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Another sunny day in paradise, albeit with a few clouds flying about in the cool breeze.

Friends Richard and Hilary are up in the Lakes and travel over to Loweswater today.

They haven't climbed Hen Comb for a while so we set out on a local walk, directly from the cottage.

The last set of photos ended with a wintery shower on our new garden flower bed

so we'll get the choreography correct today with the winter shower still falling on the garden.

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Wednesday Morning . . .

Blencathra taken by Richard as they travelled up from Coniston to Loweswater.

That wintery shower has left a dusting of snow on the high fells.

Loweswater Church and Hen Comb in the background . . . start and finish in the same picture.

( Please bear in mind that we have to walk back as well . . . so that's start / finish / start )

Looking back at the Kirkstile Inn as we head up to Kirkhead Farm.

The end of the walled track up from the farm.    From here it is 'open access', onward into Mosedale.

Richard and I  . . . my neck buff give a clue to the cool breeze that is blowing from the east today.

Down to Harry's Pool . . . Harry's already in it by the look of it.

The water levels are low due to the unusually dry month of April.

Great for river crossings . . . not so good for the sheep as the grass isn't growing as fast as they would like

and many of them have hungry lambs to feed.

I tried to shepherd him across the stream but it wasn't working.

Then the expression "Mohammed and the mountain" comes to mind . . .

If the lamb won't cross the river to the sheep then make the sheep cross the river to the lamb.

Our group today . . . Hilary, Richard and Ann.

A second photo . . . adding myself into the equation.

Leaving the valley below, we start the climb up onto Hen Comb.

From the high ground alongside Little Dodd we look ahead at the ridge up to the summit.

The little black dot in the valley is the famous Mosedale Holly.

We follow a quad bike track up the ridge . . . either a quad bike or a path created by two people walking side by side !

At the end of the elevated ridge the only way is up.

The ladies take the footpath . . . I opt for off-piste.

At the top . . . which is a good place to find it . . . is the summit cairn.

Time for a quick photo-shoot.

We stop just over the summit out of the breeze for a quick snack.

From this spot we get a great view out to the west . . . there's the Isle of Man away in the distance.

After lunch we seem to have another photo-shoot.

Over the back, the high fells around the Buttermere Valley and the head of Ennerdale.

Time for a little fun and games and work off a bit of excess energy.

Ann has walked a short distance down to look over the White Oak Moss.

From her vantage point she looks back at us discussing the surrounding fells.

The wider picture . . . stitched within the camera . . . excellent.

In fact her camera was used again to create a wide photo from the summit.

Click here or on the photo above for a Loweswatercam 360 degree annotated panorama.

Striding out for home . . .

We reverse the route we used on the way out . . . because the views on the way back down the fell are superb.

A passing cloud casts a shadow on our downward progress . . . the steep part of the climb / descent lies just ahead.

Hilary heads back down the steep path.

A while later, after passing Little Dodd, I seem to have caught up with her.

The curved 'out-take' wall where the moorland ends and the fields of the farm begin.

The conversation has changed as Ann now walks down with Hilary.

Heading down once again to Harry's Pool.

Chance for the dogs to cool down . . . we'll pass on joining them.

Mind you . . . once false move and we could be in the water too.

Heading back down the lane back to the farm.

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Later that evening . . .

We dined in luxury at the Bridge Hotel in Buttermere . . . excellent food and a lovely end to the day.

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