A week before January's trip to Patterdale the hills were covered with snow which came almost down to valley level. But a big thaw a couple of days before we arrived stripped it all back to the highest summits only, and indifferent weather curtailed most plans.
Pete W led a group up Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag – cold and damp but not too bad – to be met by gale force winds at the top. They persevered as far as Grisedale Tarn, but abandoned their plans of finishing over Helvellyn and wisely returned to base.
Carmen and I went for a "run" past Angle Tarn, heading for High Street. But for us too the wind and rain were too much to maintain enjoyment, so we headed down over The Nab (somehow the first time I've been there in all my 30 years of hill-going) to Ullswater. Here we met the bikers (Donal Pete E and Jamie) who'd cycled over Boredale Hause and continued on a route that involved a tea shop in Pooley No-Bridge.
Meanwhile, Carmen and I were encouraged by a slight improvement in the weather to return via Birk Fell (a subsidiary summit of Place Fell) where we were rewarded by good views of the resident herd of deer.
Simon and Debra went for a walk which followed a similar route to ours, but without the pretence of running!
The next day the weather was wetter and windier. Pete W and Graeme did a run over the pass to Ambleside, and C and I did a short token run to the Greenside mines and back. But most people had more sense and headed home, or to the ice climbing wall in Keswick.
Not our best trip, but we all made ther most of it! Better luck next time.