Saturday 29th November 2008

Red Tarn from Three Shire Stone then Kiln Bank Cross - Stickle Tarn - Stickle Pike (OF) - Kiln Bank Cross

Weather: Sunny above the cloud, cold with snow. 0oC.

We were under cloud at home this morning but I knew those conditions were likely to lead to clear skies once above it and we had some great views today with blue skies and snow and a big temperature inversion over the South Lakes.

Little Stand from a frozen Duddon Valley. Originally we set of for Hard Knott today but half way up the pass we were blocked by a van that couldn't get up the icy road. So, a change of plan...

The view from the top of Wrynose Pass. We had to pass lots of stuck cars to get up here! Note there is no one else around yet either.

Cold Pike on the left, Pike o' Blisco on the right and the path we were going to follow up the middle.

Harter Fell and Wrynose Bottom.

Cold Pike. What is that strange rock formation in the lower middle of the photo?

It was cold, cold, cold when we set off.

Looking back to Wetherlam.

Snow Beardie.

Climbing Redtarn Moss.

First site of Crinkle Crags.

Red Tarn, Crinkle Crags and Bowfell.

A group of walkers making their way up to Cold Pike.

What a view today.

Frozen grass on the banks of Red Tarn.

Connie and Casper seemed to enjoy it today.

I'm not surprised with views like this.

Great Knott.

Looking across Red Tarn to the Coniston fells.

Looking back to the Coniston fells from the top of Browney Gill. It looks like someone has been skiing there.

Frozen Red Tarn

It was warm in the sunshine and time to cast a few layers, gloves, hats - you name it. I wonder who ended up carrying that little lot? Much as I would have loved to have climbed higher, I knew we weren't equipped for it today so we descended back by the same route.

Cold Pike across Red Tarn.

Casper goes goggle eyed at the snpowball on his nose. Where did that come from I wonder?

Here's the culprit. Don't you dare!

Wetherlam, Swirl How and Great Carrs from the walk back.

Loooking back to Cold Pike in the midday sun.

Swirl How and Great Carrs across Wrynose Pass.

When we were at home earlier, we were under a thick blanket of freezing fog so I wondered whether it would have lifted by the time we got back. As we climbed to Kiln Bank Cross in the car, I knew it hadn't as there was a magnificent temperature inversion spreading southwards. Of course, there was only one thing to do and that was to climb Stickle Pike to get a better view...

Caw from the climb.

Raven's Crag and The Knott on the edge of the inversion.

Caw and the Coniston fells, Stickle Tarn below.

A difficult shot to get in the direct sunlight but a good silhouette of Great Stickle and a tarn on Tarn Hill glinting in the sun. To the right is Black Combe.

The only thing standing proud of the dense layer of cloud is Kirkby Moor.

That got me thinking later on when I was out and about - perhaps I could get above the cloud in the car at sunset...

Just got above it on Kirkby Moor as the sun was setting.

It's getting dark but you can still see a snow covered Black Combe across the cloud layer.

Windmill silhouette.

Descending from here towards Lowick across Osmotherley Moor, the Coniston fells were standing proud of the cloud covered Crake Valley - another jaw dropping view. Too dark for photos by then though!

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