Patterdale

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Travelled up to the Lakes District, and specifically Patterdale (with Ullswater), this weekend. Woke up at ridiculous o'clock (id est half 5) and got up to our campsite around 10ish near a small lake called Brothers Water at the head of the valley. Charlie, Martin and I set off once our pitch was secured (although didn't put the tents up then), up Scandale Pass to Dove Crag and Hart Crag. It was pretty cold, around -1 or -2 degrees Celsius I would think. There was still snow and plenty of frost on the tops. Didn't like standing around for too long nor taking off the gloves because of the wind chill and coldness. Martin and Charlie were on photo duties; the best ones are of the icicles that had formed on the posts and the grasses.

On the way down we found a cave called Priest's Hole where there were supplies and equipment for any one staying up there, including a not yet empty bottle of Jack Daniels... I signed the guestbook: the last few entries showed me that loads of people had stayed in the cave quite recently. We reckoned it was a decent place to stop actually; because it's on the North side of the mountain, there was virtually no wind, and there was a little wall that'd been built which would help keep out any snow. The views when you woke in the morning would be fantastic too.

Anyway, we finished off the walk, set up camp, and headed to the pub for a well deserved pint (or six) of Cumbria's finest.

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Photos

Up the valley
A view up the Patterdale valley towards Dove Crag

Frost razors
This is what forms on top of mountain when it's very cold...

Little Hart Crag
We had our (first) break up here and enjoyed the warming efect of vimto out of a flask

Icicles on a post
More icicles that have formed on a metal post

Longest yet...
It was bloody cold up there, okay!

Rydale towards Windermere
This is what we saw when we got to the top of Scandale Pass. The Fairfield horseshoe is to the right of this.

Frosty scene
Because it's so cold in winter on top of the mountains in the Lakes, even when the sun is out and the sky is blue the frost and snow persists..