The weather has turned and a few days before the start of December we entered a cold spell with overnight frosts. 

The 29th was forecasted as cold, sunny and dry, perfect weather for getting up high and enjoying the views from a summit. 

Dale Head is always a good one as it is a simple, steady climb with excellent views from the top.

Late November and we enter a period of cold weather giving great sunrises and a frosty lawn.

Time to feed the birds to give them energy to ward off the cold.

Looking across to Loweswater Church, the long morning shadows spreading all the way across the pasture.

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A few days later the overnight cold was even more intense and the frost cover deeper.

I decided to climb Dale Head as I had friends to call on in Buttermere later.

This was the view looking over to Whiteside, with Palace How buildings in the foreground.

On the other side of the road the views were of the sunshine on Low Fell, with Carling Knott the prominent summit to the left.

Brackenthwaite and this horse looked warm under his coat.

However the day looked cold as his breath turned to mist in the cold morning air.

Glorious Crummock, looking across to Ling Crags, Scale Knott and Gale Fell from Hause Point.

Looking back at Grasmoor and Low Fell now at the far end of the lake.

The day was so nice that it warranted a stop at Buttermere to take a small panorama including High Stile, Red Pike and the Church.

The Buttermere Pines . . . but I'm too late to get the sunshine streaming down the lake

and too early to have the sun high enough to be clear of the picture.

However a closer view of the Pines was a good alternative.

It looks cold and it was cold up here at Honister Hause.

I decided that it was time for 'elevenses', preferably a hot 'elevenses'.

After posing with the tiger, the three of us went inside to the cafe.

The Honister Cafe has been re-named the 'Bait Cabin' and the menu expanded to reflect the upgrade.

A rather nice cup of coffee would go down well before the climb today.

Can't resist a photo of the Plant and Equipment parked up outside the mine buildings.

The other reason for the photo was to show you the snow line on Helvellyn in the background.

Can't delay any more, in fact I don't want to delay either, so the three of us set off up the fell,

leaving the mine buildings further and further below.

Honister Crags cast a deep shadow over Gatesgarthdale.

I climb close to the fence but even from there you can get the odd glimpse

into the surface workings of some of the old Yew Crag Quarries.

Onward and upward . . . the peat bog pool was frozen today

but even so I diverted to the right of Dougal to avoid the possibility of getting wet feet.

Looking to my right as I climbed, showing the Helvellyn ridge from Clough Head and the Dodds to the summit snow.

The classic view from Dale Head looking north, down the Newlands Valley to Skiddaw and Blencathra.

Closer to the edge I can look down to Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy

and the surprisingly named Great Gable Crags low down on the face of Dale Head.

I met two fellow walkers on the top, who stood still long enough for a summit panorama.

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

Rather than just reverse the upward route, I diverted slightly to get views down into the Buttermere Valley.

High above Gatesgarthdale this time, with a clear view of the Loweswater Fells to the north west.

I venture on down the fell, passing more quarry workings.

At the far end was a cleft in the rock which marked the start of the tunnel.

Either the whole quarry had collapsed in, or more likely they dug so deep it became easier to dig a new exit at low level to extract the slate.

The expression comes to mind, "don't do this at home", but if you want me to guide you to the spot then I could be pursuaded.

Your safety however is your responsibility so don't just take these photos as an alternative to checking it out yourself before entering.

For those of an exploring mind, you are not encouraged to venture further towards the old working

especially on cold days like this when the frost makes the loose slate slippery and potentially lethal !

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Well, what do you know, I'm back inside the Bait Cabin . . .

That earlier coffee was so nice that I fancied another and combined with a warm pastie and a simple chocolate biscuit

it would do very nicely for lunch, thank you very much.

[ Now to remember to call back on the friends on the way back through Buttermere and deliver a few calendars to them]