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" Ullock Pike, Longside Edge and Carlside "

Date & start time: Wednesday 11th April 2012, 10.40 am start. ( NY 235 295 )

Location of Start : Roadside near the Ravenstone Hotel, Bassenthwaite, Cumbria, Uk.

Places visited : Ullock Pike, Longside Edge, Carlside Tarn, Carlside, Sawmill Tearooms.

Walk details : 6 mls, 2650 ft of ascent, 5 hrs 15 mins including refreshment stops.

Highest point : Carlside, 2447 ft - 746 m.

Walked with : Simon and Beth, John, Jo, Ann and the dogs, Amber, Polly, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Fine but the chance of a wintry shower.  90% chance of cloud free tops.

 

" Ullock Pike, Longside Edge and Carlside " at EveryTrail
 

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More fine weather as we meet up with a few friends and set off to climb three summits on the west side of Skiddaw.

Good visibility is on offer but there's a threat of a wintery, mid-day shower which gets a mention on the forecast.

A favourite route for us but this will be three new summits for Beth today.

The team . . . myself, John, Jo, Beth, Simon and, behind the lens, Ann.

As we climb above the Ravenstone Hotel, the snow-dappled peaks of the north-western fells start to show.

A day of constantly changing weather.

One minute we are in sunshine, the next we're in a shadow as a large cloud passes overhead.

The summit of Skiddaw was clear to start then clouded over as we climbed the ridge up to Ullock Pike summit.

The light and shade was a real delight.

Time to start the main climb up onto the ridge.

Bright sun lights the snow on Eel Crags

Grisedale Pike and distant Grasmoor fail to catch the limelight.

Simon stops to enjoy the view, just short of the summit of the Pike.

Bethan on the other hand has her sights set rather lower, on the head of Bassenthwaite Lake.

Jo moves away early so as to give a foreground to this summit photo !

Bright sun lights up St Bega's Church

A low rumble fills the valley and we look for an aircraft high in the sky . . . we were looking in the wrong place.

Well below our lofty position, flying low over the lake, this Hercules aircraft made its way slowly down the valley.

As we progress along Longside Edge, eyes were drawn to the view ahead.

The clarity of the air was so good that the fells could be clearly seen and therefore were easily identifiable.

How many can you name ?

Beth holds the inside frame of an old trainer shoe . . . I tried to think of a suitable caption for the photo . . . but failed !

[ Your best emailed suggestions will be published here . . . ]

 

“ Someone put their foot in it once too often, me thinks ” . . . Love your site . . . Ann B. from Sussex (a long way from the fells !)


" Beth foot forward " . . . Love the website, it gives me so many great ideas for walks for
our far too few visits to the lakes from Plymouth . . . Steve F. from Plymouth.

Mike H . . . We used to wear plimsolls at school in Penrith(many years ago)and when the sole came off we used to say " You must have been travelling at some speed when you had that 'blow out' "

" I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To you members of the Academy, to my manager, my agent and all my fans; without you none of this would have been possible ..." Ian S. from Kendal.

" I would like to thank everybody who contribute to me receiving this wonderful prize, particularly my father, and all those who voted for me. I know that this prize will take pride of place .............. in my bin " ... David L from Workington.

1st May 2012 . . . and the winner is . . .  Steve F. from Plymouth.   ( A small prize is on its way shortly )

Thanks everyone . . . Rmh

By the time we reached Longside Edge summit the sunshine had spread up Southerndale

and the top of Skiddaw to the right was clear of cloud.

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

We have reached the snow line . . . so Harry and Bethan try to eat it !

One of the difficult decisions of the day . . . do we go for the summit of Carlside direct

or stay low to the left and visit Carlside Tarn ?

The tarn won !

The dark shadow on the grass was the forerunner of that forecasted weather . . . we look around and see the cloud rolling in.
Looking back . . . the cloud moves in on Skiddaw
. . . and is ahead of us as we climb up to Carlside.

The wind has got up as the cloud arrives and there are hailstones in the air.

Fortunately they are not too big.

Ann and Jo stop to add a waterproof / windproof extra layer.

Ahead of them I grab the camera as, once again, the changeable weather is full of pleasant surprises.

Cloud above, sunshine below, as Simon and Beth wait for us to catch up.

Another shower cloud crosses over Derwent Water, blocking our view of the central fells.

Below us is White Stones . . . remembering their name is not that difficult really.

Chance here to get out of the breeze and enjoy a little lunch I think.

Come on John . . . I said 'enjoy' . . . Anyone would think Polly pinched your last sandwich !

During our short break the clouds rolled away and it was sunshine all the way

as we took the path around the fellside towards Dodd and the delightfully named Long Doors gap.

Winter colours on the heather as we descend.

The forest road opposite leads up towards the summit of Dodd

but we would be taking the track down to the right as we make our way back towards the cars, still some distance way.

All roads lead to . . .

Tea and cakes at the Mirehouse, Sawmill Tea Room.
Suitably refreshed we made our way back parallel to the road
. . . past the beehives in the wood . . .

and back to the cars at Ravenstone . . . a delightful round trip.

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Fuji Finepix T300 or my Canon G10/1100D cameras.

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

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Previous walk - 7th / 8th April 2012 Alexander's Final Two Days

A previous time up here - 14th May 2008 Ullock Pike with Helmut

Next walk - 12th April 2012 Blencathra via Roughten Gill