Friday 7th August 2009

Start point: High Nibthwaite (SD 294 897)

Brock Barrow (OF) from High Nibthwaite

Weather: Sunny. 20oC.

Route Map

Dougal came of age today being exactly 13 weeks old - what that means in young puppy terms is that you are allowed out into the big wide world, confident that you will not pick up any strange illnesses. For a short and easy walk to tire the young chap out, I decided to climb Brock Barrow at the foot of Coniston Water. It is funny how certain fells bring back memories and this holds more than its fair share for me. It was the fell that Angus got lost on one time and also the last fell he climbed before he hung up his boots (barring the Lance Armstrong style comeback for a crack at climbing Gummer's How), so it was fitting that this should be Dougal's first. Unsurprisingly, he carried the walk off with aplomb - he's going to be a good 'un that lad, I can tell that for sure.

Looking back to Beacon Fell over High Nibthwaite. It was a jungle up there.

Allan Tarn, Blawith beyond. Tottlebank Height is the highest point to the right.

Heading for Brock Barrow. The climb to it is not as bad as it looks and I think Wainwright gave a poor route to get up to it in his Top o' Selside walk in The Outlying Fells. In those days, it was a nameless summit 748' and the route he describes is a steep scree climb straight up this face of it along the visible groove. However, if you carry on along the path to the east (to the right of this photo), the climb is much gentler before it cuts back to the north west to reach the top. The main obstacle on this route at the moment is the bracken.

Hurry up Uncle Casper.

Heathery Casper.

Made it! Well done Dougal, the first of many I think and he was such a good lad.

The Coniston fells from the cairn on Brock Barrow. The views were superb today with a light breeze blowing on the top making it a classic English summer day.

Little Dougal looks impressed.

Where are you skulking off to?

The dogless view.

Looking across Allan Tarn to Blawith Knott and Black Combe, below is High Nibthwaite.

The foot of Coniston Water.

We stayed here for a good while, having a lie in the grass and enjoying the sun giving Dougal plenty of recovery time.

There were lots of new things to see for him.

Looks like he has inherited the Casper tongue as well.

The Coniston fells across the blooming heather.

Heading for the second cairn.

Low Light Haw from the second cairn.

Coniston Water.

Dow Crag and The Old Man.

Wetherlam and the Yewdale Fells.

Beacon Fell.

What a day.

I descended directly to the track running across the centre of this photo. The path was often lost in the head height bracken and old Dougally Doo required a bit of a carry here, after all some of you may remember what happened to Angus a couple of years ago when the bracken was a similar height - he disappeared!

The Gormley Sentinel keeps an eye on Beacon Fell back down at High Nibthwaite.

It was tempting for a swim here.

Tranquillity in Swallows and Amazons country.

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