Our annual summer pilgrimage to Keswick happened in June. We go, partly to walk with our local walking group but also to catch up with friends. This year though, it became Costa del Keswick as we experienced hot weather more akin to the Mediterranean.

This year I was also leading two walks for our Ramblers group. We tried to recce them in March but failed (see Lakes – Winter blog). We successfully reccied one in 30 deg heat but decided that the descent off the fell was too dangerous to offer to our group so the route was amended. We reccied the second walk a few days later, with the heat just as intense. We set off early (walking by 0745) but by 1030 it was so hot, we decided that with no shade on the fells it was silly to carry on. Second walk abandoned, but we did have plan B.

Before all this, was a meet-up with a good friend and his wife from my RAF days, We get together once a year in different places and this is the first time we had met in the Lakes. It was another roasting hot day, more Mediterranean than the traditional changeable summer weather. We walked from Rosthwaite back to Keswick alongside the river Derwent and Derwentwater.

Top: Where is the river? The Derwent, which flows through Rosthwaite had dried up in the heat. 2 & 3: River Derwent further upstream, a little more water flowing. Bottom: Looking across Derwentwater in the shade of Manesty Woods

Continuing the theme of hot weather we took a trip to Sizergh Castle which is down near Kendal in the south lakeland. Another roasting hot day which for some reason kept the tourist hoards to a minimum. We had a lovely day exploring the grounds, watching the wildlife and enjoying the unusually warm weather. .

Some images from Sizergh Castle

Our first walk as leaders was one we are very familiar with. From Rosthwaite an out and back walk along the Langstrath Valley. The hot weather continued and some of the group requested a lunch stop at Black Moss Pot a deep clear pool, popular with wild swimmers. It was a pleasure to sit on the rocks enjoying the valley, little away from those taking a dip.

Some views of the Langstrath Valley walk

Having lead the first walk on the roster, our next trip out we followed a leader. Our destination was an area of the Lakes we last visited on our epic Coast to Coast walk 9 years previously, namely Ennerdale. The weather had cooled dramatically and there was rain in the air, and on our jackets! Nevertheless it was lovely walk around Ennerdale Water.

Some views of Ennerdale Water on the way out. Note the threatening clouds, a contrast from a few days ago.

Us at the bottom end of Ennerdale

Images from the walk back along the other side of Ennerdale Water

I noted above that we had been programmed to lead two walks. We chose a warm clear day to test our first route. The first stage was familiar, from Rosthwaite following Green Gill up towards Green Edge and Lining Crag. From here a right turn towards High Raise before a steep descent into the Langstrath Valley and a long trek back to Rosthwaite.

The five images above show the climb up Greenup Gill to Greenup Edge and Lining Crag.n the bottom image, Lyn contemplates the short scramble up to Lining Crag.

From Lining Crag we headed across the top to the trig point on High Raise. Bottom image shows Lyn at the trig point.

From here we planned to follow a path down into the Langstrath Valley. This disappeared so we descended on rough ground and eventually picked up the path we were looking for.

Our route down, finally on a good path, but still a long way to go.

By the time we made the Langstrath Valley the temperature was very high and we had run out of water. We eventually made it back to the start point, but decided that the descent was too difficult for the group so moved to plan B for our first walk.

We started our second recce early, at 7.45am in order to escape the heat of the day whilst we climbed up to the summit of Glaramara. What we did not account for was the long walk in and the fact that it was to be the hottest day of our holiday with temperatures around 30 deg by mid morning. Once at the summit of Glaramara we should have followed an easy path to Sprinkling Tarn, then on to Styhead Tarn and returning to our start point in Seathwaite. By mid morning we had run out of water it was so hot, without reaching the first summit so we made the difficult decision to turn back.

The walk in and part of the climb up towards Glaramara. The last image was from the summit of an un-named peak on the walk down.

This was supposed to have been the route for our second led walk, however we decided to lead a simpler route from Seathwaite up to Styhead Tarn, Sprinkling Tarn and returning via a sharp descent alongside Ruddy Gill and Grains Gill.

The weather was much cooler on the day of the walk and as can be seen from some of the images although it started well the cloud was bubbling nicely and at one point covered the summits.

Top: Setting off……..the path to Stockley Bridge; 2: The group on Stockley Bridge with Green Gable in the background; 3: Looking back from Stockley Bridge; 4; Looking back from further up the valley.

Styhead Tarn – The low cloud cooled the temperature and blocked out views of the Gables (Green and Great), Great End, and Broad End. Navigating to Sprinkling Tarn was made little more difficult because of the low cloud.

Our lunch stop – Sprinkling Tarn

Top: The start of the route down. Bottom: Stockley Bridge.

Finally, I love the lakes for the photo opportunities. I took two trips out, first to Castlerigg Stone Circle and secondly to Ashness Jetty. The results are below:

Scenes From Castlerigg Stone Circle

I also took a trip out to Ashness Jetty, about halfway down Derwentwater. The jetty itself had a couple of parties of school children around so I moved away down the gravel beach for some peace and quiet and shot the images below, shooting into the setting sun.

Derwentwater as the sun goes down. Shooting straight into the setting sun poses its own problems but can result in some interesting results.

Another successful visit to the Lakes. The weather was unusually hot for the first pat of the holiday, but returned to a more expected normal later on. We are taking a year off visiting the Lakes in 2024, but I have no doubt we will return in the future.