Mountains and I go back an awfully long time. It’s forty six years ago that saw me complete the accent of the three highest peaks in the UK. Over the years accident and injury not to mention Marlboro Reds and the odd drink, only the odd hour.. every hour or so, have taken their toll. It was okay for that cowboy sitting there large as life on a horse puffing away. He had a four legged friend to cart him about…………bet he wheezed a bit mounting it though. Little devils horses can be, many is the time I’ve had a nip on the backside whilst hopping about with my left leg in a stirrup at earhole height. There is always a horsewoman there to advise. ‘Keep the right rein tight’…………smartarses!….mine used to….serious teeth have horses… How did I get here?……This is about the accent of Cat Bells, not even a mountain at one thousand four hundred and a few feet high. At the weekend we drove the truck a good two hundred feet higher, had a pub, a pub lunch and didn’t have to lug cameras up steep paths whilst trying to dissuade the dogs that sheep have every much right as they have to enjoy a peaceful and stress free life on the fells.
A panorama from Cat bells looking north Skiddaw is the peak in the centre, the ridge with the dead bracken on……Sorry!… Golden autumn colour….. is Skelgill Bank. Derwent Water to the right with Keswick at it’s head and to the left Bassenthwaite Lake where Ospreys breed. They will have disappeared to warmer climes by now… their loss, the fishes gain; nowt wrong with the weather here. I like minus two and a gentle northerly.
Another panorama from the summit on the right is the Newlands Valley with I think the highest mountain being Robinson the ridge in shadow leads to High Spy. I can see this turning into a right can of worms. Should anyone fancy a quiz then I will re post this shot with numbers and arrows. Clear? It doesn’t come clearer you can see it all. ‘cept in the shadows!
Now I seem to have got all backwards going forwards. We left about an hour after dawn. Dawn in a valley is relative as the sun has to clear the hills to the east.
The first false summit, most hills have loads of them.
This is going fine, dogs are happy, I am happy?.. Pigs are flying!… and we’ve cleared the tree line. For those interested the mountain to the right is Blencathra, the one to the left is Skiddaw. Keswick is in the middle-middle ground at the end of Derwent Water. There’s not a lot in Keswick unless you are in dire need of a new fleece. Fleeced you won’t be. Every second shop sells them and boots and knapsacks and torches that don’t need batteries and……… Oh!….Go see it for yourself.
Molly the mountaineer on the right and Alfie the alpinist on the left….’Ta Alf for breaking the ice nothing like a drink after a hard pull up hill’.
At last rising above everything is the summit of Cat Bells…………You think I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill…………Okay I am but I was so pleased to get up here. Thought those days were gone and I could look forward to life terrorising pedestrians with a mobility scooter.
It is steep, this is the view from the col a third of the way down. We are staying amongst the tall pines in the frost at the the top dead centre of this picture. We could have walked back via Hawes Head but I don’t like being in the hills, or valleys and walking on plastic. I understand it is the lesser of evils but we went down as we came up.
Weather a bit on the good side for photos…………..Shut up now you fool………..it will rain till June.
The panorama from Cat Bells is the best in the Lakes no other summit seems to have the same contrast and variety in at least three quadrants of the compass and it’s not awful in the forth looking south. You didn’t get any pictures today as that’s where the low sun was.
Fine…………I gave it a go, yes I do have lens hoods but not big enough so I used my hand….As folk say!…… Any comments pursuing the last sentence will be deleted.
Shopping in Keswick tomorrow, that should be fun…………two dogs out on retail therapy!
Impressive views. I like that second last one, looking down the path... Really gives a sense of the height/depth...
ReplyDeleteThose are lovely mountains, or I mean summits.
ReplyDeleteYou have more energy than me Adrian. Maybe the lack of practice walking on inclines here on the Lincolnshire coastal plain but my legs start some serious cramping on the short steep pavements in Louth.
ReplyDeleteGreat views. Must be nice clean air up there, away from the Malboros anyway - used to be my favourite drag when I smoked ciggies.
Wonderful scenes of Lakeland, Adrian and lovely autumn colours.
ReplyDeleteI seldom like those stone steps going up and down a mountain, but they do stop erosion and are necessary. My knees would rather go around them. Going up is not so bad but going down is a bit too thumping! These were some great shots and your hand worked just fine.
ReplyDeleteThese are stunning images Adrian.
ReplyDeleteLooks like yer having the time of your life there. It's a beautiful part of the world.
What great skies and colours, you've chosen the right month including the ascent of Catbells.... no doubt free from the hordes of various kinds of walkers. This was the first hill I ever did as a boy and even though I try to avoid it for the reasons mentioned above, I can't deny that it's up there with the top 5 viewpoints of The Lake District.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to work out where the cave was until I read the text !.... and I'm shouting the names of the hills at the computer screen... how sad.
Great post Adrian. Funny as usual. One thing I am certain about....I would never have got to the top ...you must be fit...probably something in the beer up that way.
ReplyDeleteDon't think I would have survived that climb! But it sure was worth it. Well, from my point of view, maybe not from yours! Fabulous sights!
ReplyDeleteDawntreader, thanks. It is a grand hill and the weather was perfect. It does look a long way down. Only takes under an hour at my speed.
ReplyDeleteBob, they are, can't remember when I last enjoyed myself so much.
John, it is rarely this clear....rarely sunny northerly winds are good for clean air. Took the fags with me, only so much undiluted fresh air I can stand.
Emma, thank you it really was a superb day.
Beyond the Garden, The steps are a nightmare, as you say okay going up but horrendous coming down.
Keith, thanks and I am, there are many grand areas in the UK but this has to be near the top.
J_on_Tour, I hate to say but I could have done with some cloud to add interest. I got to the top having seen no one. I was up there about half an hour and only saw two other people. It's not sad, that's education. I have always liked the view from great Gable but last year it was about fifty feet of view.
Trevor, Ta, I'm fitter than Uma Thurman and almost as pretty. Knees are not so good these days but will try and get fit for the winter, it's my favourite season in the hills.
ReplyDeletePauline it is not so bad taken at a steady pace. Coming down is far worse. It looked like being the last perfect day for a while so the effort was worth it.
ReplyDeleteCatbells and Haystacks. I can't believe the path! I think the last time I was on top of them both was on an equally fabulously clear day when we stripped off our outer garments and sunbathed: IN THE SNOW. Those were the days. They seem so long ago. Oh yes. They WERE so long ago.
ReplyDeleteGb, it seems half the paths are like this now. Erosion control, Certainly not health and safety, they are murderous to walk on.
ReplyDelete