It’s been a tough old week, my mum has been is hospital for the best part of it (nothing to serious) and if she hadn’t of took her own un-prescribed pills making her own infection slightly worse she might of been out for the weekend but mum being mum knows better than the doctors & for that there making her pay for her mistakes by keeping her in for the weekend.

I had already planned a walk this weekend in the form of Eagle Crag & Sergeants Crag from Stonethwaite, but I had to shelve the plans for obvious reasons not just the fact of mum being in hospital also making sure my dad was ok, so all the family has rallied round them both, Mum with regular hospital visits & dad making sure he’s fed & watered ha, he’s a rum bugger my dad, I think its were I get my walking legs from as he walks his collies 6 to 8 miles a day (we are lucky in this part of Wigan as we have the Leeds & Liverpool canal on our doorstep plus acres & acres of open country side) At the hospital I kind of got the nod from my mum ‘are you going walking tomorrow Paul?’ (Sunday) well I wasn’t mum…it was like she already knew I’d be up there, she knows the passion I have for my walking & it looked like it came not only second nature to me but people around me too, all I had to do now was clear it with the wife.

As I’d already mentioned Eagle Crag was my intended walk, & yeah I was really excited about doing this particular Fell, a general stroll up & then along the ridge to Sergeants crag & then back down, just the two summits I thought after last week…an easy days walking taking it all in, just what I needed, then I stumbled across this route, one admittingly   I’d never thought of before. This route comes highly recommended, another fell walkers dream, a classic Lakeland round if there ever was one incorporating six Wainwrights along the way…

How could I resist.

Wainwright Guidebook

Before reaching Martindale I couldn’t resist stopping to take a picture of the early morning reflections on Ullswater.

Left to Right Beda Head & Place Fell from my ascent up Hallin Fell.

Hallin Fell summit with Ullswater behind, its not the highest of Fells but like most it sure makes up for it in steepness, a perfect way to start the walk.

Ullswater from Hallin Fell, & as usual I’m over heating so I’ve decided before I really get going I’ll undo the zips of the crag hoppers & get my knees out.

St Peters church Martindale.

Cotehow & Birk Knott, the more direct route towards my next summit Steel Knotts, I could of followed one of two paths both flanking left & right of the fell but me being the awkward one is going to hit it straight on.

On the ridge now making my way to Steel Knotts summit.

‘Pikawassa’ the true summit of Steel Knotts, and it appears there seems to be some fell running race going on, I can hear the runners coming up behind so as the fell runners got closer I take a step to the side, do I get a thanks? what do you think, so in the end they had to run round me.

Looking along the ridge to Gowk Hill.

It’s basically a case of following the wall, and I’m starting to wish I’d kept my long trousers on right about here!

This old ruin marks the turning point, you can see a few Fell runners to the right of the picture making there way up towards Wether Hill & the Roman Road but again me being me took the more direct route & made my own way up picking up a faint path just behind the ruined building.

The GPS showing my position with the triangular marker,  & my next destination ‘the pin’ Wether Hill as you can see (I know I’m holding it upside down!) I have roughly about 378 yards to go.

Wether Hill summit cairn with the track forming the High Street Roman Road behind me, ahead is Loadpot Hill my next summit but for now its out with the flask for a quick drink of coffee.

And then Loadpot Hill summit cairn comes into view.

Loadpot Hill summit cairn.

It’s just over a mile to my next summit Arthurs Pike & this is just the way I like it, Arthurs Pike is on the right with Bonscale Pike appearing closer on the Left.

Arthurs Pike summit cairn with Dunmallard Hill at the head of Ullswater.

I made my way over towards this old ruin, its a good marker to cross the Swarth Beck & onto Swarth Fell.

Swarth Fell Towers over looking Ullswater.

And not too far away, Bonscale Pike summit.

And the start of my walk Hallin Fell over shadowing Howtown.

Fusedale over to the left & my second fell of the day Steel Knotts from my steep descent of Bonscale Pike.

The tarmac road on the right heads into Martindale & where I’m parked is the little clump of trees in the centre of the picture, but I think I’ll head of to the track on the left & try & stop for something to eat.

A little corner of heaven.

I’d normally eat after a walk back at the car but I just couldn’t resist a bench to myself over looking this beautiful corner of Ullswater .

And the odd company!

And back where I started, St Peters Church with Hallin Fell in the background.

I’m getting to know myself now as the unplanned & not the planner I clearly think I am, just like an unplanned night out with the lads always turns out better than one planned for weeks its getting to be exactly the same for my walks, the unplanned are always the best