Walks advertised weeks ahead often get poorer weather and today was no exception.

The Mockerkin Mob walk had been planned with a route up Ling Fell and then across to Sale Fell. 

Rain at the start meant Ling was removed from the equation but it was added back on at the end as the weather cleared.

T'is the season of Cherry Blossom her in Cumbria,

no better than these two at Wythop Mill on the way to our meeting point at Brumston Bridge.

Poor weather, as seen through the gate, meant there was sufficient room to park.

However the walk leader had decided that Ling Fell, covered in cloud, wasn't very attractive, so we altered our plans.

The revised route was up to Eskin Farm and then do a horseshoe walk up the Wythop Valley,

around to Sale Fell (seen here beyond the farm) and back to the cars.

T'is also the season of snowdrops in the Wythop Valley and my fellow walkers paused for a moment to admire them.

Damp roads remain, but the weather seems to be clearing as we walk up the valley.

Old Scales Farm, on the bend in the road, half way up the valley.

Behind it are the slopes of Lords Seat and Broom.

There's an intriguing old outhouse sitting over a stream behind the building next to the road.

One would think it was an old toilet, but it looked more like an old washhouse with a fire and round copper basin.

Walking on up the valley with the partially-wooded Ladies Table ahead.

The lambs have grown and the one thing they don't do is walk . . .

The 'gambol' about like a bunch of young teenagers who have just discovered the wide outdoors.

These three youngsters walk at a more sedate pace, as they cross the field to see who's passing.

Lothwaite Side . . . the old farmhouse is tucked away behind the trees and under a slight rise below Sale Fell.

In the dip in front of the house is a spring and small pond which surprisingly doesn't show on the map.

Neither was this convenient spot marked as a coffee spot or a bench to relax on . . .

but once we sat on a mat or coat it fulfilled it's required purpose admirably.

Another flock came over to watch us eat, this time the youngsters were being supervised.

Lunch over, we crossed the remaining part of the valley and reached the Chapel Wood track.

This started at Kelswick Farm and heads under Lothwaite to disappear when it enters the Routenbeck/Wythop forestry.

We leave it early and start the steep climb up onto Lothwaite Fell

walking through the gorse, which has bloomed nicely but not yet reached it's peak in respect of its coconut-like scent.

Up on the high ground of Lothwaite now, looking down on Bassenthwaite Lake and across the green fields to Ladies Table and Lord's Seat.

Across the water Skiddaw and Blencathra still have their heads in the clouds.

The rather less-than-discrete slate obelisk cemented in place a year or so back, seemed to have been removed.

The Rivings is an area of land once ploughed for crops, possibly as early as the Napoleonic Wars,

when the farmers were encouraged to 'dig-for-Britain' the first time.  It also hosts a rather large stone cairn on its 335m summit.

With our early start, it was still morning as we reached the summit of Sale Fell

after having passed quite as number of other walkers and runners who were out now that the weather was better.

As we walked down from the summit, Ling Fell that we had planned but declined to climb earlier, was ahead of us.

Toodles, or Toodle-oo from Kelswick Farm as we regain the public road.

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With just a little extra fortitude we walked past the cars and once again started on the climb up from Brumston Bridge.

This time we turned right and headed for the gate that took us out onto the Coffin Road across Ling Crag.

The rain had stayed away, the cloud had risen and there were nice views during the climb.

"Never work with children and animals" . . . it took four photos to get this one of the dogs on the old grouse butts.

I had planned to get either Binsey or Bass Lake centre photo, but it didn't happen !

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All that remains is to say farewell to the group and set the Satnav for Yorkshire . . . I told you my life was busy at the moment.