It had been a mixed week for the Lakeland fells but both Friday and Saturday looked like great walking days. I was going to head to Great Langdale and walk Esk Pike and Bow Fell from Old Dungeon Ghyll when Rod emailed midweek suggesting a walk that had been on the cards for the last few months, Caw Fell from Cold Fell Road.

The walk would also include the Wainwright summits of Grike, Crag Fell, and Lank Rigg and the Birkett summits of Iron Crag (Ennerdale Fell) and Whoap. All of the above being fells I haven't visited in some cases for up to seven years, to say a return to these fells was overdue would be an understatement. One of the things that swayed it for me was the two and a half miles (each way) out and back to collect Caw Fell via the delightful Ennerdale Fell, commonly known as the Ennerdale Wall.

Not only were we walking favoured, isolated fells, but we were lucky enough to experience the breakup of a cloud inversion over Ennerdale topped off with warm sunshine. What more could we have asked for from a fell walk.

The moon and stars were still out when I left home this morning, and I witnessed a beautiful sunrise, but as I drove towards Tebay, I could see that cloud was lingering just above the Howgill fells, which thickened the further north I drove. Tim was running his 50th Ultra Marathon today on a race called 'The Lap' which circuited Windermere from where Tim had sent me images of a layer of mist over the waters surface, it would seem Windermere had escaped the worst of the cloud.

I left the M6 at Penrith and drove west below Blencathra, where I spotted pockets of clear blue sky above, it was a cloud inversion and one that hadn't been forecast. The further west I drove, the more the cloud broke, and by the time I'd reached Ennerdale Bridge, the cloud had been replaced by blue skies and direct sunshine, although there were still localised pockets of cloud I wondered if we could gain height quick enough, we might be above the inversion before it broke up.

David arrived soon after myself, and we began to lace up, noting that for the first time this year I was wearing shorts and a T-Shirt although I might add that I also added a fleecy hoodie just to take the edge off.

Rod arrived next, and soon we were ready to leave, which was when we heard galloping followed by a faded quad bike engine in the distance, which seemed to be getting closer. It was just half a dozen horses at first, which were a great sight, but more appeared, and before we knew it, we had ringside seats watching the horses being corralled by the famer. What a great start to the walk.

We were parked a short distance away from the forestry track, which at one time provided access for the miners who mined the iron mine on Grike's north face. We joined the track, which rose along the tree covered flanks of Blakeley Raise before opening out onto Blakeley Moss. It's already warming up, and I've already de-layered back to a T-shirt. You might be able to spot the path onto Grike just after the track bends to the right.

We watched the cloud inversion break up over Ennerdale, revealing more summits for us to name before beginning our descent through what once was woodland, which stretched along the southern flanks of Grike and Crag Fell. 

As it so happens, I've been walking long enough to remember the woodland too, but for David and Rod who have been walking much longer than me, it's an area of Lakeland they just can't get used to seeing without the trees. 

Including the summits of Grike and Crag Fell, we were six miles into the walk as we reached Caw Fell summit while sharing a bag of Fruit Pastels that I brought with me. Two off road bikers who had passed us at the col below occupied the summit, and despite them being nice guys, riding off road bikes on fells as isolated as Caw Fell isn't something I'd like to get used too.

After a brief chat, we left the guys and made our way towards the stone shelter and the west cairn, still stuffing fruit pastels into our mouths, which were a welcome sugar boost ready for the return leg over Ennerdale Fell.

The sunlight seemed to increase, and we hoped that it would return as we walked the mile or so along Whoap Beck which according to David is like a suntrap. Further down the fell we spotted the couple we'd seen earlier below Caw Fell summit, but we were sure they had a dog with them the last time we'd seen them.

The closer we got, the more I spotted movement behind the guy's head, which turned out to be the dog who was tucked into a K9 Dog pack. We ended up chatting for about twenty minutes, and one of the topics that the couple touched on was that they thought these particular fells were 'boring" David politely replied that he preferred this type of fell walking, as we all do from time to time, but I don't think we could ever go as far as labelling certain fells boring. 

Aside from this slight objection, I want to add that the couple were really nice and had mirrorred our route as they were bagging the Wainwrights (their words) "Only one left after Grike," they said, but for the life of me, I can't remember which one they said it was.

The weather gods must have been listening because within half an hour of leaving Lank Rigg the cloud parted and the sun came out, leaving us to walk the road section back to the cars in glorious hot sunshine. It was closing on 15:10pm now, and Rod was eager to get back to catch the Sunderland game, which kicked off at 17:30pm, be a push, but he might just make it. Rod left the pack as David and I dawdled behind, taking in the long distance coastal views beyond Flat Fell. The only thing disturbing the silence was the odd car or cyclist, all of whom we got a 'hi' from. We arrived back at the cars to find Rod ready to leave, and after a quick chat on when our next walk would be, Rod left for home.

A quietness returned as conversation turned to David and Jennifer's holiday in Dartmoor next week, where they'll be collecting rock tors as opposed to Lakeland summits. The roar of a roadbike's freewheel broke the silence as the bike and its rider took the corner at breakneck speed, the bike's front wheel almost drifting under complete control as its rider screamed out a WHOO HOO as he exited the corner, all the while David and I looked at one another with WTF expressions etched across our faces. Quiet came again, heat and sunburnt faces, arms, and calfs tender to touch, Flipping eck, I've forgotten to put the suncream on again.