Unseasonal in the Northern Fells!

With: Paul Richardson

Weather: warm, dry & sunny

Where: Bannerdale Crags; Lake District, Northern Fells

Regular readers will have noticed the distinct lack of more "outdoorsy" posts of late, this is due to an exceptionally busy passage of time at the Centre. The last two weeks have seen abnormally dry and increasingly warm weather, so tonight I decided that work just had to finish at a sensible time to enable an evening in the Fells. A series of texts through the day led to meeting up with Paul Richardson at Mungrisdale at 5:30 for a short trip over Bannerdale Crags.
Unbelievably the temperature was still 17 degC as we set off, an added bonus was despite the unprecedented conditions & the start of the Easter Holidays for some there was hardly a soul about.

Up the lane; along the valley; over the footbridge; follow the beck to the confluence with Bannerdale Beck & then start to climb - this is a familiar route. Up the first incline; along the flat section; another pull up; another flat and then the arete towering up above, its steep, slatey and in my view one of the Northern Fells classic routes - I always enjoy it! The climb, thankfully, was in the shade of the bulk of Bannerdale Crags and it wasn't until the summit ridge that we found ourselves bathed in the evening sunshine - the light was incredible.

The walk around the rim of Bannerdale Crags was like a leisurely stroll on a summer's evening. It wasn't until we descended along the miners track that we were passed b y a fell runner, our only human encounter!

Back at the cars by 8:15 to round off an excellent evening.

Driving home along the A595 I saw something I have never witnessed before - Criffel the hill in Dumfries & Galloway visible across the Solway from Blaithwaite was on fire