Low Fell and Fellbarrow (17/01/10)

Only one trip out this weekend, the weather really was to good on Saturday.  I headed out towards Thackthwaite, the first time I have been down this way since the November floods.  I had to go the long war round as the Lorton bridge is still closed.  There is significant damage and gravel deposited all over the place.  The power of water never ceases to amaze.  I was glad of the little de-tour, as I got to see a sparrow hawk fly in front of the car, not seen one for ages.


From Thackthwaite, I headed up the old drove road towards Low Fell.  It was nice to see a gold crest in the trees by the side of the track.  This is the first time this year I have been up and not needed my crampons.  Most of the snow had gone now, and the cloud was coming in obscuring the views.

Looking back towards Crummock Water with Grasmoor in the cloud

I expect this will the first of many trips when I am in and out of the cloud.  Navigation was no trouble on the clear paths around here, but they were getting rater boggy with the snow melt.  I stopped briefly at Watching Crag to enjoy the views before continuing onto Low Fell.

Crummock Water from Watching Crag

Me on Low Fell with Crummock Water in the background

I retraced me path back to the base of Sourfoot Fell where I took the boggy track up and over Smithy Fell on the way to Fellbarrow.  I stopped at the trig point to have a sandwich (sadly couldn't enjoy the view as the cloud had come back in) when a scruffy little dog belonging to a couple of walkers sat and whimpered at me to give him some.  I didn't carry it up there to feed that over sized rat, so he went hungry and I didn't!!

Trig Point at Fellbarrow

Me at the Fellbarrow Trig Point looking cold!

From the top I headed back down to the col between Fellbarrow and Smithy Fell where I picked up a path taking me back to the old drove road and back to the car.  Only a five mile trip but another two fells I haven't been up before :-)