Mike's Natural Musings: Lake District, June/July. Day 7.

Sunday, 30 June 2024

Lake District, June/July. Day 7.

Although still not wonderful the MWIS forecast was more promising today so we were up early and off to Honister Pass. We were soon climbing up the very steep path up from the car park and heading across the moor to drop down to Dubs hut, a mountain bothy open for anyone to spend the night. From here it was a short descent to the stream crossing where Thomas and I coaxed Heather over and then we contoured round to Warnscale Bothy tucked in underneath a beetling scrr slope. I had been here briefly in April leaving Heather back the the stream crossing. I had felt guilty at the time as it was always something that Thomas and I were going to do together, hence this visit. It was good this time to get there with Heather and Thomas and spend a little more time taking in the views and atmosphere whild we had lunch.

Leaving Heather at the bothy with her sketching materials, Thomas and I then continued steeply up towards Haystacks, The famous guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright's favourite fell; his ashes are scattered at nearby Inominate Tarn. As we climbed up towards the summit I took great delight in gazing around at some of the biggest fells of Lakeland: imposing Great Gable, the huge bulk of Kirkfell and the towering Steeple and Pillar. It had been a long time since I had been up amont these fells and there was a time not so long ago because of heart surgery, heart failue and a pacemaker, that I thought my mountain days were over. I may be somewhat limited in waht I cam manage nowadays but at least I can still get up there; it was a particular joy to be up there with Thomas. We didn't spend long on the summit as we knew that Heather would be waiting for us. The descent, as always was much quicker than the climb and we were soon back down with Heather who was waiting for us at the stream crossing. A quick climb up to Dubs hut and then we continued up through the quarry workings and descended steeply back to the car. The pint in the Traveller's Rest on the main road near Grasmere was especially welcome.