With gale-force winds forecast at higher levels, the gang got together for the first time in over eighteen months for the sensible option of Low Fell and Fellbarrow, two fells that I hadn't visited for an incredible eight years. We had arranged to meet at the parking spaces at Waterhead at the far eastern tip of Loweswater where I arrived to find David kitting up at the rear of his car. His boot light shining bright in the half light but with dawn just around the corner, there wasn't any need for head torches. After a shared 'morning', the first thing I noticed was how blustery and cold it was; granted, I'd just left the comforts of a warm car, but the air was so nippy I instantly started to shiver. My lace-up was interrupted by David saying, "I've got something for you." As I looked up and spotted David with one hand behind his back, "Oh" I gasped. David produced the book 'The Mardale Hunt' by Ron Black, and on the inside cover Ron had signed it 'To David, Best Wishes, Ron Black, copy 1/25.' I replied I have the same book signed by Ron, but at the time I didn't realise how ungrateful this might have sounded. This wasn't just a copy of The Mardale Hunt, but it was signed to David by Ron - why didn't I just grab it with two hands! It just didn't feel right at the time.

David was completely fine about it, and we continued our kit-up before jumping into David's car to go over a walk David had planned to include the Swindale and Mosedale valleys from Bunrbanks in the far east of the district. By this time a car had pulled up along side David's car but it was difficult to see who it was as the windows had began to mist up. It turned out to be a young girl who got out with her dog, presumably for a walk around Loweswater. It was close to 8:00am when Rod and Michael arrived, who explained they had been slowed down on the narrow lanes behind a lorry. Two things were noted when we got out of David's car: the first being it was completely light by now, and the second, the wind gad dropped.

After eighteen months, the four of us were together for a walk, and as you can imagine, there was quite a lot of catching up to do, which started from the very off. Deep in conversation, we joined the track bound for Miresyke and Askhill Farm's, rising steadily, part concrete underfoot which gave way to rough stone once Mireskye Farm was passed.

We continued towards Askhill Farm, from where we joined Mosser Road, where we hooked a sharp right below Askhill Knott before arriving at the stepped sty sign-posted Darling Fell. 

The light darted in and out, scurrying across the hillside; only this time a little warmth came as the hour climbed towards late morning. It was blowing a hooley when we decided to begin our descent via Mosser Fell, still deep in conversation, struggling to get a word in edgeways one minute and laughing our guts up the next. The sun stayed with us until we were halfway down the hillside, which had now been over shadowed by a large grey cloud to the south. These fells are David's playground, and I suspect he might be into triple figures with the amount of times he has been up and down these hills yet for me its a rare occasion, …that said, I seem to have a bit of a trick memory, and once we started our descent the landscape slowly came back to me, almost as if I was only here only yesterday.

The gentle slopes of Mosser Fell gave way for Mosser Road, which we joined after being passed by a solo walker and then a trio of girls and thier dogs out for a morning hike. The wind had dropped as we began our descent, first passing a field of Belted Galways near Askhill Farm, from where we traded rough stone for smooth concrete. The track swerved right at Miresyke Farm, where our cars came into view along with dozens of others, both Rod and I noting it had only taken three and a half hours to complete our walk, and that was with our feet off the gas plus plenty of stops inbetween. We reached our cars as more cars began to arrive, one of which dropped the drivers window "You going, mate?" "Aye," I replied, "give us five though."