SCENES FROM 2 FELL WALKS

With the advise and coaching of one of my Bardsea pub mates, John, I've taken up fell walking. The pack is 20-25 lbs, heavy boots and clothing to match, along with the safety gear that is always carried but I hope isn't required. 20-25 pounds isn't much, especially when one considers what our service personnel wear, but I passed 16 too many decades ago and respect what's left of my knees to be abusive to them, so I pursue my limitations hoping I don't actually reach them; failure being the result.

This is a view from the top of Scafell, the 2nd highest mountain in England. My 2 favorite walking companions & I reached the peak about 1:30 in the afternoon after starting about 10:30. We ate lunch here, then went down a little more than half our ascent, and started up the other side to reach the top of Scafell Pike about 3pm. Scafell Pike is the tallest mountain in England. I enjoyed Scafell better than Scafell Pike. Scafell Pike is a rock pile, and because it's the tallest, it attracts the crowds. Note the sweat soaked hat.

This is Lord's Rake, a gash in the side of Scafell that provides a scramble of a route up the major portion of Scafell. It seemed like a 45 deg pitch and several times we had to move aside as loose rocks would tumble as we sought our footing. There were just the 3 of us on Lord's Rack this morning.

Using the self timer, I took this shot from the top of Harter Fell. Although considered a mid range climb, this was and still is my most memorable walk. I had the top to myself for the hour I was there. There was virtually no wind that day, and the visibility was unlimited. Truely a spectacular day.

This view looks North from the top of Harter Fell. The two tallest peaks in England are in the distance and if you double click on the picture to blow it up, look carefully in the center of the bottom border and you'll see the remains of the Roman Fort; HardKnot Fort, so named for the pass it guards.

This is a typical view of the fells here in the lakes district. Is it any wonder people come from all over the world to visit the the Lakes District National Park? Fortunately for me, they concentrate in the eastern ends, leaving some of the western areas largely undiscovered. This view is in the western portion, west of Coniston.