#LakeDistrictBid Advent Calendar Day 7 - Because of the great big mountains

The mountains in the Lake District may not be the highest in the world - or even in the UK - but, as they say, size isn't everything.  There really is nowhere quite like it.  Even though they are all found within a relatively tiny geographical area, they are all so very different - from the jagged ridges of Blencathra to the boulder strewn summits of Scafell Pike and the smooth rounded flanks of Skiddaw - the fells have something to offer you whether you're a gentle stroller, a hardened hiker or a full on rock climber.

Though mountaineering legends such as Sir Chris Bonington, who have visited the far flung corners of the planet and scaled it's highest peaks, will testify that the fells can hold their own against some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet, UNESCO World Heritage Status would give us a platform to broadcast that message around the globe.

Click HERE to visit the Lake District National Park Authority website where you can learn more about the whole process of making the bid and register your support to show the folks at UNESCO that this is something that matters to everyone who loves the Lake District.

Blencathra

Striding Edge

Route to Scafell Pike

View from High Street

View from Place Fell

Dow Crag

Skiddaw

Click HERE to go back & start from to Day 1.

Lunch with an Old Friend

I got this tweet a couple of weeks ago and it really made me smile.

Since the beginning of  May my feet have barely touched the ground - first there was work which took me all over Lancashire and London, then we took off for 5 weeks in Scotland and before we'd even got all the washing dry I was off again, this time for a week working near Portsmouth.  I knew I still lived in Cumbria, I just hadn't seen a lot of the place.

Well, things have begun to calm down a little so today we took a sneak day off and headed for the fells.  I know it's weird but there's something about going for a hike during the week which makes me feel like I'm playing hooky from school.  Not that I ever did play hooky, like to go off with Jackie Jasiewicz to see Duran Duran at the NEC when they were filming a video because I won free tickets from the newspaper which I never told my mum about, no, nothing like that at all...I'm just saying that it feels how I imagine playing hooky might feel...

Anyway, having been away for a while I thought it was time to go and see an Old Friend for lunch, so we headed up to Walna Scar car park for one of our favourite hikes - Buck Pike, Dow Crag, Swirl Howe and down via Levers Water.

The view from the car park had me chomping at the bit and the bright sunshine had me realising that I'd probably not bought enough fluids, but I figured we just about be OK.  (we were)  As we sat on the top of Dow Crag admiring the views of the Old Man we noticed how busy it was, even mid week, so many people playing hooky...

As we munched away Steve got the distinct feeling we were being watched - he was right!

I can never decide if it's better being on top of Dow Crag looking down, or below it looking up at the fantastic ridge line.

And back down via Levers water with the early autumn sunshine beginning to fade just a little bit.  What can I say?  It's great to be home.

That's no way to treat an Old Man.

Today was gorgeous, glorious, amazing and lots more besides.  We took a wonderful walk up the Old Man starting from Torver.  (I was going to put "starting and ending in Torver" but realised that if it started there then there was a pretty good chance it would finish there too.  No guarantees mind...)  Anyway, we made our way up via the quarry and then opted for the Goat's Water route rather than the Walna Scar route and very glad we did too, it was a little bit quieter and way more dramatic.

Dow Crags

Dow Crags in colour!

Hiking in the snow is challenging and should only be tackled when wearing the appropriate gear, however today we passed several groups of people who, between them were not in possession of the following items:

• Back packs
• Maps
• Waterproofs
• Appropriate walking boots (we saw trainers, wellies and loafers)
• Compasses
• Torches
• Food
• Drink
• Appropriate walking clothes (denim jeans and a denim mini skirt coupled with leggings)

They did however appear to be in full possession of an overly optimistic sense of their own mortality.  Seriously, show the Old Man some respect!  The thing is, should we have said anything?  Chances are we'd have gotten a mouthful and we know that at least one of those groups got down uninjured (see later).  Kind of like smokers - we know it's dangerous but everyone thinks it won't happen to them because their "Great Aunt Mildred smoked for 50 years and died aged 99".  I just sincerely hope MR read them the riot act when they require rescuing.

Steve over Goat's Water

Old Man Ridge

Old Man Summit

We weren't alone. This was our first clue...

So, time to descend via Low Water and that's when the trouble started.  Am I the only person who prefers going up to going down?  Give me a hard ascent any day over a slippy slidey route down off a fell.  Wetherlam, Fleetwith Pike, Skiddaw, Loughrigg; I've slid down them all, and today I added the Old Man to my list.  I have a *very* poor sense of balance at the best of times and the snow and ice really wasn't helping.  Anyway, I tried to make the best of it and have some fun...

The most embarrassing/ annoying moment of our descent was when we were overtaken by one of the ill prepared walkers we'd seen earlier wearing jeans and white trainers.  Oh the ignomy.  Still we slithered onwards and, pausing only to argue fiercely about the route when either a farmer or the OS were at fault for leading us to a dead end, we found our way back to the car just as darkness was falling.  The first proper winter day in the fells this year - bring on the rest!