In between my walking the Wainwrights project this month I had set myself two goals one of which was to climb Dow Crag via the South Rake and the other, was to return to my beloved High Street starting the walk from the one and only Mardale Head.

Usually this walk would have been done by now and my cravings would have been laid to rest yet due to my project walks and the landslip that blocked access to Mardale Head I had to wait that bit longer and before I knew it I was well into the project walks and the thought of returning to Mardale seemed a distant memory until I got wind of the news that the Landslip had been cleared by which time, my focus was on my project walks.

It is quite difficult for me to step out of anything that I am focused on due to how difficult I find it to just switch off but this weekend, it being a Bank Holiday I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and include a project walk, and settle my craving with a return to Mardale Head, the only problem was that the evening before I was out with old friends, and well, you know how those evenings go.

It was mid morning by the time I arrived at Mardale Head and with the hangover already taken care of I secured one of the last parking spaces as I kitted up under yet another warm sun, it almost felt like I'd never been away as I thought on which route to take, initially I had planned to do a simple ascent by the Rough Crag Ridge then return via either Kidsty Pike or Mardale III Bell, but as the title suggests,I had a last minute change of plan, then a slight stumble within eyesight of my car.

I followed a line a four cars after passing Burnbanks through to Mardale Head two of which were motorhomes which didn't only block my views of the car park but if there were to be any spaces left, well I'm guessing the cars and motorhomes ahead would get there before me. I arrived and waited for the first motorhome to do a circuit of the car park who found he couldn't park, he then wound down his window to inform the second motorhome 'best try elsewhere' that'll do me, they soon left leaving the last parking space which I squeezed into neatly.

At the side of me a middle aged couple are kitting up and 'mornings' are shared as lift the boot open, now that I had my parking space I could relax and use my kitting up time to soak up Mardale which can be difficult when it's so busy although after one look over the stone wall towards Haweswater I start to visualize where the farms once stood and of course, it's the village pub, the Dun Bull.

I hadn't given todays route any thought with the exception of that it was to be kept short and sweet, by this I mean I won't be continuing towards High Raise of Harter Fell for that matter but High Street's closer satellite summits of Kidsty Pike or Mardale III Bell, which however I hadn't quite decided. In no time at all I was ready for the off as I closed my boot and zipped my keys away in the hood of my pack, why I do this I'll never know because all I can hear is them jangling around right besides my ear, but it's soon forgot about. By the Information sign a large group of walkers block the path as I head towards the gate, it was only when I almost upon them did they stop chatting, apologise and let me through.

The sun was bearing down by now and I was already regretting wearing two thin midlayers when one would have been suffice, especially at ground level, ahead I catch up to a chap who had passed me as I kitted up besides the car, this time passing with a 'hello again' he diverts taking the steep path before The Rigg is reached, a path that still to this day I have never used, not because of how steep it is, but because of the views I would have missed.

I climbed steadily above The Rigg and started to feel the morning heat which started to slow my ascent almost immediately, ahead a couple and two dogs look to be suffering from the heat too as they stop quite frequently, I soon catch them up passing comment about just how hot it is, the guy by now is sat down and sweating quite heavily, he smiles and agrees.

Onwards and upwards as they say.

I'm not sure why but the time it took to reach Rough Crag seemed to take much longer than usual which I put down to a combination of heat and errmm...last nights shenanigans shall we say, although I am leaning more towards the latter.

With Rough Crag reached Blea Tarn opened up before me by which time every now and again a brisk wind would blow across the waters surface making it change in colour from a deep blue to a darkened black, the same wind felt more than welcome as it cooled me down, a little too chilled at times but I wasn't complaining, next I pay a small detour to Caspel Gate Tarn, found in between Rough Crag and the base of Long Stile.

During the ascent of Long Stile I had watched the cloud roll in and out sometimes engulfing the summit of Kidsty Pike before rolling back out again which I thought for anyone at the summit would have been one of those special atmospheric moments, what I couldn't see during my ascent however, was what was behind the cloud...

More cloud, and lots of it.

With the top of Long Stile reached I headed over familiar ground towards High Street summit, with the car park back at Mardale Head full to bursting I expected to find more than just the two walkers at the summit who I found wearing hats and jackets, agreed it was a tad cool with the summit winds but I thought the need to wear a hat might have been too excessive.

Nevertheless 'afternoons' are passed as the couple at the summit packed away their gear and headed out over the Straights of Riggindale leaving just myself at the summit. This morning I hadn't had time to prepare a proper lunch instead I bought a pack of sandwiches from my local Tesco together with one of those extra large Lion Bars.

Behind the summit wall a small shelter large enough for one, or maybe two people had been fashioned from the stone wall which I must admit, made a good shelter from the summit cross winds which initially I didn't feel but soon finger tips and the bottom of my ears told me differently. From my sitting down position I hadn't noticed the cloud roll in as it clung to what felt like a hands length about my head, while beyond towards Helvellyn the views that I had seen minutes earlier had gone beneath a wall of cloud and haze.

I stood up and looked back towards Kidsty Pike which surprised me as its summit had by now escaped the cloud which had drifted further east towards Kirkstone and Patterdale, it would seem the Lakeland gods are looking down on High Street today.

Despite the wet ground underfoot it was a pleasant walk back through Dudderwick as walkers on route to Blea Water as I take in the last mile or so under a scorching afternoon sun, ahead the car park is still as busy at it was when I left it nearly five hours eailer and like me, people are returning back to the cars feeling satisfied after a good day spent on the fells.

I would like to say that last half mile was spent reflecting back on what a great walk I had, and indeed, quite an adventurous month by all accounts which had never been far from mind as May draws to an end but after stumbling awkwardly my right ankle bent over quite severely and for that split second I can't every recall my ankle bending so far over the way it did, I recovered well, or so I thought with a painful limb I thought I would, like all the other times, be able to walk it off. But then came the following morning when I looked down on very swollen and bruised ankle, thankfully the swelling is doing what it should and protecting the bone as day by day the swelling and bruises start to fade, despite this I'm still packing the ankle with ice taking anti-inflammatory tablets daily which probably means I won't be fell walking for at least another week, possibly longer.

What is it they say....absence makes the heart grow fonder.