When planning my visits to the Lakes, usually in December of the previous year, I like to visualise the trip, plan the walks and think of the lovely photographs I can take. August, in particular, is supposed to be a warm, dry summer month and, to be fair, there have been some great August visits to the Lakes over the past 9 years. That was not the case in August 2023 when my trip coincided with Storm Betty, making August feel more like November. Despite the weather, I still managed to complete my three main objectives (just).

I drove to Southport on the Thursday evening and spent an hour with Mum and Rob at Lyndale care home. Mum now has a larger room and is looking very settled there. She’s also looking healthy and seems very happy. Rob and I had a fish and chip supper at Churchgate and chatted until 10.30pm.

Friday, 18th August 2023

Friday morning I left Southport just after 7.30am and arrived in Sadgill at 9.30am. It’s a long drive-in to Sadgill from the main road, along a single-track lane with few passing places, and the parking area is very small. I hadn’t been looking forward to driving the route but I wanted to walk from this point as it was new to me. Fortunately, the weather forecast meant that there were few other cars on this narrow road today. There were just three other cars at Sadgill when I arrived. Parking up was easy but I was feeling rather unprepared.

It’s a bit odd and I’ve noticed it before. My first day in the Lakes, each time I visit, is often a strong mix of excitement and anxiety. The excitement I can understand but I’m not sure why I feel anxious. Fortunately, the anxiety quickly evaporates when I get myself out onto the fells, leaving only excitement. That was eventually the case today. When I began the walk, the OS Maps app was playing up and initially I wasn’t getting any positioning or the walk route. It did eventually kick in and once I had a good GPS fix and was out on the hills, everything felt good.

The weather forecast was for rain by lunchtime so I decided to do one half of the planned walk and return via the Gatescarth Pass. As it happened, the rain stayed away until early evening but I’d committed to my plan and, in truth, the cloud base was getting lower when I reached the Gatescarth Pass and the second half would probably have been in mist. Also, I didn’t want to push it on the first day. I was learning from previous first days when I’d taken on too much and exhausted myself.

After passing through the gate at the start of this route, the way is not obvious, but I knew I was heading for another gate at the top of the first field, which I thought I could see. After reaching the intake wall and the gate, the way is more obvious and as I climbed, the OS Maps app got a phone signal and I had my route-finder back.

The first stop is at Great Howe, which marks the end of the steep initial climb. There’s a modest cairn and excellent views up the valley to Buckbarrow Crag and to the summit at Tarn Crag. From this point, there’s a leisurely romp towards Grey Crag.

The summit at Grey Crag is neat and obvious. There’s a decent cairn on a rocky knoll to mark the spot. By the time I arrived, I had relaxed and was very happy to have bagged the first Wainwright of the trip. To be honest, I hadn’t really been looking forward to this walk, I didn’t have good memories of the previous visit to these two tops and the weather this time didn’t look much better that on my first visit. However, as usual, it just felt good to be back on the fells, to the point where I didn’t bother looking at the map and headed off in the direction of Harrop Pike, mistaking it for Tarn Crag.

I got half-way there before realising that I was walking north-east, when I should be walking north-west. I laughed at my foolishness, turned back on myself and headed in the right direction. On reflection, I now wish I’d continued to Harrop Pike and bagged the Nuttall while I was there but, at the time, I was expecting rain at any moment, so I gave it a miss. In any case, I had been there in May 2017 on an even gloomier day than today, and had the photos to prove it!

I arrived at Tarn Crag with the survey tower backed by brooding cloud. Across the valley, Kentmere Pike summit was above the cloud base. It was a quarter to twelve but it felt like dusk. The summit looked exactly as I’d seen it six years earlier, a dreary and damp place. You would think that having visited in both May and August, there might have been a chance of catching it in good weather. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for better weather on the third round.

I didn’t stay long, just the time it took to grab a few snaps, and then I set off downhill. There followed a 2km damp tramp to Brownhowe Bottom and the Gatesgarth Pass track. I arrived at the relative safety of the track in good time. It was only 12.30pm and I considered switching back to my original plan and continue through Wrengill Quarry and then following the wall up onto Kentmere Pike. I looked up and reminded myself that this was just the first day and that it would be sensible to take things easy. For once, I took my own advice and headed off down the Gatesgarth track towards Sadgill.

Along the route are some lovely cascades and, on a sunnier day, this would make a great location for some landscape photographs. Also prominent, on the right, is Goat Scar which I was determined to visit along with the true summit at Shipman Knotts. They would have to wait for another day.

I arrived back at the car and Sadgill at 1.30pm having had a relatively gentle four hour hike. Contrary to expectations, it hadn’t rained and I considered it a successful start to a week in the Lakes.

I had lunch in the car and then drove to Booths at Windermere to pick up some provisions for the week before checking in at YHA Ambleside. Once installed, I started planning for walking the next day. Storm Betty was approaching and the weather forecast was not looking good.

Saturday, 19th August 2023

The Mountain Weather Forecast:
“Frequent buffeting all areas throughout the day; challenging walking conditions on higher fells especially in the morning, powerful gusts which could knock you over.”

I woke to a steady and persistent rain, but the forecast suggested it might ease off in the afternoon. There would certainly be no hillwalking today so I spent some time planning the rest of the week, assuming that the weather would improve once Betty had passed.

That afternoon I walked into Ambleside, more to keep myself moving than anything else, and hoping that Sunday would be a better day.

Sunday, 20th August 2023

After having missed a day of walking the fells, I was keen to get out again. The morning was gloomy with slate grey skies, but it wasn’t raining. The forecast was for improving conditions as the day went on, so I set off with hopes of better weather. Since the previous day had been an enforced rest day, I figured it would be OK to take on the biggest walk of the week and the one that would see me complete the Far Eastern Fells for the second time – the Kentmere Horseshoe.

This big walk was going to take a full day, so I set off early, arriving at Kentmere at a quarter past eight. I parked up in the field car park where there were just a couple of other cars already parked. It was still overcast but I thought the cloud might be thinning in places and I was looking forward to seeing the sun for the first time this week.

I left the village on the steep track, heading for the Garburn Pass. The route for this walk is well-worn and it’s not easy to go wrong. There were a few early morning dog walkers and exercise junkies on this first leg and the day already felt quite lively.

About 30 minutes into the walk, it began to rain. A gentle soft rain at first, I didn’t bother stopping, thinking that it would pass and that the day would improve as suggested in the forecast. After a few more minutes, the rain became heavier and I had no option but to stop and pull on my wet weather gear.

I continued up the Garburn Pass with the rain coming and going in pulses, and gaining height all the while. Views opened up and, despite the rain, I still felt hopeful that a good day lay ahead – I was particularly looking forward to the fantastic views down into the Kentmere Valley from the Ill Bell ridge.

At the top of the pass, I struck off right and headed on an indistinct path towards Yoke – an odd name for a fell but no odder, I suppose, than many others. As I gained more height, the wind got up and I could see the weather approaching from the West. At this point, things didn’t look so good, but conditions were bearable, so I continued.

About a kilometre and a half from the Garburn Pass, and around a kilometre short of Yoke, the cloud base dropped and visibility fell to less that 100m. At the same time, the rain intensified, falling is heavy, soaking drops, driven by a rising wind. This was not enjoyable walking but I still had faith that things would improve. A little further on I came to a gate in a wall. I passed through the gate and the lee of the wall gave some instant relief from the battering of the wind-driven rain. I hunkered down at the base of the wall and decided to wait for the worst of the weather to pass.

I waited for what seemed like an age. Long miserable minutes in which I cursed the weather forecast and seriously considered turning back. In fact, the only thing that prevented me from returning to the car was knowing that to do so, I’d have to walk into the teeth of the wind and rain.

While wondering what to do, I was joined by a group of three walkers. We exchanged notes on the madness of walking in such weather and they pressed on. That gave me the impetus to continue. If they were walking on, I could do the same. I stood up, adjusted my gear, put my head down and marched forward.

I got to the summit at Yoke, completely alone and surrounded by a thick mist. It was still raining heavily and I didn’t bother stopping – there was nothing to see and nothing worth photographing.

By the time I reached Ill Bell, around a kilometre north of Yoke, the rain had begun to ease a little, but the mist was still thick and the wind fierce. Although the two main cairns are only about 50m apart, the view of one cairn from the other was just a ghostly outline. Ill Bell is an interesting summit and, ordinarily, I’d have spent some time there exploring and taking in the views but, by this point in the walk, I just wanted it to end, so I pressed on to Froswick.

On a clear day, the ridge between Ill Bell and Froswick gives amazing views down into the Kentmere valley and the Kentmere Reservoir. Today, the route gave nothing but a damp tramp, head down, dodging puddles. There was just one positive. About half-way along this section, the rain became lighter and the wind dropped a little. For the first time in a couple of hours, I was able to take off my hood and get a better sense of the space.

Froswick came and went, I don’t think I even broke stride, I pressed on to Thornthwaite Crag where I thought there might be some shelter for lunch. About a kilometre out from Froswick, the beacon at Thornthwaite Crag loomed out of the mist. As I approached, there were occasional breaks in the cloud and I even spotted a patch of blue sky. Moments later, it was gone again, but I was now more hopeful than I had been earlier. It was approaching 1pm.

I found a comfortable spot at the base of a dry stone wall and out of the wind. There I ate lunch and watched as the mist rolled in and out, giving tantalising glimpses of brighter skies. There were a few other hardy souls also having lunch. We greeted each other approvingly, appreciating the difficulties we all had experienced in getting to this busy crossroads of the fell network.

After lunch, I set off for Mardale Ill Bell. It is only a short detour to High Street but as I’d already bagged that top a second time, and as I was still unsure of the weather – by this time having given up all faith in weather forecasting – I gave it a miss.

As I walked around the head of the Kentmere valley, the cloud base began to rise and the mist began to break. Views to the North opened up and I caught glimpses of Hayeswater. Perhaps the weather was going to improve after all.

Shortly before arriving at Mardale Ill Bell, views to the south also opened up and I could now see my morning route with all tops free of cloud. I briefly wondered whether I should have delayed the start of my walk to enjoy the improved conditions, but I still had a long way to go and a later start would have meant walking into the evening.

I arrived at Mardale Ill Bell, feeling that the worst of the day was behind me and I set about photographing the picturesque summit cairn. I took way too many photos, probably compensating for the rushed and rain-spotted photos I’d grabbed at the other tops that morning. I stayed a while, enjoying the views and feeling overjoyed when the sun made an appearance for the first time that week.

By 2.30pm I was descending to the Nan Bield pass in broken sunshine, the atrocious morning weather now a distant memory.

The wind, which had been a constant since earlier this morning, was now being funnelled into the pass, and as I approached the wind shelter at the head of the pass, the wind was so strong that I could barely stand up straight. I made my way to the shelter, buffeted by strong gusts and sat down with relief on the north side of the shelter. The wind was a strong southerly. It was just after three in the afternoon and I snacked on a delicious muesli bar.

Although I’d been walking for almost seven hours, I was only just past the half-way point, but I knew I’d broken the back of this walk. After the steep climb to Harter fell, the rest would be plain sailing and I didn’t need to worry about losing the light.

After a restorative break at Nan Bield, I climbed to Harter Fell. This time, the only thing that slowed me down was pausing to take in the views over Small Water. Arriving at Harter Fell, everything felt good. There were still plenty of clouds in the sky but there was no chance of rain and the route ahead was clear and easy – some might say boring. It is true that the eastern leg of the Kentmere Horseshoe is no match for the western leg and I had originally planned to take the route down from Nan Bield, but the walk on Friday had been cut short, so here I was, walking the full horseshoe for the second time.

Kentmere Pike is an easy but damp tramp from Harter Fell. En route I got some lovely telephoto views of Ill Bell, backed with dramatic cloudscapes. I arrived at Kentmere Pike at twenty past four and decided that I still had time to fit in a short diversion to Goat Scar. So, after taking my customary photos of the triangulation pillar, I pushed on.

I followed the ridge wall when it left the footpath and arrived at Goat Scar just before five o’clock. The views from this point are stunning and almost made up for the views I’d missed earlier in the day. Across the valley, I could see Tarn Crag, where I’d been just a few days earlier but the best view is to the South, right down Longsleddale. Goad Scar is not a Wainwright but it is definitely worth a visit and is one of the highlights of the eastern leg.

From Goat Scar, I remained on the eastern side of the wall and continued south towards Shipman Knotts. Wainwright suggests that this route should not be attempted in mist, and it’s easy to see why, with the thin path coming perilously close to the top of the crags. The true summit of Shipman Knotts lies on the eastern side of the wall but there is no way of getting to it from the ridge path. Consequently, a subsidiary cairn has been built on the western side of the wall, and most Wainwright baggers are satisfied with that option, as I had been on my first round. On this occasion, wanting some variety and a sense of completeness in bagging both tops, I’d decided to visit the true top. Wainwright says, “Wanted: a stile or a gate”. There’s no easy way to visit both tops in a single visit.

From Shipman Knotts, I followed on the eastern side of the wall as far as I could go, hoping to find an easy crossing point to get back onto the main path. There is no obvious crossing point and I ended up climbing over the well-built wall at a point, near Wray Crag, where it was slightly lower. It was a rather undignified crossing and I’m glad there was no one there to see me.

From that point onwards, the route back to Kentmere is easy with a steep drop down from Wray Crag to the track and then a relaxed amble back to the road in beautiful evening light. This walk had been the perfect example of Lakeland extremes in August – lashing rain in the morning, followed by a beautiful, calm evening, with dramatic cloudscapes in between.

I arrived back at the car at twenty to seven. I’d been walking for ten and a half hours. Certainly this was one of the longest walks I’d done, and one of the most dramatic.

Back at the hostel, I had planned to cook this evening, but I was starving and completely knackered. I ordered a cheeseburger and chips with a pint of bitter shandy at the bar, a worthy reward after a big day on the fells and a celebration of completing the Far Eastern Fells in difficult conditions. After supper, I watched the women’s world cup final with Spain beating England 1-0.

Monday, 21st August 2023

I woke on Monday morning to a steady rain, feeling completely shattered. The good weather on Sunday evening had just been a temporary pause in the wake of Storm Betty. I couldn’t get motivated and spent most of the day reading and looking out at the rain over Lake Windermere.

Tuesday, 22nd August 2023

Tuesday morning also began with rain but this time there was a promise of better weather in the afternoon. I’d been meaning to visit the Windermere Jetty Museum for some time and this morning seemed like a good opportunity to do so. Then, after lunch and in better weather, I’d take a crack at Pike o’Blisco and Cold Pike.

I arrived at the museum and easily found a space in the car park. The collection and presentation of exhibits was much better than I had expected and the architecture is excellent. I spent a lovely three hours at the museum, including an excellent lunch of fish finger sandwiches in the cafe. All the while I was watching the weather. The cloud didn’t lift much during the morning but the rain had stopped and a drying breeze made an afternoon walk seem more likely.

I left the museum at 1.30pm and drove to the Old Dungeon Ghyll car park. When I arrived, Pike o’Blisco was nowhere to be seen, completely shrouded by low cloud. I waited for a while, hoping to see some change, but it soon became clear that the cloud was not going to shift any time soon, so I changed my plans and decided to spend some time on Lingmoor Fell, taking in Side Pike.

I set off around three o’clock and rather than following a planned route, I felt confident enough to follow my nose. I walked up through the National Trust camp site and then followed one of the many paths along the western flank of the fell. I wanted to follow the ridge back after visiting Brown How so as to get the benefit of the excellent view of the Langdale Pikes.

With a little improvisation, I arrived at the fell summit where I took a better summit photo than the one I already had. Some sunlight would have been nice but there was no chance of that today.

Once I’d bagged the fell for the second time, I headed slowly west along the ridge and towards Side Pike. I had plenty of time so this was more of a saunter than a walk, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Frankly, it just felt good to be out again after a couple of days of enforced down time. The weather for the next couple of days looked promising so I was hoping to get a couple of decent walks in before going home.

I spent time with the camera getting some lovely shots of the view towards the Langdale Pikes and using the purple heather as a foreground. Again, some light would have been nice. There were a couple of tantalising breaks in the cloud but they were fleeting. I met another photographer who was set up with tripod and was waiting for the light. He’d looked at the forecast and thought there might be some good light towards the end of the day but, once again, the forecast was wrong.

My next objective was Side Pike, via The Squeeze. I’d read about this route but never done it and now was a perfect opportunity to explore, so I dropped down to the col and, rather than turning left back to the road, I continued to The Squeeze, which looked almost impossible to negotiate as I approached. I had to remove my rucksack and then inched sideways through the narrow gap. I just made it.

After a short scramble I was at the top of Side Pike with probably the best view of the Langdale Pikes. I waited a while in the vain hope of better light but it was not to be. At a quarter to seven I called it a day and headed back to the car park.

Wednesday, 23rd August 2023

So far I’d completed one of the three objectives I’d set for this trip and today there was an opportunity to complete the second. The weather forecast was fair and it sounded like there may even be a glimpse of blue sky. I set off for Mungrisdale with the aim of completing the Northern Fells for the second time.

I arrived at Mungrisdale at 9am on a bright morning and parked opposite the community hall. After paying the £2 fee, I set off for Souther Fell, climbing steeply onto the long ridge. By a quarter past ten I was at the “summit”, in truth, no more than a barely exposed patch of rock. Visibility was good so I took a few photos.

Although there is no cairn at the actual top, there is a decent cairn close to the subsidiary top, which I didn’t visit on the first round. This cairn is unusual in that it has a nice base of stones that form a comfortable perch. I sat for a while and had a snack.

The next part of the route passes over one of my favourite topographical features in the Lakes, a perfect example of a “saddle”. A causeway is formed between Souther Fell and Scales fell by a loop in the River Glenderamakin to the north and by Mousthwaite Comb to the south. I marched across this wonderful feature and climbed Scales Fell.

Scales Fell is rightly considered to be an arm of Blencathra rather than a fell in its own right, but it does afford some excellent views, up towards its parent peak, and to the south to the Helvellyn range, and west over Derwentwater to the North Western Fells.

Soon enough I was at the busy summit of Blencathra. There were plenty of people about and there was a sense of everyone making the best of a good day in an otherwise bad week of weather. I found a spot and had some lunch before heading north to Atkinson Pike.

From Atkinson Pike, it’s a long downhill trudge over increasingly wet terrain to reach everyone’s least favourite Wainwright, Mungrisdale Common. Even Wainwright seems apologetic, “Precious holiday hours should not be wasted here”. However, as it is now part of the set, it must be visited by anyone hoping to complete the 214. On my first visit, I had assumed I’d never need to return, but here I am at the “summit” again, a few stones in a puddle. On arrival, there’s nothing to do but to turn on your heel and walk back the way you have come. Fortunately, there is an indistinct path that contours towards Bannerdale Crags, my next objective, so I left the path I’d come down on and headed east.

Bannerdale Crags is one of those awkward Wainwrights where his preferred top is not the actual top of the fell. In this case, as in many others, Wainwright chose the top with the better view. On my first visit, I hadn’t appreciated the distinction so, this time I made sure I had photographs of both tops before pushing on.

The final top of the day, Bowscale Fell is just a short walk from Bannerdale Crags with very little height gain. It’s an airy walk along the top of Bannerdale Crags with a clear view of your destination point.

I arrived at the wind shelter at Bowscale Fell at a quarter to four and spent a little time there reviewing the walk and having a quick snack before heading east along the ridge, a route that I was not familiar with. It’s a three and a half kilometre march back to Mungrisdale and other than a few cairns, there really isn’t anything of interest to report, but at least I’d filled in another gap in my experience of the Lakeland fells.

I was back in Mungrisdale by five o’clock. On the way back, I stopped off at Booths in Keswick, picking up a few provisions. By the time I arrived back at the hostel, it was raining again. I didn’t care, I’d had a great day on the fells and I’d completed the Northern Fells for a second time. I had a lovely supper of Chicken Jalfrezi and fresh tomatoes. All-in-all a good day.

Thursday, 24th August 2023

So far this week I’d woken to slate grey skies, often accompanied by rain, with only the weather forecast suggesting that a walk on the fells might be possible. This had now become an act of faith, and so it was on this Thursday morning. My third objective for this visit was to add some of the Western Fells to my list of completed tops. With that in mind, I headed north from Ambleside and then to Buttermere via Winlatter Pass.

I arrived at the National Trust car park just after 9am. There were quite a few cars already there but I easily got a space. Even in August, an early start usually guarantees a space, especially on a day like this. All the tops around Buttermere were completely clagged in and I wondered whether this was simply another occasion when the forecast had been too optimistic.

As it turned out, this would be the best day of the week but I just didn’t know it yet. I set off in good spirits, looking forward to visiting Bleaberry Tarn and checking out Dodd, some of the features I’d missed out on my first round.

I made my way across the head of Buttermere Lake. All around me the trees were telling me it was late August; the red berries of the Rowan practically glowing in the gloom. But the skies told a different story and looked distinctly like January.

However, as soon as I started the climb of Old Burtness, things began to change. As I climbed, the sky brightened and as I climbed further, I started to see patches of blue sky to the north. There was still cloud on the tops but it was thinning and the cloud canopy was breaking up. I was pretty sure that by the time I arrived at Red Pike, I’d have clear views out.

Looking back over my shoulder I could see the Grasmoor Massif, initially shrouded in mist, now clearing with each passing minute. This now had all the hallmarks of a perfect walking day. As I made the final pull to Bleaberry Tarn, alongside Sourmilk Gill, the sun broke through to illuminate the cascading water and the purple blooming heather.

I arrived at Bleaberry Tarn at a quarter to twelve. I’d taken the steep climb slowly but was rewarded with a beautiful solitude and the sound of gently lapping water. The sky overhead was now mostly blue with just a few white fluffy clouds. This was most certainly the best day of the week.

I rested at the tarn for about twenty minutes, taking a long drink and a muesli bar. It was beautiful but I had a way to go, so I set off for Red Pike, which I could see looming above. The first stretch of the route is a gentle, pitched incline but I could see that things were going to get a little more difficult up ahead.

Before taking on the final eroded scree slope to Red Pike summit, I detoured to Dodd to take in what I expected to be an impressive view of Crummock Water and Buttermere. I was not disappointed. It is odd that Wainwright doesn’t mention the view from Dodd because he usually encourages walkers to seek out such viewpoints. Mark Richards does suggest a visit to the viewpoint cairn on Dodd. My own advice is that this is one of the best viewpoints in the district and that no trip to Red Pike from Buttermere is complete without the experience.

I spent some time standing atop the viewpoint cairn and feeling on top of the world. I stretched my arms out as wide as I could and drank in the panoramic view of the two lakes with Mellbreak, the Grasmoor Massif, Robinson, Hindscarth, Dale Head, and Fleetwith Pike in a 180 degree arc. Simply beautiful.

I tarried at Dodd for half an hour and had the place to myself throughout. Eventually and reluctantly I left the top, crossed The Saddle and started the difficult climb to Red Pike summit. It was 1pm and I was looking forward to some lunch at the summit.

It’s easy to see why Red Pike is so called. The eroded rock, particularly on the rutted scree path, is a deep orange brown. This is not an easy climb – steep and loose underfoot – and I was close to getting my walking poles out. However, the worst section is mercifully short and soon enough, I was at the top.

When I arrived there was a group of three walkers there, one of whom was over from the USA. We chatted about our routes up and our plans for the day. After a few minutes, the other three departed and left me to enjoy the top alone.

At the top is what can only be described as a pile of stones and a crude wind shelter, and not the shapely cairn as illustrated in the Wainwright guide. What it lacks is a good place to sit and eat lunch. Nonetheless, I stayed about 15 minutes and just enjoyed having broken the back of the walk. There were no more steep climbs ahead.

After lunch, I set off, south-east, along the top of Chapel Crags to High Stile. It’s a lovely, airy walk of just more than a kilometre to the Wainwright top, which is easily found after a short rocky climb. High Stile has one of the most handsome cairns, mounted on a blocky rock plinth. Ironically, of course, it’s not the highest point of the fell. After taking a few photos of the Wainwright cairn, I moved round to the eastern promontory and visited the true summit, just a metre higher than the accepted summit.

From High Stile, and after another airy walk of about one and a half kilometres along the top of Comb Crags, I arrived at High Crag, the final Wainwright of today’s walk. Along the way there are lovely views back to High Stile and the gnarley buttress of Grey Crag.

There’s not much to note about the summit of High Crag except for the excellent view across to Great Gable and its neighbours to the south-east, and the imposing bulk of Pillar, across Ennerdale, to the south-west. It’s a fine cairn on rocky ground but it often comes at the end of a good walk and from here, the only way is down the tricky scree of Gamlin End.

After my first round of Wainwrights, I noted that there were only a couple of occasions when I wished I’d been carrying walking poles. The descent of Gamlin End was one of them (the other being the ascent of Great Gable via Gavel Neese). Now I had a pair of walking poles, I felt a little more confident about the next stage of the walk.

It was a quarter past four when I left High Crag and half an hour later I was down in Scarth Gap having successfully negotiated the scree path and the minor bump of Seat. From there a good path descends north to the shore of Buttermere, a distance of about two kilometres.

By the time I reached the lake, all trace of cloud had vanished and the sky was completely blue. The three kilometre stroll back to the car park was lovely in the late afternoon sun. I eventually got back to the car at half past six having had a near perfect day of fell walking.

I couldn’t resist dropping in at Booths in Keswick on my way back to Ambleside and finished the day with a lovely Kashmiri Chicken for supper.

Friday, 25th August 2023

I had hoped to squeeze in a short walk on Friday, but the morning weather was poor (more rain) so I decided to drive straight home. I left Waterhead at around 11am. The traffic was already heavy heading into the bank holiday weekend. I had intended to stop at Booths in Windermere to pick up some gifts but the roads were chaos so I gave it a swerve. I filled up with fuel at Sainsbury’s Bamber Bridge and grabbed a meal deal for lunch. It was a horrible, slow journey back, which took almost seven hours with very heavy traffic all the way.

Epilogue

Although I shared the week with Storm Betty, I still managed to hit my three objectives:

1. I completed the Far Eastern Fells for a second time.
2. I completed the Northern Fells for a second time.
3. I started the Western fells for the second time, meaning I have bagged some fells from all seven areas.

It was a very varied week in which I experienced both the best and worst weather I’ve known on the fells.

18th August 2023
Grey Crag
Tarn Crag

20th August 2023
Kentmere Round
Yoke
Ill Bell
Froswick
Thornthwaite Crag*
Mardale Ill Bell
Harter Fell*
Kentmere Pike
Goat Scar**
Shipman Knotts (actual summit)

22nd August 2023
Lingmoor Fell

23rd August 2023
Blencathra Fells
Souther Fell
Scales Fell**
Blencathra
Mungrisdale Common
Bannerdale Crags
Bowscale Fell

24th August 2023
High Stile Circuit
Dodd**
Red Pike (Buttermere)
High Stile
High Crag

* Already bagged on this round
** Not a Wainwright but excellent views