Walk Five - Sallows & Sour Howes

Our last walk in the Lake District was the sunniest of the week - was the weather trying to dissuade us from going home? Were we finally being rewarded for persevering through all the rain and cloud of the week? Whatever the reason, the day was beautiful and absolutely perfect for walking. The brightest blues and the freshest greens were providing us the the most amazing memories to take home with us.

For this walk, the start point was just a little way up the road from our cottage, in Troutbeck and as soon as we climbed out of the car (as early as usual), we were already shedding a layer or two as the sun smiled down.

After a quick walk through a holiday park, we were out onto the fellside and following a track upwards. Not horribly sharply upwards today - this was a path you just kept walking along, talking happily, watching the lambs alongside and admiring the views unfurling in front of you. The valley here is stunning and it was wonderful to walk, the cottages and cars below getting smaller with every step while the landscape beyond seemed to get bigger and bigger.

Up and up the path we went until a sharp right turn in the dip at the top bought us to a stile where Storm had to be unceremoniously hoisted over. She took the indignity very well to be honest and we thought she'd not held it against us. Well, until we reached to top of Sour Howes that is because there she jumped rebelliously into the fetid peat bogs and shook herself, in the manner of a teenager flouncing out of a room, before sprinting off to her next watering hole.

On we walked to Sallows, staying on top of the ridge and admiring the views that swept downwards toWindermere, glinting like a silvery blue ribbon in the distance.

It was desserted up there that day. These aren't famous Wainwright fells, the ones with names that everyone knows and are desperate to bag but they are lovely, squeezing onto the far end of much bigger and more impressive ranges, clinging on like a child holding the hand of a larger, more confident, sibling.

These two petite fells were a perfect ending to our holiday. We had achieved without exhaustion, we enjoyed views under spotlessly clean skies without chaperoning clouds to hide the beauty beneath and we had, for this little snippet of time, the whole Lake District to ourselves.

Walk Four - High Street & Beyond

Right, I should come clean at the very start of this post and admit that this wasn't actually walk four of our Lake District holiday. It was really walk five. However, walk four was a horrid experience, a day of grey, that was loathed by me from start to finish. We walked from Glenridding up to Raise and White Side but it was hideous. The cloud was so low there was nothing to see, the wind blew until I thought it would drive me mad  and I would have given anything to be transported from that fellside back to our lovely warm cottage. Anyway, it's not a walk I care to relive, here or anywhere. But I guess you'd got that already.

So, it was amazing in a way that on the Thursday of our trip, I was togged up and ready to go from the Brothers Water car park by 9am again. I've always been keen to walk High Street and today was the day.

We walked into Hartsop and began the climb to Hayeswater. This was a lovely stretch of walking and we made good progress. However, as we crossed the stream that flows downhill from Hayeswater, the cloud descended, the wind whipped up and the hail started. I have a very clear memory of standing, balancing on one leg, trying to get into my over-trousers whilst being smacked in the face by hail stones that were coming horizontally at me across the hillside. British holidaying at its very best!

Thankfully, the hail stopped as we made our way up to the ridge and turned to quickly nip up to the peak of The Knott. This was great - literally a 100m walk from the main path and boom, you've bagged another Wainwright. Excellent. And, for a little moment, High Street's flat back was visible in the distance.

From here, we walked across the wide High Street ridge and made our way to the trig point on the top. Hunkering down behind the wall, devouring a well earned bar of chocolate, my phone suddenly decided to get a 3G signal and our strides towards our next peak were accompanied by the pinging and ringing of endless messages arriving. It was, in an odd way, quite reassuring because by this point, the cloud was so low and so thick that it seemed like nothing lived beyond 5 metres ahead. At least my phone was proving there was civilisation out there. We just couldn't see it.

Thornthwaite Crag was our next stop and the beacon here is a very welcome sight as it appeared out of the pea-soup fog. From here, we dropped steeply off the fell and finally, there was light again and the beginnings of a view appeared again to us. We stopped for another snack and contemplated whether we should just head down and back (along the wonderfully named Pasture Bottom - which makes me snigger a little every time!) or head up what looked like quite a steep scramble toward Stony Cove Pike. The scramble won and up we went again. Storm was clearly channeling her inner mountain goat as she nimbly hopped upwards while I made my way up with all the grace and co-ordination of Anne Widdecombe on Strictly. At least I wasn't dressed in bright purple lycra so we should be grateful for small mercies.

From Stony Cove Pike, the adrenaline clearly kicked in and we positively skipped our way gently down along the ridge to Hartsop Dodd, our last peak of the day. And this was a wonderful spot. The cloud had lifted slightly, the sun was started to peak out and from the cairn here, we had absolutely stunning views over Ullswater. On this walk, we'd really felt all the Lakes have to offer.

Desending back to Hartsop, we returned to the car park and Storm was rewarded with a swim in the stream. She had already been gently bathed by the mist and fog that clung to her eyebrows and whiskers and gave her the look of a dog ten times her age but now she immersed herself in the clearest of Lake District water. And, with just one day of walking left, her Lake District baptism was almost complete.

Walk Three - Loughrigg Fell

Now, please don't feel disgust or disappointment that on our third day in the Lake District, we only tackled one fell. And a baby fell at that. We had a very good reason because we had reservations at the rather wonderful Holbeck Ghyll later in the day for spa treatments and afternoon tea. So, we opted for a little walk in the morning rather than tackling anything too dramatic.

But my goodness, Loughrigg Fell really is a beauty of a walk.

The fell sits about the incredibly picturesque Rydal Water with views onto the high Helvellyn ridge, into Grasmere and up to Helm Crag. I was expecting prettiness and maybe a few oooohs and aaaaahs but I fell a lot more in love with the Lakes on this walk.

Again, we were up and out early and to the Silver Moss car park well before 9am. The path initially snakes through some pretty woodland and over (or through in Storm's case) a couple of streams. But then, the pretty started with woodlands full of bluebells and for once, I was thanking goodness for the late spring because seeing this was stunning. But there was better to come.

When we came out of the wood, blinking in the light, there, upholstering the hillside were more bluebells. Thousands and thousands over the stretching upwards and downwards in all directions. It was simply gorgeous.

After skirting around the fell on Loughrigg Terrace, we then took a steep path upwards and soon, we were on the flat fell top and were ticking another Wainwright off our list. The views were fabulous - not high but spectacular.

We danced back down the steep path but then turned in another direction and walked above Rydal Water to the huge flooded cave and yes, Storm had a little swim here too. Following the path down to the water's edge, we doubled back on ourselves and skirted the shore back to the car. Storm darted in and out of the water, porpoising happily in the beautiful water.

Loughrigg Fell is gorgeous and the paths around the base of it are very accessible for everyone - we saw buggies and wheelchairs taking the low level footpaths. For a snapshot of the beauty the Lakes have to offer, this is perfect.

And it was perfect to work up an appetite for Holbeck Ghyll's truly delectable afternoon tea too...

Love the sheep seats by the fire at Holbeck Ghyll

Walk One - Helvellyn & More

Our first full day in the Lake District announced itself to us with blue sky and sunshine. And, thanks to Storm, we were up, out and ready to walk by 9.30am. Relaxation on holiday? For weaklings and non-dog owners clearly.

Unsurprisingly for a Sunday morning at half-past-quite-early, the car park at Wythburn was empty and Storm sprang from the car, ready to tackle her first Wainwright. The path pointed us to the peak from the word go and we headed upwards, ever upwards. Luckily, the heat allowed me to disguise (probably very badly) my stops as dog-watering opportunities rather than the 'heaven help me before my legs give way' breaks that they really were.

When we arrived, hearts racing, onto the plateau between Helvellyn & Nethermost Pike, the views were fabulous and the ledge looking out to Striding Edge was the perfect place to stop for a rewarding early lunch. Then, it was on to Storm's first peak - the packed top of Helvellyn which seemed to be on everyone's itinerary for a sunny Bank Holiday weekend.

Storm & Striding Edge

Helvellyn!

After the obligatory cairn-side pics, we re-traced our steps and headed onwards to Nethermost Pike with a jaunty spring in our smug steps. More photos of course and then we were on to Dollywagon Pike where Storm celebrated with some apple. Honestly, she knows how to live.

Nethermost Pike

Dollywagon Pike

Storm sure-footed her way down a very stony steep path to Grizedale Tarn whilst I wibbled down after her like a slightly drunk Weeble. Descending is not my strong point. Indeed, given the huffing and puffing of earlier in the walk, you could say ascending isn't a strong point either but hey-ho.

We walked along the water's edge to the top of Raise Beck and then it was a downward walk again. I stuck to the path like the boring traditionalist I am. Storm plunged from rocky path to rocky stream, flinging her head under the water and throwing it backwards in the manner of a 1980's shampoo ad model. It's because she's worth it you know.

Before we hit the A591 we turned right and followed the signs to Thirlmere through fields and woods, sighting the car after six and a half hours of walking. It was a beautiful route - high hills, great views, tarns, rocks and clear paths.

Storm was a dog tired dog. I was sun-warmed and happy. If all days could be like this...

A Waterbaby On Holiday

So, we're back from our holiday in the Lake District and I'm typing to the accompanying rattle and hum of the washing machine and the whir of my laptop as it downloads photos from my camera. Ah, the traditional post-holiday slap of reality...

Anyway, I'll be writing quite a bit more about my first holiday with Storm over the coming week but, to ease myself gently back into things today, this blog is a selection of some of my favourite images of Storm the waterbaby on her holidays.

These images were taken by Coniston Water on Wednesday 29th May. I'd had a horrible day walking (more of which anon) and the trip to the water's edge was just what was needed to restore my smile. Watching Storm porpoising, leaping, splashing and swimming was just wonderful.

Here's Storm, in her element...