Its only been two short weeks since I was last in Lakeland & I’ve returned with a burning desire for the place I love & is getting to know so well & this time yet again I find myself back in the north western Lake District, whatever this part of the Lake District holds it certainly has been pulling at my boot laces to get me back up here, It is pretty unusual of me to return more than twice as I like to spice things around now & again but these fells have gripped me & the only solution is to walk them.

Wainwright Guidebook

Some mountains have better names than they deserve and some deserve better names than they have. Lords Seat title for any ultimate peak amongst the clouds , and while the modest Lakeland fell of this name hardly aspires to the notability it suggest it is a pleasing recognition of the commanding position and superior height of this central point in the distinctive group of fells compromising  Thorthwaite Forest, Between Bassenthwaite Lake and Whinlatter Pass.

Spring was definitely in the air as I made my way past Darling How Farm, it was a little chilly to start with but that was just the dew burnt away, within 20 minutes of setting off my jacket was packed straight back into my pack & stayed there for the rest of the day.

Broom Fell from the forest track.

Broom Fell from the forest track.It was only a matter of time before I left the comfort of the forest track & picked out this route to my right up towards Brown How & Whinlatter Bound, no matter which route you take it will be steep & stepping over felled trees will seem the norm, I’m not complaining really just look at the weather..

Wading through the grasses & heather on Brown How.

Brown How summit with a Hobcarton End, Grisdale Pike, Eel Crag, Hopegill Head & Ladyside Pike in the background.

The main reason I wanted to gain Brown How’s summit was to take in this little ridge walk over to Whinlatter, the steep paths & boggy slopes of Brown How were more than worth it.

A close up of Ladyside Pike & Hopegill Head from the ridge in between Brown How & Whinlatter.

Whinlatter Summit cairn with the bulk of the Skiddaw massif in the background.

Next is the smooth grassy dome of Lord’s Seat, fittingly named as the highest of the Lorton Fells.

Grisdale Pike & Hobcarton Crag from my descent.

I’m blazing my own trail as I make my way down towards Aiken Beck, my aim is to get to the bottom of the pines in the foreground then display my eagerness (sigh) & stumble once more over the felled trees & tree stumps to the bottom left of the picture, here I can rejoin the forest path as far as it will take me then head through the Plantation once more & Lord’s Seat bound.

Looking back along the valley floor towards my last fell of the day Graystones, the second patch of trees to the left of the picture is where I left the main path for Brown How, the wall I followed is barely visible.

The camera stayed in the bag as I crossed the felled trees, if you’ve never walked over felled trees, tree stumps, dying wood underfoot & sharp branches everywhere together with moss under foot you’ve really never lived! ok Paul stop the sarcasm your back on good ground.

The forest track swings back on itself & back into the Whinlatter forest leaving me to turn left at this post marked #24 & Lord’s Seat summit bound.

Approaching midday &  things are really starting to hot up, the heat is rising & although I have only been walking for about 3 hours or so It feels much more so here I was glad of the shade a while.

On the final approach to Lords Seat & I can just make out a couple of people, by the time I got there they were ready to pack up leaving me with just the summit.

Lord’s Seat summit boosting its own cross, time to rest for a while & take in the views.

Looking along the ridge to Broom Fell from Lord’s Seat, it really does look like a classic ridge walk…but first I had one more summit to conquer.

Barf.

Barf summit cairn & unfortunately the best shot I could get as this ladies husband was walking around shirtless & showing what 30 years of drinking does to ones belly, I thought it best for the both of us I leave him out the shot!

Commanding views over towards Grisedale Pike & Causey Pike, the two hazy peaks centre right is that  of Green Gable & Great Gable a whole 11 miles away.

Bassenthwaite Lake from Barf summit, the small fell in the background is Binsey.

I’ve retraced my steps to the base of Lord’s Seat & can make out a faint grassy path flanking the summit, so here I make a slight right & head for my fourth fell of the day Broom Fell.

The classic ridge section in between Lord’s Seat & Broom Fell really was good enough to forget about the hard slog up Brown How just a few hours ago.

With only High Spy & Thornthwaite Beacon just to mention a few sporting such an impressive summit I really do have to try hard to think as to such why a large summit beacon was built here, either way it stands as tall as I do & can be seen from all around, it really is a pleasant sight to see, well done that man.

As good as it gets, yet here I’ve just discovered I’ve drank my self dry of all the two litres I packed & will have to finish the remainder of the walk without hydration, good job for the the can of Diet Pepsi I stowed in the boot this morning.

To this day I cant understand why I did this, two litres for this type of walk should be more than sufficient after all I have walked alot further in heat & brought hydration home, more to the point I don’t remember slurping away at my hearts content so where did all the fluid go? With no apparent leaks in the Camel Pack  I can only put it down to de-hydration.

Graystones & there’s quite a bit of descent & ascent, not much,  but enough to wish I still had a little hydration left.

Graystones summit cairn with Broom Fell & Lord’s Seat in the background, I’m now bracing my self for that steep descent.

Its a case of just following the wall all the way down, it appears the wall just disappears over the end of the fell but it doesn’t, its there & its extremely steep.

Again it appears part of the path has disappeared over the edge, the trick is to keep your weight back & take your time & not get cocky as I did & pick up a ‘trot on’ is the fastest way down but not advised at all, out of the picture here is a couple making there way up, it was 13.30 in the afternoon with a blazing sun beating down, my knees & calf’s took the shock out  of the steepness but I could only feel sorry for then having to pick there way stopping every 20 yards or so in the mid afternoon sun.

Scawgill Bridge & a mark to say I am close to my starting point a little over 4 hours ago, I could pick up the roadway & be back in the car in a little over 10 minutes, instead I bear left along the banks of Whit Beck & a slight de-tour back to the car.

In a way I was glad my walk was over & I wasn’t just beginning it, for spring the sun felt incredibly hot & humid & this fell walker for one hadn’t quite got accustomed to walking again in heat, but despite my radiator running dry this walk will be remembered for years to come.