There we were, laying the table for breakfast after a leisurely
morning lie in and the phone rang !
Were we free and did we want to join in on a
walk up Mellbreak in half an hour's time ?
Well . . . what are friends for ?
How could we refuse . . . and after a quick
breakfast we set off from home for this walk with the extended
Archbold Family.
This was most of us us at Wainwright's Negative
Signpost outside the Kirkstile Pub.
Only Dougal was out of photo as it was hard
enough to get ten people and one dog to stand still for the
photo !
In fact we were one car short as four of the
family were still on their way over from Keswick. They
would catch up with us shortly.
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We chatted
our way up the farm track and bridleway to the firebreak. |
From there we started
the ascent of the northern end of the fell. |
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Dylan and Loes are both on 'light
duties' at present
and so they left us at the top of
the woods
and headed off for a low level walk
to the lake.
We would meet up later at the end
of the walk.
The faster members of the gang headed
straight up the
rather indistinct path up the front
of the fell.
The obvious way for them was straight
up the scree slope
but the easier way is actually to
find the zig-zag path
that climbs to one side of it.
- - - o o o - - -
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It was hard work to fit everyone on the ledge
at the "Peep round the Corner" and still see Buttermere
in the distance.
A task neigh on impossible if they wanted me
in the picture too !
A cold, windy north summit meant no photo today
(that's it in the distance)
and by the time of this photo we had crossed
the fell and we once again climbing to the reach the higher
southern summit of Mellbreak.
Rather than take the main path which follows
the skyline, we took a lower route across the side of
the fell which seemed to be more protected from the wind.
The route brought us round nicely to the rocky
outcrop on the southern high point of the fell.
However Mellbreak is a mountain where metres
make all the difference as this end is just three metres or
ten feet higher than the north top.
Therefore no summit photo yet . . . the true
top is one metre or three feet higher than those rocks and about
fifty yards this direction.
A flat rock outcrop and grassy mound found us
gathering at the true summit of the fell.
You can see by the hair and hats how blustery
and cold the wind was.
- - - o o o - -
Clair and Junior stop for a photo
to celebrate new boots and a great climb.
We took the top path back from the summit
and headed down into the dip in the centre of the
fell
that we had walked past earlier.
We had two options now, the steep, grassy descent
off the side
or to find the top of the traverse path
which takes an more gradual route across the face
before reaching the track in the Mosedale Valley
below.
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The path can be found in the 'V' caused by a
dry valley that starts to the right of the main descent path.
Where it suddenly steepens, the path heads off to the right
above a steep drop, to starts the more gradual descent.
As we work our way round the fellside the views open up once
again.
Below and behind us we saw the Mosedale Holly tree, but ahead
our attention was now drawn to Carling Knott, Loweswater and
Darling Fell.
Yet to come into view was the Kirkstile Inn, waiting expectantly
at the end of the walk.
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A suitably time phone call meant Loes met us at the pub where
Clare and James had pre-booked lunch places for fourteen.
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Lunch was
served in "The Barn" a very sociable room
for a larger crowd. |
Try holding your cursor
over the picture and say "Cheers". |
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A big thank you to James and Clare, Meg, Molly,
Maisie, Junior and Jacob and the extended family and friends,
Jordan, Sophie, Tom, Sam and Jake, who dragged
Loes and myself out of the cottage into the fresh air today.
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