loweswater , Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 143 211 ) Places visited : Maggie's Bridge, High Nook, Black Crag, Gavel Fell, Floutern Cop, Floutern Tarn and back by the Mosedale track. Walk details : 8mls, 1850 ft, 5 hrs 10 mins including lunch. Highest point : Gavel Fell 1720 ft ( 526 m ) Walked with : Jeff and Rachel, Jo, John, Ann and myself plus the kennel club ...Hattie, Jodie, Amber, Polly, Harry and Bethan. Weather : Another beautiful day with a slight breeze on Gavel. [Click on the drop down menu bar
for your choice of Goggle map or photo display ] |
Gavel and Floutern Tarn at EveryTrail |
|
It's the weekend again and this time we stay in Loweswater rather than travel away. Even so we find a summit to climb that we haven't visited before. Floutern Pass, Floutern Cop, Floutern Tarn . . . you could say that time just Flou.
The night before the morning after . . . An evening glow from Friday's setting sun . . . from our garden..
Grasmoor looking a little like Ayres Rock.
High Stile and Dodd catching the setting sun's rays.
Whiteside . . . or perhaps we could call it Pinkside tonight. - - - o o o - - - Jeff and Rachel are staying at Foulsyke's Crummock Water Cottages and fancy a walk. Jo and John join us again as we have chosen Gavel Fell to walk today. They haven't been up there for a while either. A shorter walk, to be extended depending on how people feel and how our oldest and youngest dogs of the day cope with the conditions.
This is a bit novel for a full walk . . . we're not using the car . . . so the first picture is of Loweswater Vicarage just up from the phone box. The building is unusual as the centre window facing the lake is false, and there are no upstairs windows on the side that faces the Church !
At the top of the rise we take a left and head down to Maggie's Bridge. The cloud is down on Blake Fell but we will start our climb up Black Crag, partially hidden by the large Oak Tree. Let's hope the cloud base rises before we get up to the top of the fells.
High Nook Farm is about half way up to High Nook Tarn beneath Black Crag.. The main buildings have hardly changed over the centuries but the farm does now have a new covered shed (off to the left) to over winter the herd of cows.
"Art Deco Lambs" and their mum. Reminds me a little of that old Renault Picasso advert where they spray painted the cars.
Jeff and Rachel climbing up above the farm . . . and the view expands with every step Darling Fell and Low Fell to the left, Whiteside and Hopegill Head (in cloud) to the right. In the centre, and far away down the apparent end of the valley is the flat topped Broom Fell near Whinlatter.
The bracken is growing fast and starting to hide the zig-zags that lead directly onto Blake Fell. We'll turn left here and make our way up to Black Crag.
Ann looks happy as the gentle breeze blows in her hair. It's a steep climb up and the cool air is a welcome relief from the warm sunshine.
Perhaps we were talking about the wonderful view . . . the high rolling clouds . . . casting fast moving shadows over the fells far below us . . . but if I remember correctly we were actually talking about the Recycling Factory visit I went on a few weeks ago !
One of those clouds then crossed the sun and cast it's big shadow on us just as we came across the first of many patches of mature Cotton Grass.
Fleetwith Pike at the head of Buttermere Valley as the wind makes the cotton dance.
While our backs were turned, Bethan has found her own entertainment . . . in the form of a peat bog to cool herself down in her own delightful way.
Contrasting colours of green for Hen Comb and a darker more hazy blue/green for the cloud covered High Stile Ridge.
Polly waits patiently at the stile that takes us across to the adjacent summit of Gavel Fell.
" Chocolate and white " on leads . . . as we are just about to open a sandwich box or two.
John finds a sheltered spot just over the summit and we stop for lunch.
Hattie, Rachel and Jeff's dog is twelve and a half and is coping well with the walk. The soft ground is to her liking, but she still appreciated a quick nap at lunchtime to build back her energy.
Heading more or less south down to Floutern Pass, our next target is Floutern Cop. This is the small summit at the head of the pass, which we have often seen but never climbed before.
Jeff looks confused, I think he is trying to count all the dogs.
White Oak Moss It's pretty dry at present but this is the head waters of White Oak Beck that makes it's way down on the northern side of Hen Comb.
Hattie looks happy !
More Cotton Grass as Amber settles into a nice cool patch of Sphagnum Moss.
" Chill out ! "
Any more of these and we'll be rivaling the number of recent Bluebell photos.
The view from the top is as good as we expected. Floutern Cop is a prominent landmark especially when viewed from the North Western Fells, so the view the other way should be good too.
Zooming in on the top end of Crummock Water, Buttermere Village and the Newlands Pass below Robinson.
It looks like Jeff has plenty of dog treats today.
Well hidden amongst the high fells, this tarn is unusual in that it takes on a rather elongated shape rather than being a classic round, glacial mountain tarn.
It's beauty is undeniable however, especially when the sun shines and the wind drops to a slight breeze.
Harry enjoying a swim.
We encourage Bethan in too . . . in an attempt to regain her traditional retriever colour once more.
Gale Fell in the sunshine beyond the eastern outflow of Floutern Tarn.
Floutern Pass, a wet place on a wet day . . . but today the paths seem fairly dry.
Our route will take us to the gate alongside the sheepfold below.
Mighty Grasmoor still showing it's head over the summit of Hen Comb. To the right, Eel Crag, Wandope and Whiteless Pike complete the skyline.
We speak too soon . . . as we reach a boggy section on the bridleway through Mosedale.
Round the flanks of Hen Comb we pass another, smaller sheepfold. The Mosedale Holly is in view and so we must be well on the way back now.
The iron bridge over Mosedale Beck, the old green paint starting to allow a little rust to take hold.
Still it's plenty strong enough for me and him to stand alongside each other for a photo.
Back down now at farm level, we look over to Loweswater and Maggie's Bridge where we started our walked earlier.
So close you can almost see the phone box. John certainly thinks he can smell Ann's Cheese Scones just waiting on the kitchen work top for our return.
Sunshine all the way now as we walk the lane towards home.
We pass on a visit to the Kirkstile Inn for now as we've a table booked for 7.30 pm Jayne and Max will join us shortly for an OFC Dining section event tonight. - - - o o o - - - |
Technical note: Pictures taken with with Ann's Cannon 75 or my Cannon G7 Digital camera. Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder. This site best viewed with . . . a table reservation for eight. © RmH.2009 # Email me here # or leave me a Guest Book Entry A previous time up here - 4th March 2008 Hen Comb in the snow Previous walk - Saturday 6th June 2009 Kisdon Hill and Waterfalls Next walk - Sunday 14th June 2009 Causey Pike from Stoneycroft |
