I guess it's fair to say that days like today on the fells are what walkers dreams are made of, they come few and far between and I can count possibly on one hand how often I have walked with the sun shining down through a cloudless sky set against the whiteness of fresh snow underfoot, it's something of a rarity that should be grabbed by both hands.

From midweek I was able to plan this walk despite working on the Saturday as it turned out, Sunday was the best day of the weekend with blue skies forecast and showers which would fall as snow over higher ground and in fact, fell as low as the valleys.

So, I had my perfect forecast and all I needed was my walk which I had chosen as this one, another tough one considering I would be in work the next morning but worth it nevertheless due to its rewards, a favoured well trodden route of mine which collects six Wainwright summits starting and ending at Honister from where Grey Knotts is reached steeply from the Hause, thereafter and easily, Brandreth is summited. From Brandreth I head towards Green Gable over Gillercomb Head before switching back close to the summit of Green Gable for a descent on Base Brown then to re-ascend steeply back to gain Green Gable.

From the summit of Green Gable Great Gable is easily reached via Windy Gap before descending steeply over Beck Head before the sixth and last summit is collected in Kirk Fell, thereafter a glorious stroll back to Honister via Stone Cove and Moses Trod, all under a Spring Sun from end to end.

My good time keeping had now come and gone due to stopping by at Castlerigg and Ashness Jetty but it was worth it even managing to arrive at Honister Slate Mine just before eight am. Usually I would park further down Honister Pass at some convenient parking spaces no more than a ten minutes walk but seeing as time was of an essence today I decided to part with £3.50 and leave my car at the "Walkers and Wainwrights" car park, feeling rather humoured after reading a sign left by the Mine stating that if you didn't pay your car would be "Slated in" and not clamped, I only hoped they had the patience for me to pay on my return before "slating my car in"

I had to stop myself from rushing during kit up which normally sees me forget something vital so I parked my backside on the rear panel of the car and laced up not forgetting my Gaitors which have seen their fair share of action these last few months. Adding more layers seemed the right thing to do despite it feeling mild under the bright morning sunshine as sooner or later whilst on the tops I just knew I'd be reaching for the jacket again, where actualy hours into the walk it still felt mild across the summits as it did in the valleys, shows what I know but I stubbornly kept my jacket on anyway until the last summit.

Two Mine workers who I thought might like my £3.50 are struggling to start a generator which keeps starting then dying straight away after a big puff of black smoke is released, I deem the workers too busy and troubled this Sunday morning about my parking fee before stuffing the coins back into my pocket all the while feeling ready for the steep haul onto Grey Knotts summit whose path can be made out via a diagonal line seen running through the centre of the photo.

The ascent starts first over frozen ground with eye catching views over Honister Pass, Honister Crag and the Yew Crag Mines over on Dale Head while my ears were never far away from a generator which just didn't want to start.

I keep with the fence line sometimes through frozen bog and at one point, a short scramble is required which a young child might enjoy, here the fence is in ruin due to walkers using it as an aid rather than pull themselves up over the rock which this morning was either covered in slime, ice or bone dry, but this was never a problem though as there are many other alternatives around the rock slab.

Soon after the fence pulls in sharply to the right revealing the summit crags from which the summit is easily reached via another rock shoulder although again, there are easier ways to gain the summit if you approach from the north.

It felt like Christmas as a child, stupid I know but during that short ascent on the summit I didn't want to look up, I wanted to savour the view from the top.

Feeling rather spoilt with the stunning views in every direction including this view over Green Gable and Great Gable and to top it all, there wasn't another soul around, well, for now that is.

It's time to leave Brandreth and head out over Gillercomb Head towards Green Gable, but I won't be going all the way to the summit just yet.

After leaving Base Brown summit I soon found myself at the grassy col which is probably where I geared myself up for the tricky ice lined path ahead, I again had the option (lower down) to ascend via the grass which flanked both sides of the path but I chose to ascend directly and dealt with the ice which I might add was avoidable at all times, if anything all it cost was to keep a constant eye underfoot.

Shortly after taking this photo another walker is sighted who had just arrived at the Col no doubt from the Gillercomb Valley, I could see that the chap was wearing shorts and it looked like he was layering up, a wise decision, perhaps he too had felt the chill with the more height gained.

I soon reached the summit of Green Gable and was surprised to find it to myself, not that I was complaining mind. Below, and in the distance I could see two walkers making their ascent via what would seem a pathless route above Moses Trod and below Brandreth's summit, their figures moved slow over the snow covered ground.

The chill I had felt just below the summit of Green Gable had returned but I momentarily chose to ignore the almost 'instant' pain I felt in my fingers caused by the wind chill instead veering away from the summit cairn before quickly returning consciously thinking, it's not going to get any milder from here on in.

A wise decision to de-shoulder adding my hat and gloves before striking out from the summit for the second time towards Windy Gap.

The descent was as familiar as ever with a loose path underfoot, here the snow was still fresh and powdery and didn't cause any issues whatsoever, on a positive note the path ahead looked positively free from snow which should mean for a speedy ascent.

But before all that I pass the four walkers who had ascended from Styhead Tarn via Aaron Slack, 'mornings' are passed as was a brief chat about the views before they started their ascent on Green Gable and me, Great Gable, it wasn't to be our last meeting of the day but more on that later.

I had left the walkers taking in the views of Styhead Tarn and the Ennerdale Valley back at Windy Gap, I only stopped once to look around as I saw them approach Green Gable summit. Looking back although it probably didn't feel it at the time I had made it towards the summit in what felt like no time at all only encountering snow drifts from the shoulder, then across the plateau towards the Memorial Plaque while following a single set of footprints ahead of me.

It's a tricky and sometimes skillful descent even in the best of conditions and todays descent took some patience, best not to rush under such conditions. I follow the stone cairns and indeed a set of boot and paw prints negotiating the awkward twisting path laced with boulders after every turn. Soon a rock step was reached which in ascent is nothing to get bothered about, yet here in descent, under the shadow of the mass of Great Gable extremely careful footings are required and I don't mind admitting most of this rock step was descended by easing my backside down rather than to outskill the slippery rock.

Having committed by throwing my walking poles ahead first I eyed up my route, then thought about where I was about to place my hands (clearing the snow from the rock first) having already packed my gloves away the snow felt cold but it was the needy thing to do. Once the route had been set I ungracefully eased myself down feeling that something had been achieved along the way as I glanced back up at the cold rock, sometimes allowing the sun to shine through brightly by stepping sideways.

With the rock step behind me, and thankfully my poles wrapped back around my wrist I continued my descent as it would seem I wasn't completely out of the woods just yet, I made the mistake of keeping my eyes on the path and not what was ahead which steered me via a row of cairns towards Stone Cove and not Beck Head which was starting to disappear from view. I took light of the situation spotting a point along the narrow path from which I could descend no more, from here I track back towards Beck Head via a narrow climbers path before re-emerging overlooking Beck Head which was by now in brilliant sunshine, I brushed away the snow from my Gaiters, nipped my trousers up and started the last part of descent.

The grassy plateau soon gave way for scattered rock underfoot during the last pull towards the summit where I found a chap sitting in the summit shelter enjoying his lunch, there was plenty of room in the shelter for me but it felt like I would be invading his privacy so I hooked myself around the back of the shelter and out of the wind, finding a large boulder to sit on I start to de-shoulder my pack and start to eat lunch, all the while looking across to the Scafells.

I'd certainly found the best table in the house.

Soon a woman approaches from the south ridge and passes with a hi, the chap in the shelter is just about ready to leave and she too it would seem didn't want to invade his privacy of 'feel cramped' soon finding a rock to sit on about five paces behind me, we never spoke until I was ready to leave where we struck up conversation on her ascent from Wasdale Head via the south ridge...I've got to admire your determination I remarked, she replied that she would normally walk with her husband who couldn't make it today and that she had climbed via the south ridge before and felt comfortable doing it again on her own, and that, it was her way down too, she spoke of the fells with a fondness before we parted with 'enjoy the rest of your day'

I re-shouldered and before hand I thought about leaving my jacket off but the cool summit wind went right through me once I stood up as it was decided, I'd try to get warm again before de-layering.

It was time to start my descent onto Beck Head, at which point four walkers are sighted making their own ascent, I soon make out that it's the same four walkers that I had chatted to on Windy Gap some hours ago as we stop to chat again more about how well the day had turned out, it was only afterwards did I consider their starting point which must have been Wasdale Head to Styhead then Aaron Slack and so on.

In this photo my route back to Honister can be seen first by making a little (felt much more at the time!) re-ascent onto the base of Gables north ridge before descending into Stone Cove from where I'll pick up the Moses Trod path below Brandreth also flanking Grey Knotts towards the Drum House before descending back to Honister, it felt like the home run and I was more than pleased with my time and to celebrate this, I finally took my jacket off and rolled up my sleeves.

The sun was still beaming down and the white parts of my skin are now starting to turn a light brown, indeed the windchill has put some colour on my cheeks which I'm sure will be the start off as a nice sun tan. Ahead as I approach Drum House walkers are sighted some on route towards Dubs Hut and beyond, others on their way back to their cars the same as I am.

I flick my camera to the off position and draw closure on todays walk as I head towards Drum Hause passing folk just out for a short walk from Honister taking advantage as I have of a glorious day in Lakeland. Already the snow was starting to melt and had completely disappeared from the Grasmoor Fells and on a wider scale towards Skiddaw and Blencathra too, but it had done its job securing a delightful last reminder of winter somewhere in between Spring and Summer.

I don't think we could ask anymore from mother nature than we got today in Lakeland.