First trips to the Lakes in Thunderbird 2 Sept 2018

Two day trip to the promised land in Thunderbird 2 (Nissan Elgrand 8 seat MPV). with mixed results it has to be said !! It doesn't always work out - The plan was (weather permitting) :-

Sunday 2/9 - Mellbreak in the morning. Whiteside in the afternoon
Monday 3/9 - Rannerdale Knotts and Whiteless Pike in the morning and then meet up with Richard                           at Honnister Slate Mine and do Kirk Fell.

Got to the Loweswater NT car park mid morning on Sunday after a long drive - long enough to Keswick but then the drive down to Borrowdale - Honnister and Buttermere is a trek in itself. Meg was bouncing of the walls by the time we got there.

I had decided to do Mellbreak via a (supposedly) well documented sheep trod around the flank of the fell which then climbs up to the ridge

Well, it didn't happen - I found the sheep trod and followed a good path around the fell across some scree slope but eventually it petered out. I was starting to get a blister on one foot from the odd angle of walking and the going started to get difficult as I headed where the path might have been. In the end I decided to drop down to the Mosedale Beck as there looked to be a good path there. If I had started climbing up the side of the fell to the ridge I didn't know if I would hit (unseen from where I was) crags and therefore decided the best course of action was down.

Climb Ahead

Mellbreak - a similar shape to Yewbarrow

The descent was quite tricky - no path crossing bracken and rocky outcrops !!

Path back to Loweswater

The walk back along the bottom of the valley was very enjoyable. Very disappointed , I arrived back at the van and sat with Meg where I had some lunch. From there I drove back to the the Buttermere Road and parked at the small car park at Lanthwaite. The weather was getting worse - drizzle and mist... I could see Whin Ben and Whiteside in front of me saying "come on if you fancy it !!"  but I was feeling a little negative after the morning's disappointment ....I was actually thinking about packing up and heading home. Finally, a bit of common sense landed and we set of for Whiteside via Whin Ben.

It was a tough climb (probably because I was full of bread). At one point just below the summit of Whin Ben I had stopped taking some deep breaths ...looked up and Meg was  at the top with a couple on the way down looking a bit concerned !!

I didn't take my Lumix on this trek so had to do with some phone pics on a very windy summit.

Whiteside Summit 

Windswept Meg at the top of Whiteside

Back down to the Van - absolutely knackered !!

Mellbreak teasing me from the back of Thunderbird 2

Sleeping arrangements

We had a good nights sleep here - it is a very quiet road. Mountains all around and as the sun was going down the views were beautiful and crystal clear. Unfortunately as I woke up - clag everywhere . So, no rush I had a leisurely  breakfast (bacon buttie and tea) and then I phoned Richard and re-arranged the day (no point going up Kirk Fell in the mist). Meet at Keswick for a walk up Latrigg.

The trip to Keswick was an adventure in itself a drive over the Newlands Pass in the mist. T2 did a great job - I didn't need the 4WD at any point. 

Parked up at Keswick  Long stay Lakeside Car Park to meet Richard, and then we set off up to Latrigg in the clag

Dr Fulcher at the top of Latrigg

Well , I didn't achieve what I had set out to do , but a trip to the Lakes is never wasted. I knocked of Whiteside, checked out  the approach to Mellbreak , tested out T2, met with Richard, and had a lovely walk up Latrigg (wainwright second time).

OS OL4. ..Not sure of the mileage.