I had intended to make the trip on my own, but my daughter, who had been out of work since a climbing accident (compound fracture of the arm and dislocated elbow) the previous December, decided to come with me. The company would be good, but I was terified that she would exact dreadful revenge on me for all the times I dragged her, protesting, up mountains when she was younger.

Alison arrived at about 9 a.m. and we set off shortly afterwards. It was a good journey, but started to rain heavily as soon as we left the motorway, and this set the pattern for the rest of the week. It's particularly annoying when everyone you meet says You should have been here last week - the weather was lovely!
I had done most of the food shopping on Friday evening, but as we were too early for the cottage we stopped off in Keswick. Alison bought new over-trousers and a waterproof hat - essential items for the weather which we expected.
The cottage was small but comfortable, and ideally situated a stone's throw from the Farmers Arms. That evening the steak pie was as good as I remembered........

It was wet and windy, not worth gaining any height, so we walked to Nichol End, through Fawe Park to Hawes End, along the road to Skelgill, and then to Yewthwaite and down to Little Town. I had intended to carry on along the mine road up the Newlands valley, but as we turned the corner we were met with a gale force wind and hail, making it impossible to see where we were going. Instead we returned across the fields to Skelgill, and then followed Newlands Beck to Little Braithwaite and then back to Portinscale.

A bit drier, but still very windy, so we set off once more for Hawes End. This time we took the path which contours across the slopes of Catbells above the lake. For most of the way we were attacked by sudden, squally showers of rain and hail. We dropped down the the road just before Grange and took the path to High Brandlehowe, which crosses the boggy ground on raised wooden walkways. From Brandlwhowe we followed the lake-side path to Hawes End and then back through Fawe Park to Portinscale.

Still wet and windy. I offered Alison a visit to the wettest place in England (Seathwaite is the wettest inhabited place, but a rain gauge on the slopes of Seathwaite Fell records even higher levels of rainfall). We parked at Seathwaite, put on our waterproofs, and set off into the grey murk to Stockley Bridge. At the top of the climb to Styhead we were met by a savage wind which was funnelled down the pass, and which made forward progress a desperate struggle across the stony waste. We eventually made it to the stretcher box, and turned left towards the climb to Sprinkling Tarn. Here we were a bit more sheltered from the wind, and we stopped to munch a cold, wet apple before trudging on to the tarn. All thoughts of going higher were forgotten, and we turned left for Ruddy Gill and then Grains Gill, where the wind dropped to more manageable proportions.

The wind had dropped it bit, and it was slightly brighter, although still with the threat of showers. We parked in the Bowder Stone car park, crossed over to Troutdale and then climbed steeply out of the end of the valley and onto Kings How. From there we went down to the east, cossed a stone wall by a stile, and climbed up across the slopes of Brund Fell, eventually meeting the Watendlath/Rosthwaite path at Pudding Stone Bank. We returned to the car by the familiar path through the woods to the Bowder Stone.

It was a quite pleasant day, with blue skies and a gentle breeze. We parked in the car park half way up the Easedale Road in Grasmere and made the usual ascent of Helm Crag. Instead of following the ridge to Gibson Knott and Calf Crag we dropped down to Far Easedale, and thence back to Grasmere.

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