Date & start time: Saturday 6th February 2010, 11.20 am start.

Location of Start : Felldyke car park, Lamplugh, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 085 199 )

Places visited : Cogra Moss, Low Pen, High Pen, Blake Fell, Sharp Knott and back via the High Hows plantation to Cogra Moss again.

Walk details : 6.2 mls, 1500 ft, 4 hrs 30 mins including lunch.

Highest point : Blake Fell, 1,878ft ( 573m)

Walked with : Ann, Jo and the dogs, Jodie, Amber, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Beautiful blue skies but cool temperatures in keeping with the time of year.

A great day in prospect and tempted by a recent short walk in the area last weekend, we set off to complete the full round of Blake Fell from the western side.

Normally we climb Blake Fell from our (Loweswater) side but today we climbed fells and paths that we had never walked before ...

and we are only a few miles from home !

Spring has sprung . . . Snowdrops at Felldyke.

It was a glorious day as promised by the weather forecast which said that the Lakes were the sunniest place in the country today.

Apologies to anyone suffering the grey skies and murkiness of the east coast of UK today.

We were not alone in being out and enjoying the fine weather.

The local riding stables was out on a pony trek by the look of it as these were just two of a larger group.

Ann and Jo stride out to the forest gate as we get a full view of Blake Fell.

In case any of you are wondering where the forest is, this part was felled last year and is in the process of re-generation as a mixed woodland.

The Cogra Moss reservoir . . . viewed for the first time today through the trees.

This boggy area was dammed many years ago to create a small reservoir and create a regular water supply for the west coast towns.

The small weir and fence holds back some ice on the surface . . .	. . . which stands out more when viewed into the light.

One of several small islands in the lake.

A scaffolding walkway out to it was built by the local Angling Club to allow fishermen access to the island.

Two historic water pipes which we have never noticed before.	Leaving the lake we climb steeply towards the sun (but not all the way !)

A brief pause as we cross a forest track and stop to enjoy the view.

The warmth of the sun is very noticeable, especially as it was missing on the track alongside the lake.

Higher and wider . . . a view from slightly further up.

We would descend the skyline opposite later in the day on our anti-clockwise circuit of the valley.

Above the broken snow line now as we look across the reservoir and over to Scotland.

This was about as far as we got last weekend when we walked the Knock Murton Track

The rounded form of Knock Murton below as we continue up Low Pen.

A quick check of the map to distinguish the 'Low' from the 'High' summits.

High Pen conquered now and there's a slight dip as we start our main ascent of Blake itself.

The views are opening out and now include Great Borne, Pillar, Starling Dodd, Red Pike and High Stile away to the left.

Whilst stopped we were met by Sue and Hugh and their two dogs called Mac and Bracken.

Sue and Hugh introduced themselves as keen local Loweswatercam viewers from Frizington which was brilliant.

Regards to you both and thanks for your pin in our Loweswater World Map

Onward now, following the fence line up towards Blake.

As we have turned slightly the fells ahead are now the north western ones of Grasmoor and Whiteside.

An unusually strong path across the face of Blake, missing out the summit . . .

but we take the high road and continue on up to the right.

An old sandstone gatepost acts as a boundary stone.	Turning left at the post, Jo climbs the next section towards the top.

The carvings in the sandstone face were designed to slot wooden planks of poles in-and-down into the recess thus forming a gated entrance.

The second and matching post was missing and my guess is that the redundant gatepost was hauled up here at a later date to act as a boundary stone.

Wonderful views back include Fleetwith Pike at the head of Buttermere.

I bet it's slightly warmer up there today than three days ago when the east wind was whistling through.

To our right, the north western fells and distant Skiddaw, still covered in a respectable covering of snow.

A wider view of the central fells as Ann and Jo climb the last slope to the summit.

The round shelter defines the top of Blake . . . there's no other cairn or trig point.

The whole of the Solway Estuary behind the dogs is in view today.

We drop down slightly to get a comfortable view point for lunch

that avoids the slightly cool breeze up here.

Dogs fed . . . people fed . . . we survey the route ahead.

We plan to walk down the ridge and through the forestry back to the lake which is out of the picture to the left.

More snow patches and the forest track below catching the sunlight as we walk down.

Snow gives the chance for us to play snowballs . . . well the dogs expect it don't they ?

The quiet of the fells was interrupted slightly by the occasional barks of the local fox hounds (or trail hounds)

as they run the fells following a scent of some sort along the path. Our dogs were intrigued but declined to join them.

On the map, Sharp Knott is characterised by one of those "Pile of Stones" wordings that feature on the O.S.Maps.

Someone has taken advantage of the 'pile' to erect a wind shelter next to the outcrop.

Now to find that elusive entrance to the thick woodland in order to access the forest track shown about a hundred yards inside the trees.

We missed the end of the track which was somewhere further to the right, so we opted for a narrow firebreak ahead as an alternative.

Careful Harry there's a green eyed monster ahead !	No . . . not you Jo . . . he knows you're friendly !

The girls pause at the edge of the woodland and survey the view ahead.

We would follow around the right hand side of the young larch plantation and then continue on down to the left in the direction that Ann is pointing.

The track brought is back down to the Cogra Moss reservoir

where we could look back on a lovely walk . . . first to Blake summit . . .

. . . and then across the lake to Low and High Pen.

Time to try out one of those walkways . . . don't tell the Angling Club !

" Easy . . . now to get back to shore without getting wet" says Harry.

With confidence you can walk on water . . . I hope.

The ripples subside and the island is once again left alone to blend in to the peace and quiet of this winter afternoon.

Crossing the reservoir wall . . . the ice just stopping the reflections of Blake Fell opposite.

" Hard Water and Lakeside Grasses "

One last panorama as we turn for home.

- - - o o o - - -

On the way back we spot a 'deer' tree . . .	. . . and a dear brown pig (can anyone name the breed ? )

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon 75 or my Canon G10 digital camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . an "I Spy book of Pigs"

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Previous walk - 3rd February 2010 Fleetwith and Black Star

A previous time up here - 1st April 2007 Adventures of (the) Blake Seven

Next walk - 15th February 2010 The Low Fell Tree walk