As my day had to include an afternoon visit to Keswick and the weather was superb, I phoned Gill who met me at Ashness Pier

for a late-morning walk across from Ashness Bridge to Walla Crag.  It had been a cold night and there's still ice in places on the paths.

For me to reach the start of the walk I had to drive over Whinlatter Pass.

The road was gritted from the Whinlatter Centre down, but the initial drive up from Lorton was 'interesting'.

This is my first view of Skiddaw from the Knoble Knott layby in the way down the Keswick side of the hill.

 - - - - o o o - - -

Gill and I met up at Ashness Pier and we drove up to Ashness Bridge in one car, with two people and three golden retrievers.

The National Trust car park just above the famous narrow pack horse bridge.

The old Scout Bothy has been converted to a National Trust Tearoom . . . but it wasn't open today.

The Bridge is as "chocolate box pretty" as ever.

We walked up the Ashness Gill path a short distance

and as we did the high fells on the opposite side of Derwent Water came into view.

Likewise the familiar peaks or Skiddaw and Skiddaw Little Man,

resplendent in their white coat and the bright sunshine, which appeared through a gap in the trees.

My walking companion today is Gill from Grange, with her retriever, Finlay of Borrowdale.

Another views through the trees, early in the walk.

This distant view of Bassenthwaite Lake from here makes it look much smaller than Derwent Water immediately below us.

With the steadily rising path the views really open out and the beauty of the day is revealed.

Looking back as we gained our first view of the Central Fells with Scafell Pike central to the picture.

An optical illusion makes Great Gable look a lot taller, but only because it is closer.

Rounding a corner this time reveals the next set of high fells.

The full view of Dodd, Ullock Pike, Carlside and Skiddaw with the second snowy summit being Skiddaw Little Man.

The North Western fells with the horseshoe of Causey Pike, Sail, Ill Crag, Hopegill Head

and Grisedale Pike are now clearly in view.

The picture in enhanced with the addition of St Herbert's Isle in the centre of Derwent Water.

As we walk above Falcon Crag I get the chance of a wider view.

Click here or on the photo above for a 180 degree annotated panorama

Walla Crag from above Falcon Crag.

It will be nice to have lunch on the top but we haven't brought any !

Lovely icicles where as wet patch of moorland discharges water onto the path.

Gill walks ahead as we approach the stile that will take us over to Walla Crag itself.

The snowy bulk of Blencathra is revealed as we reach the top.

Likewise, the snowy tops of Clough Head and the Dodds behind Castlerigg Fell.

Two fellow walkers reach the true summit of Walla Crag, where a small stone cairn behind Finlay marks the highest point.

Thought you might like to see the full view today.

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

Changing lenses and looking down on Derwent Isle and Friar's Crag.

Zooming in on Keswick town centre with St John's Church and its spire in the foreground.

Let's give Bassenthwaite Lake it's full prospect as it is bigger than Derwent water after all.

Here I'm looking down on Portinscale and the boats at Nichol End and Derwent Water Marinas.

- - - o o o - - -

Time to head back now after enjoying a cup of Gill's chocolate and digging in my pack

to successfully find an edible couple of meusli biscuits.

The walk back is into the sun, but we have the prospect of the high fells ahead on which to feast our eyes.

Somewhere around here a flash of common sense and we stopped to put on our micro-spikes.

The walk back from here would end up being a lot easier than the walk out.

No spikes for the dogs of course, they have built-in-claws which do much the same job.

We were entertained by a raucous carrion crow and his extremely loud voice - caw it was loud !

I think I also entertained him as I struggled for ages to get the camera to focus on the bird and not the grass in the background.

Heading back above Falcon Crag with the sun having cleared the ice from here on.

Lodore and the head of Derwent Water far below.

Ashness Bridge is below but it is lost in the shadows.

The lower path from Great Wood climbs alongside the wall and joins us at the gate hidden behind the lone walker.

The bridge looks similar to earlier as we've walked across the middle of the day, but I think those shadows are a bit deeper now.

Once we reach the car Gill drove back to her house but I have to call in the big city (Keswick) on my way home.

Still, it's been a lovely walk and we've made the best of a short day out.