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" Rannerdale Knotts and the Bluebells "

Date & start time: Saturday, 17th May 2014, 12.50 pm start (after an early lunch)

Location of Start : The Hause Point car park, Crummock, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 163 184 )

Places visited : Rannerdale Knotts, Low Bank and back via Rannerdale Valley.

Walk details :  3.1 mls,  850 feet of ascent, 2 hour  15 mins.

Highest point : Rannerdale Knotts,   1160 ft - 355m

Walked with : Richard, Ann and the dogs, Molly, Harry and Dylan.

Weather : Sunshine and blue skies . . . again !

" Rannerdale Knotts and the Bluebells " at EveryTrail
 

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Richard was over from Burnley with his new puppy Molly, in order to introduce her to our puppy and to the Lakeland Fells.

She's two weeks older than Dylan and just as bouncy. 

His suggestion for a walk was Rannerdale Knotts which would suit their energy levels (and ours) quite nicely.

Richard was camped last night at Braithwaite and so climbed Binsey as Molly's first fell

Today he joined us for lunch in Loweswater, followed by a local walk in beautiful sunshine.

Meet Molly . . . a handsome 18 week old collie bitch.

Dylan now 16 weeks old is just a little bit smaller . . . but no less energetic.

Round and round the garden . . .
. . . turning and tumbling as they went.
   
They move so fast . . .
. . . that some times they were too quick for the shutter !

Okay guys . . . slow down . . . you'll have no energy left for a walk !

- - - o o o - - -

We arrive at the base of Rannerdale Knotts . . . just perfect for today.

We'll pass on the bluebells for now in favour of a direct climb of the front . . . starting at Hause Point.

Following the stepped footpath up the first rise.
Looking back at the cars, now a reasonable distance below.

Dylan pauses on the first level just as we regain our view of the top end of the valley.

Looking across to High and Low Ling Crags and Mellbreak.
There's a cool spring two thirds of the way up.
   
Name that bird . . . about the size of a starling.
A pair of unusually coloured birds with a white chest band.

They were a pair of reasonably rare Ring Ouzels, a summer migrant associated with upland areas of Britain and Europe

They travel over here after wintering in Spain or North Africa.

Roger,

Many thanks for your record of ring ouzel, and for the fine pictures confirming the species, which I will pass on to a local ouzel enthusiast. From the mouthful of worms/larvae, it looks as though that male ouzel is feeding chicks. I watched a male ring ouzel foraging in exactly this way yesterday in Mennock Pass, Dumfriesshire. It was also nice to see distant shots of Rhinns of Kells etc , from where I often enjoy a view of your own area.

Cheers and thanks again.

Chris Rollie

Area Manager Dumfries & Galloway Office.  rspb.org.uk

The Old School, Crossmichael, Castle Douglas DG7 3AP.  Tel 01556 670 464

 

A sea haze makes Scotland more difficult to spot today.

The high ground in the haze are the Rinns of Kells and Merrick in Dumfries and Galloway.

Richard kindly took a photo of us near the summit.

Richard and (chin up) Molly on Rannerdale summit itself.

From the summit you can look down into the Rannerdale / Squat Beck valley.

Even from here the colour of the bluebells stand out.

From here you also realise that the flowers extend much further up the valley than most people realise.

Zooming in on that Hawthorn tree in the centre of the last picture (the one by the green looking water course).

Strolling out along Low Bank, the head of Buttermere, Haystacks and Great Gable in the background.

Looking down on the shimmering waters at the head of Crummock Water.

Further along Low Bank there's an old sheep fold

which makes a foreground feature for this picture of Buttermere and the High Stile ridge.

We're near the end of the ridge and look for the path down into Squat Beck valley.

No sheep up here so the puppies have complete freedom.

A good time to practise re-call to voice and to our whistles.  A treat rewards successful behaviour.

What treats can't guarantee is that all three would 'sit and stay' at the same place at the same time.

Three cheers for wide angle lenses and fast shutter speeds.

Ann holds back slightly to catch this view of Richard and I setting off down the valley path.

Part way down, on the Rannerdale side of the valley, is an old sheep fold.

There must be an event on . . . as the path is way-marked with red flags all the way up.

Looking to the distance, there's a lovely patch of blue on the fellside . . . so we head that way for a look.

A large expanse of blue . . . in the sky and on the ground.

Richard next to one of the large hawthorn trees.

A farmer's old quad bike track has created a path to follow through the blooms

Walking on through the carpet of flowers.

Looking back to the head of the valley.

This was the tree we saw from high on the ridge.

We walk across to Rannerdale Beck which has descended from the slopes of Grasmoor.

It joins the slightly longer Squat Beck, but it is Rannerdale that provides the general name to the valley.

This picture is similar to the 2014 Loweswatercam Calendar shot for May, only last years the bluebells behind the old tree were brighter.

The flowers on the south facing slopes have passed their best . . .
. . . but the flowers on the north facing slopes were just right.

This is the path back to the Hause Point car park.

Quite a few people about down here.

I pause to let most of them move out of the picture . . . the triangular peak behind is Whiteless Pike.

Looking ahead into the sunshine.  I think the flowers here are in their prime.

Blue - bells.

Harry is with me and pauses for a photo . . . I wonder where the two pups are ?

Oh no . . . a puppy traffic jam,

as a large group of someone else's family and their friends all want to say 'hello'.

While the path is blocked I turn round for a last panorama including Grasmoor to the left.

Sign on the gate as we leave.

Will the last one out please close the gate.

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon Sureshot SX220, or my Nikon P520 digital camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . the sunshine that was missing from our last visit.

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Previous walk - 15th May 2014 - Castle Crag with Finlay and Dylan

A previous time up here - 26th May 2013 - Rannerdale Bluebells - 2013

Next walk - 21st May 2014 - George Fishers ~ Catbells Litter Pick