As we approached Gatesgarth I realised I'd left my camera on the table in our cottage so rather than go back for it John ended up taking all of today's photos. As we left the car it looked like the cloud was going to continue lifting and we would get our planned walk in.

The first decision to make was which of the three routes would we take out of the car park. As we didn't want to risk John's calf we passed on the steep ascent by the fence and instead opted for the stepped path signed as part of the Coast to Coast route.

Looking back down the valley and Robinson appears to be emerging from the cloud.

Looking across to Black Star which we did in 2008, when we were both much fitter.

As we climb we get a good view across to the old Yew Crag Quarries.

As we climb it appears looking across Honister Hause that the weather can't make it's mind up, is the cloud going or dropping?

Looking across to Dale Head it appears to be dropping lower but we hope the blue sky will win out so continue climbing.

Looking back we can now see Grey Knotts but the slopes of Dale Head are slowly disappearing into the cloud.

As we reach the Drum House it appears that the cloud is actually starting to lift.

Across the valley it appears that High Crag and High Stile are both beginning to be clear of cloud so our hopes rise that the cloud may clear.

As we start along Moses Trod towards Brandreth looking behind us we can see the Loweswater Fells down the valley.

We are soon passed by a couple who we had watched come across from the direction of Haystacks.

Looking back although we can see Buttermere the Loweswater Fells have disappeared back into the cloud.

Although the footpath was easy to follow not long before we reached Brandreth and now with very limited visibility we met the couple we had seen earlier heading back down the path. After talking to them about the conditions higher up we decided, like them, to back track. Our plans to do Base Brown depended upon us being able to see where we were walking and as that wasn't going to be possible today we decided to call it a day and hoped to return later in the week.

Dropping back down it was clear that the cloud had dropped, although we could now see Crummock Water further down the valley.

When we got back to the Drum House we found a spot for lunch and sat without much of a view watching other people doing the same as us and abandoning their planned walk for the day.

Rather than do the same out and back we took the track down through the slate mine and watched as the cloud finally seemed to lift from the fells on the other side of the valley.

Looking down on the mine as we head down the track.

Across Honister Pass blue sky finally appears.

I'm sure there is an interesting story as to how this car ended up here I just forgot to ask Roger about it when we met up with him that week.

As we approach the car park more blue sky appears, although that would be the last we would see of it until we got home at the end of the week as the lack of wind meant the valley and much of the Lake District stayed under thick cloud until Saturday.

Back at the car park John took the first of many bird shots he would capture that week, with walking replaced by photography.

 

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