It was a toss up this weekend between walking Birketts Mellbreak and Hen Combe which are two separate walks that can easily be linked together or an ascent of Yewbarrow collecting both the South and North summits followed by a rather tricky scramble descent via Stirrup Crag. It had bucketed down all day Saturday leaving localised flooding and some rivers throughout Cumbria were on flood alert but once the rain had cleared Sundays forecast was proving to be the brighter day and with this a solo ascent on Yewbarrow was confirmed by Saturday afternoon.

Yewbarrow has to be one of my least climbed western fells and in some ways I should be ashamed to say that because Yewbarrow has it all, her steep south ridge dominates the Wasdale valley more so in my opinion than the Scafells which are tucked away towards the east with Gable and Kirk Fell domineering the head of the valley. The last time I was stood on Yewbarrow's summit was the day I completed my Wainwrights in 30 walks project back in September 2016. Yewbarrow was the final summit of the campaign and today I couldn't be more happier to find myself climbing Yewbarrow again.

The Wasdale valley felt quiet this morning the only stir coming from the wind or the waves which lapped at the shoreline. The morning air feels as cold as the grey skies looked overhead and I kit up accordingly adding my gloves, beanie and gaiters from the off. I'm not alone in the carpark along with one car who I was parked next to two young chaps on the opposite side cook bacon on one of those throw away BBQ's the smell of which fills my nostrils while I chomp on a tasteless granary cereal bar.

I'm in no rush so gear is checked and double checked to a point when I can feel my OCD rearing so I slow things down even more by taking a walk to the shoreline while taking in the view of the Scafells, damn it's cold. I return to my car and to the smell of cooked bacon, this is torture, it's time to leave! With my car locked and pack shouldered I head out first by following Over Beck before starting the steady climb to the base of Yewbarrow's south ridge.

The sound of Overbeck begins to fade into the distance as I join the base of the south ridge after passing through two gates, a wooden stile allows access into Over Beck (valley) and onto the opposite side of the stone wall where a second path can be used in ascent or descent although the footpath to the right of the wall proves to be more popular. The ascent continues steadily, flanking the craggy outcrop ahead before arriving at a wooden stile, but that's a few huffs and puffs away yet.

Having crossed the wooden stile the footpath now passes below Bell Rib and Dropping Crag, it is important here to keep a look out for a right fork in the footpath which ascends between Dropping Crag and Bell Rib. Unfortunately from where this picture was taken the footpath cannot be seen but sure enough a stepped rocky footpath navigates between the crags to the base of a scree gully where easy scrambles ascend to the left of the scree.

The bad news is, it's as steep as it looks, the good news is I can see blue sky appearing up there.

After negotiating the easy scrambles and loose scree Great Door loomed overhead and off to the right, I wasn't quite sure if Birkett took the easier path to the left or the path to the right which lead to Great Door via a steep rock gully which narrowed to a thin squeeze at its head, too thin even for a child. I figured this was the ascent Birkett would have chosen. At the head of the gully a steep scramble was required in order to avoid the thin squeeze, this steep scramble was no more than ten feet in height but when wet, as it was today, extreme care had to be taken over sometimes polished rock, once this rock was gained I found myself stood directly between the two rock buttresses known as Great Door, the view from which framed the Scafells perfectly and was worth the graze on my left knee.

Red Pike (Wasdale) and Pillar are still well below the cloud although I am entertained by the classical mountain peak like shadow that Yewbarrow's south summit is creating over the Mosedale valley.

Simple things entertain simple minds as the saying goes!

After a few slips here and there below Great Door earlier the descent of Stirrup Crag started to play on my mind as I walked the ridge towards the north summit. I have confidently scrambled these crags many times now but only in ascent and today will be my first descent. From the top of Stirrup Crag the path twist its way down to the top of the first gully where I de-shouldered and collapsed my walking poles not forgetting to pack my camera away as part of the descent involves scrambling down two narrow rock gullies.

After re-shouldering I lowered myself down where despite the rock being wet it still maintained good grip which boosted confidence which I then repeated from the top of the first gully soon finding myself at the top of the steep path with Dore Head below.

Through the trees I spot the roof of my car and maybe three or four more who had parked up after me and I wondered of their owners having only sighted the two fell runners hours earlier. The steep grassy slope gave way and soon the sound of Over Beck once again fills my ears as I walk the final few yards along its bank. It's feeling pretty mild back in the valley as I take my beanie off while trying to straighten my hair but it's no use, there's no cure for hat head.

Having de shouldered I unlock my car and replace my beanie for my faded, sweat ridden North Face baseball cap and begin to untie my boots before realising that the tips of my walking poles are muddied so I walk across the carpark and squat on the bank of Over Beck while giving my walking poles a good swill, I guess that's my OCD again, what a cracking walk though.