Newlands and Borrowdale

Skiddaw across Derwentwater

The thirty-fifth year in the Lakes was celebrated in perfect weather. We decided that early starts should be the norm and set off early on the Sunday for Buttermere with the chance for Gregor and I to climb Ard Crags and Knott Rigg before meeting the others in Buttermere. We had just parked at the drop off when a group of walkers appeared and the familiar figure of Mark gave us a cheery welcome. He was out with the Kendal Walking Club on their Sunday ramble. For the first time since I had been walking with him, he wasn't wearing a  pullover but it was tied around his waist. He told his club friends to carry on and he would catch them later. We followed ten minutes later having established that the club would be climbing the two hills we were climbing as the start of a walk around the Newlands skyline.

It was scorching as we made reasonable speed to catch the group up and tune into the irreverent patter that is evident in all groups. They had to wait for backmarkers on Ard Crags so we continued over to Knott Rigg, catching up on Mark's walking exploits since his departure from Scotland to the Lakes. He has now completed six Wainwright rounds since moving to Ambleside three years ago and walks most days. We had to meet Aileen and Debbi in Buttermere so dropped off Knott Rigg to the beck that runs down to the Lake. Our intention to climb Bannerdale Knotts was abandoned because of the searing heat. We had a drink and then drove over Honister pass to Borrowdale where we had drinks in the Lodore Falls Hotel that had recenty been extensively modernised and extended.

Gregor decided that he wished to jump off the footbridge into the river Derwent, something I had done from the old bridge in 1967. There was a small crowd with the same intent and, despite the lack of water in the streams, the river still had six feet of water to arrest the jump. Derwentwater and Skiddaw provided the classic Lakeland backdrop to this excursion. On days like this, the Lakes is the most hospitable of environments. We returned to Langdale to eat in Wainwright's pub, the very place where my life had started.

old acquaintances

Robinson and the Buttermere Fells

Heading for Knott Rigg

The descent to Buttermere

Wandope and Eel Crag from Newlands Hause

Bridge Jumping on the Derwent

Skiddaw