| Name of walk | Catbells Above The Clouds And A Walk Around Derwent Water |
| Date of walk | 2012-02-06 |
| Distance walked (miles) | 10 |
| Duration of walk | 7 hours 30 minutes |
| Weather | Clouds well down but sunny above! |
| Peaks on walk | Catbells |
| Walked with | Ged and Kas the blind dog |
| Parking | Portinscale Bridge |
Yesterday Ged, Kas and I drove to Portinscale to climb Catbells (1481ft) and then to walk around Derwent water, it is about 10 miles. The idea was to do it in snow, but we picked the only area in the lakes that did not have any! We had detoured through Coniston on the way to Ambleside (there had been an accident on the A590) and snow was all the way to ground level, and most of the parking spaces for other mountain routes were deep in snow, but as we drove over Dunmail Rise the snow petered out, and disappointingly Keswick was devoid of the white stuff! The forecast was for hill fog at 300m which should clear around midday, so we were in no hurry, aiming to be on Catbells summit after midday
We went to the jetties of Nichol End.....a bit different from the view when I was last here with Tom.
Very atmosheric.
We then detoured to Hawes End Jetty to play spot the mountain.....the score was 0-0!
We headed up Catbells. Looking down on Hawes End. Very soon we would head into the mist. At this stage we were hoping the forecast was right and that we would not be coming down the otherside without seeing anything. As we headed up through the cloud we eventually came out the otherside. I took a few pix but my camera (automatic focus) cannot seem to focus when there is mist in the way!
I need an object in the foreground to focus on........a tree! Looking out towards the Dodds from the climb towards the summit.
The summit panorama looking east to include Blencathra, Clough Head, the Dodds and the Helvellyn range.
Looking down Catbells on to a Brocken spectre (the rainbow halo effect). Bassenthwaite Lake on the left, Skiddaw right.
Looking over the now visible Derwent Water to Blencathra and Clough Head.
Looking to Skiddaw.
We stop and have lunch on the summit and enjoy the views that were correctly forecast!
The view had soon cleared to the west. A panorama including Hindscarf, Robinson, Ard Crags and Causey Pike.
We head down to Manesty.
Route down.
From the Allerdale Ramble turn off to the Lodore Falls Hotel path looking back up to Catbells with not a cloud in the sky!
The partly frozen lake.
We take the boardwalk route towards the hotel
View to Castle Crag from the Chinese Bridge across the River Derwent.
Looking north
The Chinese Bridge.
Whilst walking through the woods we came across a sign for the Mary Mount Hotel that welcomed dogs and walkers.....in that order! So we went in to the bar and had a coffee. They had an open fire so Kas went straight to sleep. We chatted to two walkers from Birmingham who were staying in a tent on the campsite at Keswick. They were also disappointed that there was no snow! Mad! I don`t think I`d like to camp out in winter!
We now follow the lakeside path. We passed a canoist trying to cut a path through the ice to get back to shore....it must have taken him ages!
Dodd and Skiddaw looking good!
This section of the lake is not frozen so Kas can get a drink.
Good reflections. Less than a minute later the reflections were replaced by two wet Golden Retrievers!
The jetty below Ashness Bridge.
I don`t think I have seen Derwent Water so still at this time of the day even with the ducks making waves!
Looking across Calfclose Bay.
We head around the shore.
Looking across the lake to Catbells and Causey Pike.
Two ducks coming into land.
Looking back across the bay.
View down the lake.
The Millennium Stone. A large split boulder of local Borrowdale volcanic lava placed on the boulder strewn shore to mark 100 years of the National Trust in the Lake District.
The last few pix are of the sunset from various points between Stable Hills and Friars Crag.
Catbells and Causey Pike.
A boat was just entering the mist on the lake.
Taken from the Landing stages.
On the way through the town I spot Roger Hiley. Roger runs The Hiley's Loweswater Cam website which I have used for years as a valuable walking resource. So I had to stop and thank him......these mountain men don`t feel the cold even in shirt-sleeves! So now we have met each webmaster in his natural habitat......David Hall on Great Mell Fell, Andrew Leaney doing his 50th ascent of Helvellyn and now Roger Hiley.....outside a pub! Actually that is not fair to Roger, his photographs usually show him inside a pub!
