Wednesday 11 April 2012

Breakfast in a Cave

An early start was required if we were to get back on track and make up for yesterday's early pit stop...

One down, but two of us headed up Red Scree and above the clouds.  At the end of the ridge is Helvellyn - the highest point of the hike.  First, however, we stopped for breakfast in Priest's Hole.

From this gem of a place, we climbed back onto the main ridge and continued over Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Fairfield.  From the summit, we descended the lengthy convex slope to Grisedale Tarn and almost immediately headed back up to Dollywagon Pike, Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn.

As we started to descend, the clouds closed in and we were battered once more by a  horizontal hailstorm!  The beating continued all the way down to the valley floor, where we navigated the end of Thirlmere and climbed up what will forever be remembered as my least favourite mountain in the Lakes.

The long steady ascent to Ullscarf was fairly non-descript and rather tedious.  It is one place that I will not be rushing back to.  It was, therefore, with a spring in my step that we set off to collect the various Langdale Pikes.

With day light running out and the clock ticking before the food stopped being served, we bounded down the steep descent to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel to fill our bellies and find the Third Musketeer :)

The day by numbers...



Distance: 35.0km
Time: 13 hours 38 minutes
Ups and Downs: 4539m
Maximum Height: 958m

No comments: