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" Mellbreak with the family"

Date & start time: Thursday 2nd June 2011, 2.45 pm start.

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

Places visited : Mellbreak South Top, Pinnacles, Tom's Pool and Harry's Pool.

Walk details : 4.4 mls, 1500 ft of ascent, 3 hrs 15 mins.

Highest point : Mellbreak South Top 1,666ft - 509m.

Walked with : Cathy, Jas, Leo, Sam, Alexander, Tom and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

( Ann and Pat accompanied us for the first part of the walk and continued along Mosedale.)

Weather : Sunshine and blue skies all day.

 

" Mellbreak with the family" at EveryTrail
 

[ Alter the settings to zoom or change the Map, use Everytrail to download the Gps route ]

 

The best weather of the week was forecast today so all the grandchildren wanted to climb a mountain . . .

in particular Mellbreak which looks down on the cottage and greets them every time they go outdoors.

After a busy morning and a spot of lunch we gather a few items together and set off up the steep north face of the fell.

Ready to go . . . the hook by the front door was a good idea.
Rushing past the red phone box . . . wait for me !

Positive smiles at the negative signpost.

Pat, Sam, Leo, Cath, Jas, Alexander, Ann and Tom . . . not forgetting me of course.

Where are we going today ? . . . UP THERE !

Ann, recovering well from her minor knee op.
She and Pat take the lower route up Mosedale valley.

The remaining seven of us take to the hills . . . up the firebreak at the start of the climb.

The prospect of a blue sky climb ahead.

On this hot day, Bethan and Harry divert across to a boggy pool they remember of old.

Up on the climb now . . . Leo points out the cottage to Alexander.

They stop to rope up for the steep part of the climb . . . !

It is getting steep though . . . we've got to climb all the way up there next.

Take it in stages . . . and one of the stages ends at the viewpoint.

The next one was on the level near the top . . .

. . . and the final one was at the summit !

It's a great day with long distance views across to the Solway coast.

Jas and Sam sit down for a moment and enjoy the view across Mosedale towards Blake.

A few crags near the summit add depth to this view of Mosedale and Floutern Pass.

The fells behind are Haycock and Starling Dodd, Great Borne and Hen Comb.

Four boys discussing their next move . . . across country to find the Pinnacles.

Rough and tumble . . .
. . . down the heather covered slope.

. . . stopping before they reached the eastern flanks of Mellbreak.

From here there are great views down into the Buttermere Valley.

A green path leads down to the rock pinnacles, slightly hidden in the shadows.

Sam base jumping . . . or doing a Kate Winslet again ?

That's a rucksack not a parachute remember !

The gully is not for us today . . . but the blue lake looks nice.

From here we diverted back to the western side of the fell in order to find Tom's Pool.

This is Tom's favourite part of the fell . . . he's swum in here twice . . . unintentionally both times.

Careful Tom . . . don't fall in a third time !!!

[ Hold your cursor over the picture to see if he ended in the water]

Time to descend . . . we find the gentle traverse

that leads us away from the steep path which would otherwise take us straight down to the valley.

It's a much more gentle descent this way.

Rounding the corner and Loweswater comes into view again.

This last part of the descent will be tricky later when the bracken is high.

Then I normally aim for the top of the firebreak again . . . today we aim for the track below.

No sign of Ann or Pat . . . they're probably well on the way to the cottage by now.

We drop down to Harry's pool so that everyone who wants to can cool down.

Check out the dainty feet !

We stick to paddling today and prefer not to join Harry in the pool.

Kirkhead Farm on the way back . . . Sam and Jas lead the way home.

Several people out in the Kirkstile garden this fine afternoon.

Clear views up the valley to Green and Great Gable.

Ann and Pat are already home. Al is back from his bike ride

and the children are eager to tell the story of their ascent of Everest, I mean Mellbreak.

- - - 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 . . . feet firmly to the side of the puddle this time.

Go to Top . . . © RmH.2011 . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 31st May 2011 Cathy and Paula on Great Gable

A previous time up here - 16th February 2010 Melbreak with Thomas

Next walk - 6th June 2011 Barrow 1st for Ann and Ian