Two weeks after having to call one of my projects walks off half way through due to poor conditions I'm back in the campaign feeling as headstrong as ever and now, a further two weeks into Spring the snow line has started to recede leaving all but the highest summits in the district completely snow free with the exception of a few sporadic patches here and there.

This particular walk has been given the green light more than once over the last few weeks only for us to have to ditch it at the last minute due to bad weather and now after so many build ups we finally have the all clear to go ahead. On paper it doesn't look like a particular exciting walk especially when walked on a Good Friday when most of the crowds are taking advantage of Helvellyn, the Scafells and Blencathra but what this walk does have by the bag full is variety and that's what first got me excited about it when I penned the route back in January.

This walk takes in six Wainwright summits along the south east ridge above Ullswater starting with the Mell Fells before continuing to collect Gowbarrow Fell, Hart Side, Sheffield Pike and finally Glenridding Dodd, its also a route that wouldn't of been completed without the use of two cars which is why David so kindly agreed to join me today after agreeing that one car would be left outside Glenrididng at Stybarrow Crag and the other at Brownrigg Farm ideally situated between both the Mell Fells. David had been speaking to Rod Hepplewhite about his own plans for the extended weekend and Rod asked would he be ok to join us which of course I obliged, after all in just over six weeks time myself and Rod will be climbing Pillar Rock so today will be a good time to catch up on Rod's final Birkett and, how us mere walkers will cope while being clipped into harnesses under supervision of course onto possibly the least climbed Birkett summit of them all.

But for now, this is how my summer weekends are going to be spent, by spending long days out on the fell, this is the Mell Fells to Glenridding Dodd.

After a wander around the bay I make my way back towards the car disturbing the silence as I pass over pebbles. Back at my car I neatly leave my gear besides the rear wheel waiting for David to arrive making sure I haven't left anything behind. My jacket for the first time this year will be folded as neatly as possible into my pack should I need it later in the day. David arrives minutes later and pulls his car up along side mine, we greet as ever with a handshake while not quite believing just how lovely this morning really is "we've earned it I explain"

It's agreed to leave my car at Stybarrow Crag and David will drive us to Brownrigg Farm a journey that should only take us around ten minutes which is taken up by conversation as the strong morning sunlight streaks through the car windows, it feel like a typical Spring morning but not any Spring morning, the first Spring morning and one that needs to be remembered.

It wasn't long before we took the left turn for Dockray leaving the tree lined shore road behind as part of our route onto Watermillock Common opens up to our left, at this stage its still undecided how we will gain the ridge but a few ideas had been thrown about last night and indeed during the short ten minutes as we headed out towards Brownrigg Farm which is soon reached to find Rod stood besides his car awaiting for our arrival.

Rod and I greet with a 'morning' followed by a handshake smiles clearly etched across all our faces which I'm putting down to this glorious morning and of course the route ahead, there's three blokes here but really, its three giddy school boys waiting in earnest to get boot onto fell. "What do you reckon" shall we leave our gear in the car and collect it when we pass later? we all agree it's a good idea and strike out gearless up the track towards Great Mell Fell soon realising that both David and myself had left our walking poles in the back of David's car, do we need em? Aye it maybe short, but its steep in places.

I'll nip back.

By 08:05am we had reached the summit of Great Mell Fell and were treated to a rather cool breeze but not cool enough for jackets. With the sun on our backs we each take our own summit photo most of which have our own shadows in them due to the sun being right behind us. I have a wander to the edge of the summit to take in the views over Souther Fell and Blencathra where I spent last weekend with Tim. There is a slight haze which is hampering views northwards but it looks like it will lift as the morning temperature rises.

After a few moments spent it was agreed that we should head back down much the same way we had came. Total time from car to summit and back again was just one hour five minutes, I reckon we could of done it in half that if it not been for our boyish antics.

Under a warm morning sun we arrived at The Hause and below our second summit of the morning in Little Mell Fell, its incredibly warm made more so by the unexpected steady mile or so ascent gained in order to reach The Hause but we are still in great spirits. We are greeted by a fellow having a tea break in a coal lorry painted in traditional red and green which takes us back to our youth as David recalls that distinctive noise the coal bag would make when dropped from the coalmans shoulder leaving a bloom of coal dust, we all had coal bunkers it would seem but in our house, mine was used as my den, sorry guys I'm slightly younger that you!

We pass through the gate, then negotiate the boggy path before taking on the steep and steady ascent of Little Mell fell soon passed by a fell runner which he descends in a matter of minutes.

Morning guys.

We trace our footsteps and descend steadily pausing only to take in the route ahead which is clearly seen beyond the wooded area known as Little Meldrum. Our route will see us flank the woods by a stone wall which you can make out in the right of the photo, its not very clear in this photo but there is also a narrow path which leads you through the wild grasses over the top of Great Meldrum and Gowbarrow Fell thereafter.

Topic of conversation during the mornings descent is football.

After crossing The Hause we pass through a metal gate and follow a farm track keeping close to the stone wall, after passing by the Fire Beaters we pass over a wire fence and start a slight descent flanking the woods by a boggy path as David points out to us that there's a little hidden gem of a Tarn in those woods.

A mental note is taken for a 'must visit' to the Tarn the next time I'm in the area.

"That looks like new stone steps set into the wall, I maybe wrong but I'm sure there used to be a wooden sty here" David remarks "go on Paul you test it and we'll follow it it doesn't collapse"

Such the humour of the morning!

Having just passed the first people of the day we arrived at Gowbarrow Fell summit under cool winds, notably two fell walkers below us were adding jackets and I too wasn't far behind from adding my own but seeing as were about to descend I'm sure I'll stick it out safe in knowledge that down there in the valleys its going to start feeling like Spring again.

After confirming our route onto Watermillock Common we descended to the path along side Aira Beck not before passing one particular large group of youngsters heading for the summit guided from the front and rear shortly followed by couples and families all out for the day which was nice to see. Aira Beck was soon reached were we crossed the new bridge not been able to capture the moment due to how busy it was with more families enjoying the morning sun. After crossing the bridge we made our way up to what David describes as the top car park for Aira Force which used to accommodate free parking on one side with a National Trust car park on the other, now the layby has been filled in leaving no choice other than to pay to park on the other side of the road which seems a raw deal if you frequent this area often.

The car park is busy and there's an old National Trust Landrover parked up offering membership and general information, we slip by soon picking up the stone wall path at the start of a pretty steep ascent.

We ascend in single file with Rod up front, its a pretty steep climb and I guess after descending Gowbarrow followed by some lenient walking the steep ascent hit hard but we coped manageably even though we had to clamber over crag and below the fallen tree you see in the photo, it was one of those moments when you had to think 'now how do I get this square into that triangular hole' its only a tree but the way it had fell over the path we had to houdini our bodies and packs through the twisted branches and emerge a little higher up.

Phew, I didn't expect that.

Rod waited ahead and with the worst of the steep behind us the fell side started to take on a steady plod over boggy ground with the stone wall never far from our side.

I guess it didnt really matter which side of the wall we had walked as both sides of the wall were flanked by faint paths some of which lead through bracken which lead me to thinking that should I off chosen to do this walk in the middle of summer, well, it would of been a lot tougher than what we had experienced here today.

We cross the stone wall at Far Swan Beck which you can see were the stone wall dips in and out of the fell side by which time Swinside Knott was just above our heads.

Our path had been taking a steady ascent over the last mile and we soon round our way into the Glencoyne Valley. Hart Side still looked a distance away and it was agreed we would find ourselves a place to eat lunch before taking on the steady slog to Hart Side summit. An outcrop of dry rock became our dining area as we all eased ourselves down onto the rock and semi-dry grass. It was an extended lunch break taken under midday sun but the sporadic cloud cover made it feel much cooler at times.

After lunch we re-shouldered and continued along the path coming to stop at the familiar stone wall from were the steep tramp to Hart Side would begin. We had the choice to keep left or right of the wall and we choose right, more so because it shielded us from the cool winds that seemed to be gaining in strength by the hour, something that had been forecast to reach gale force by midnight tonight.

Hart Side on a personal note was the defining fell to reach in todays walk and a feeling of accomplishment dawned over me, from here we have two more summits to visit in Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd, both easily attainable.

Its time to relax and enjoy the rest of our walk.

By now there were lots of people coming from Stybarrow Dodd towards Hart Side, we pass with hi's and hello's as we head out over Glencoyne Head feeling that cool wind once more which is still gaining in strength.

Despite it being the first day of Spring and with the sun being directly above us there was no need to remove our jackets, in fact Rod decided to add gloves and no one could blame him.

Very brisk indeed.

We each jabbed our walking poles into the ground and take a wander about the summit to take in the views. By now the winds are quite gusty and sadly summit time is again kept brief because of this, more so with the chill they brought, during the brief time we did spend at the summit it was nice to reflect on how this walk has turned out to be from taking in the views over The Old Coach Road and Blencathra before ending the walk with the dramatic views over the windswept Sticks Pass and Helvellyn's satellite fells whose summits are still holding onto Winter.

All that is left is to descend from the summit via The Rake were again feet will be kicked back into their boots all the while enjoying views over the caravan parks of Glenridding and the village itself which is still recovering from Decembers floods, yet despite this, its looking very busy down there which can only be good for local business.

With the decent of The Rake behind us we drop down onto Greenside Road while taking in views over Birkhouse Moor from the old miners cottages which have been converted into Holiday Homes. A farmer patches up potholes in the road with a huge mix on concrete on the back of a trailer helped on by his small son. At the bottom of the Greenside Road we arrive back into reality by the sound of the traffic travelling to and from Glenridding. Its too busy to walk against the traffic so we head for the lake path which will soon see us out by Stybarrow Crag, we do this as the waves lap along the shoreline all the while debris from the December storms litter the shoreline from end to end.

With Stybarrow Crag reached we cross a very busy A592 and slowly walk back to my car, David finds a old wrought iron bench to sit on while he changes his boots and Rod warms down with stretches, I too ease my aching muscles lifting both feet one by one up to my backside and hold them there as long as I can. The mood is joyful. With our gear thrown into the back of my car we head out back towards Brownrigg Farm driving below the ridge we have just walked soon making the same left turn as we had eight hours earlier before arriving at a bustling Brownrigg Farm, gear is then swapped back into David's and Rod's cars before handshakes are swapped, I prepare to leave but before I do I thank David for the making this walk possible for the use of his car and thank them both for thier exceptional company, I guess the next time we see each other we would be preparing for a climb on Pillar Rock which may just have the the edge on todays walk...but only just.