Booking the hut with the outside hope of winter conditions as per the last couple of years I suppose was the guarantee of warm and wet weather. Well it wasn't to be, it was cold and wet – at least on Sat.
A huge 38 seater hut (though would have been cosy) easily swallowed the 13 of us who made it on Fri night, to be joined on Sat evening by the three part timers.
Sat started with a sweary Peri not best pleased at the lack of hot water – which got fixed. After breakfast a few different teams headed in various directions. Ben, Rob, Pete & Dave D headed over Deepdale Hause, passing Grisedale Tarn, to drop down into Link Cove and scramble back to the summit of Fairfield before scree running to the tarn and heading home. The mist providing ample opportunity for nav practice and for Ben to get cold (needs some fat on him that lad!). Simon and Carmen continued the gentle approach to knee rehabilitation with a stroll along the valley, followed by a flog up to Brown Cove, Helvellyn and over the tops back to the hut. Debra joined the 'experienced team' walking around a wood before shopping in Keswick. Alan K and Graeme ran around most of Langdale in shorts, and Peri walked around the hut three times and claimed a summit.
All this activity meant a long meal preparation but still required an emergency delivery of a cauliflower required for the soup, before the main course and salads and superlative fruit delights from Karen's allotment for pud.
Sunday dawned fine and sunny and many people headed off back up the hills behind: Peri, Debra, Karen and Annie towards Fairfield; Tom and Fliss over Helvellyn; Simon and Carmen, Dave D, Ben and I over towards Helm Crag (lion and lamb) before splitting into 3 parties. The runners ran about a bit before heading home, and Andrew and Donal people played on some bikes I believe. Pete went back to bed.
Shame about the weather but a good big hut, comfy sleeping and well positioned for the winter cliffs and not too far from Langdales.
Some Pix: …