Yesterday we walked up from Millbeck on the south facing side of the Derwent Valley, for a brief afternoon walk and found a new track down from Slade Beck we hadn’t used before.

There’s lots of water running off the fells – and in the beck, which the ‘cragsure’ Herdwick sheep had little difficulty in leaping across. On our descent through the woods, we passed this magnificent waterfall (photo opposite), which was all of 30-35 feet in height.

A surprise? Yes, but it shouldn’t have been because when I got back I found it marked on the 1:25000 map. (For a route up Slade Beck which takes you up to Carlside and Skiddaw top see our Walks section).

Back at The Larches we’ve been clearing and manuring the vegetable plot, a job I have been putting off for too long. It meant though that we could have the delicious remains of the parsnips – very succulent but they were not as large as I had hoped!

We’ve been delighted to see that the snowdrops are well out already in the garden and on the lane running up to the cottage. These ‘harbingers of Spring’ as Wordsworth called them – have come really early this year and there are even daffodils appearing in the road to Thornthwaite off the A66.

We’ve not seen the red squirrel this time but this morning had a large pheasant strutting around the garden and terraces like a lord of the manor! They’ve been seen much more in the locality in recent months and appear to have escaped from Lord Rochdale’s estate. There are often large numbers of them in the fields near Swinside on the road to Catbells.

It’s an easy walk to this ‘away from it all’ spot, with a footpath down from Pen Cottage at the Swan House apartments (formerly the Swan Inn), below Barf. I had never found this before and it takes you down through the old cottages at Powter How to the subway beneath the A66.

I knew the light was fading, but the latched gate to a path heading south down the lake drew my eye. “Why not explore a little further? It must lead to something” I thought and picked my way past two more gates and a ‘No dogs” notice.

Then I saw it – a low dark shape through the waterlogged trees. A plank with railing drew me on and I climbed the few steps. “Just slide the door” stated the notice.

Now I was inside this darkened capacious hide, with large illustrations of 33 different bird species, typical of lakes and marshland. Stools and a bench with four separate 12cms x 40 cms hinged observation flaps completed these wonderful facilities for bird watchers. Only the tea and kettle were missing!

This is part of the Bassenthwaite National Nature Reserve, where there are over 70 species of resident birds (See notice below). We owe a thanks for these free facilities to the Lake District Planning Board and other bodies like the RSPB, whose members support the programme and upkeep.

Well here’s the larger photo which should now tell you where that new mountain is, which I posted a blog about last month! Taken from Booth’s car park looking north on a very misty day, it shows Carsleddam 518 metres, a lovely peak which is overshadowed by Carlside and Little Man in the Skiddaw massif.

Two of our favourite local tops for a short stroll are Catbells (451m) and Barrow (455m) but they are both a fair bit smaller than Carsleddam; and Wainwright does not even mention it. Location as they say is all, but perhaps you’ll find now some time to take a look at this shapely treasure. A stunning picture of it reclining in the evening sun can be seen below.

You can access Carsleddam via Millbeck but the normal approaches to Carlside take you to the west of Carsleddam or up Slades Beck on the east side.

The nearest answer to my blog question came from Mark Brookman, who correctly indicated its position but did not give a name. The pot of best 2012 Tango marmalade will go to him. Congratulations Mark!

The Larches has been full of people and fun over the festive period and though the weather hasn’t been brilliant, there’s been plenty of good walking and good company. The picture above taken on Boxing Day from the route up Cat Bells – a favourite of ours – shows just how intriguing the views in the Lakes can be, whatever the season.

We are always surprised how quiet the Lake District is in the first three months of the new year. Just a few people know about the area’s treasures and attractions in winter, so don’t spread the word too widely!

There may be snow on occasions on high ground – to try out your crampons and ice axe techniques if you wish – and you have the fells to yourself for much of the time, quite often with sun and blue skies.

As the weeks go by after darkest December 21st, the daylight hours expand rapidly, gaining an extra 2¼ hours by mid February. So why not get your friends to join you for an early break at low season rates?

For us it’s also a time for clearing up in the garden and removing stacks of leaves, dead bracken and of course old Christmas trees (see photo opposite of ours being trimmed down for more effective composting).

This year we’ve bought a new ceramic sculpture, High Point, by Gordon Cooke, (see below) which now sits on its plinth below the Belvedere, displayed against the background of an ancient slate gate post, found in the garden.

The two small holes at the gate’s top mimic the larger holes of the stoop stone we have beside the breakfast terrace (photo above). High Point is already starting to look a natural part of the environment and will encourage us to keep the long grass and ferns down over the summer. Its lava flow form reminds us of our daughter Chloe’s time researching the eruptions and pyroclastic flows of the Soufrière Hills on the island of Montserrat.

The wind has been very strong and temperatures near freezing for most of the week, so we postponed another high level walk too. It’s reminded me just how important it is for walkers to have good up to date information of the conditions on the fell tops – a service which earlier in the year looked like it would be discontinued because of budget cuts.

The good news this last month is that the up to date service, dependent upon daily climbs to the top of Helvellyn, has now been sponsored and the two men, Jon Bennett from Ambleside and Jason Taylor will this winter continue to undertake this formidable 950m climb in all conditions – at the princely rate of £8.40 per hour.

I met Jon last year in the car park by Thirlmere, when I had been up all day in snowy conditions above Grasmere. I recognised then his commitment as he described climbing through chest deep snow drifts to make the summit. We all have much to thank Jon and Jason for, as conditions on the high fell tops need to be assessed with care.

Accurate information allows choice of the right gear and clothing or a decision to stay at a lower level, if your fitness or level of experience is more limited. I’ve seen walkers in thin gym shoes without ice axes climbing icy snow steps on the route from Catstycam to Helvellyn. Accidents waiting to happen.

Reading Jon and Jason’s reports would hopefully next time make them think again! Yesterday they reported: “Owing to the strength of the wind, the Fell Top Assessor turned back at 710m after measuring a gust of 72mph in a relatively sheltered spot!”

The detailed reports can be found at http://www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk/

POSTSCRIPT: Click here for three other photos taken from the Belvedere, which show the changing seasons and light patterns from this great vantage point above the Derwent valley.

We’ve met people from Europe and the US, who’ve wondered if there is anywhere in the UK, where the altitude and mountains can really prepare you for the conditions you’re likely to meet in the Himalayas.

If you have experience of winter walking or climbing in Scotland or the Lakes, you will of course know the answer. Last year we met Jon Bennett, one of the Helvellyn climbers who daily report in the winter on conditions at the top. He described taking five hours summiting from Thirlmere through snow drifts up to five feet deep. That’s tough!

And back in the 80s we remember a fierce August night beside wild Loch Avon below Cairngorm, when we just managed to hold up our tent with our two young children beside us in the tail end of a violent Hurricane Harry. We survived, but sadly we learnt on our return that a German father had that same night lost one of his two young children through hypothermia when trying to cross the plateau from Braemar to Aviemore. He had been used to the Alps and wasn’t ready for the Scottish weather.

Yes, the conditions on our high fells, though under 1000m, can still be arctic even in summer and can prepare you for the worst. We were reminded of this when reading Graham Ratcliffe’s, ‘A day to die for’, an account of the Everest climb back in 1996, when eight people tragically lost their lives.

Ratcliffe points out there that the photographer Bentley Beetham – whose impressive photos of the 1924 expedition and of the tent, where Mallory and Irving spent their last night alive, have helped to maintain interest in the expedition – learnt his mountain skills as a young teenager in the Lake District. Not for nothing do they call Keswick the climbing and outdoor capital of England!

There is a great website of the whole of Beetham’s oeuvre in the Himalayas, which has recently been created by a new Trust in association with the University of Durham.

Last weekend brought out a large crowd of cyclists to pay tribute to two brothers, Christian Townend and Nicholas Townend from the Cockermouth area. These young men were tragically killed in a road accident last December while cycling on the busy A595. They were keen cyclists, returning from an outing in the Silloth area.

The day was unusually sunny and warm for early May, with a light wind and the smell of blossom on the air. More than 170 cyclists made their way through the narrow country lanes to the village hall above the Kirkstile Inn, near Loweswater to pay their respects.

It was a fitting tribute to the two young men and a reminder of the need for drivers in the narrow lanes and winding roads of the Lake District to pay particular attention to the needs of cyclists and walkers. The photo shows just a few of the bikes of those attending the event at the village hall. Behind is Mellbreak a lovely peak to the west of Crummock Water, which can be part of an interesting day’s walk in these western fells.

Sitting on Sunday in the Belvedere with a cup of tea at the top of the garden, I realised the range of what you can see from within the Belvedere is wider than I had thought and that I could get a marvellous shot which takes in both Ullock Pike and Skiddaw to the north and Clough Head to the east. The resulting image is the wide angle picture below on a 14:9 image scale on my Lumix camera.

So why the ‘Seat 66′ in the title? Well it’s a playful compliment to a favourite website of mine – The Man in Seat Sixty-One. Created by Mark Smith, a career railwayman, this superb site helps you to discover the best routes and prices for travelling by train round Europe and other continents. The title owes its origins to Mark discovering that the best seat for views and comfort on any Eurostar train is No 61.

My journey in the Belvedere is different though. It’s a journey of the mind as I sit and gaze over the Derwent Valley and the A66 and plan my next walk or fell run in these northern hills. Yesterday we were up climbing Barf and Lord’s Seat behind the cottage and had wonderful views across Bassenthwaite and then to the Solway Firth. Just for the record the photo above shows the route of the A66 from below Barf as it streaks south towards Keswick and Derwentwater.

I hadn’t been up Blencathra for over 15 years. The last time was by climbing Hall’s Fell one Christmas Day morning in snow and getting temporarily lost in the cloud. But this last month I’ve been sizing it up again for the Ski Club of Manchester’s annual May Day walk.

The start of this alternative route is Mungrisdale, (Map reference NY 365303) a small hamlet with a few houses (225 m) at the northern end of Souther Fell, an outlier of the Blencathra massif. There’s also a good pub there, serving lunches and afternoon tea - the Mill Inn.

The walk is initially along the River Glenderamackin, but after a short while the path heads up and away in a westerly direction to leave The Tongue behind on the right. The ascent is gradual until the head of the escarpment when you turn SW, skirt Bannerdale Crags on the left and drop down a little to the col (585 m), where the Glenderamackin rises. 

A steady climb towards the ridge, passing initially Foule Crags, veers to the left over an easy enough scree route to reach Atkinson Pike (840 m). From here the path keeps mainly on the level, until you reach the highest point of Blencathra at the top of Hall’s Fell. 

It feels like the top of the world! If the weather’s good, there are tremendous views to the south and west, taking in the whole of the Helvellyn range, Thirlmere, Derwentwater and the NW fells. To the north you get a glimpse of the Solway Firth. Below are Threlkeld and the old quarries on the edge of Clough Head. 

For the descent retrace your steps a short way, then drop down in an easterly direction. To the left and below is Scales Tarn while on the opposite side of the corrie is the exposed Sharp Edge ascent to the top. There’s a fine path winding over grassy Scales Fell, which soon becomes a ridge with a steep drop on the right to Scaley Beck. Then make for the saddle above Mousthwaite Comb. 

For the last stage of the walk the climb up over Souther Fell is short and easy, but in places a bit boggy. The green fields and copses below and to the east mark clearly the dividing line from these high eastern fells. Our descent now is by picking up some tracks where the sheep over the years have traced out green paths through the bracken. Little known or used by walkers, they are not initially obvious from the summit ridge. They make however an easy descent and bring you to the road, just 300 yards short of the Mill Inn.

I’ve met several fell runners on this route, so will have to try it out for myself now. But I will wait for when the weather’s fine. On the top it can be very cold and it’s easy to get disoriented in heavy cloud.
 

Granted it has its own Derwentwater, but I seem to be one of the few people who deliberately talks about the Derwent Valley and the Derwent marshes which we look out across from the Belvedere at The Larches.

Starting its journey below Great End and above Sprinkling Tarn as Grains Gill, this crystal clear flow of water turns into the River Derwent below Rosthwaite, but immediately becomes immersed in and sidelined by Borrowdale as it winds through the wild crags and oak woods past Grange to Derwentwater.

It is one of the longest rivers in Cumbria, but sidles through the countryside so quietly that few people can tell exactly how it gets past Keswick or pin down its route from Bassenthwaite through to Cockermouth and finally to the sea at Workington.

The photos above show firstly an osprey’s eye view from Dodd Wood of the river as it winds its way down to Bassenthwaite, with the magnificent encircling of the Derwent Valley by the mountains to the west. The second is a winter view from near Falcon Crags of the Derwent Valley to the south of Derwentwater with Dalehead and the Derwent Fells behind.

I hope this blog will make a few people explore the River Derwent more positively. We are  pleased to show below this lovely little 19th century painting we acquired years ago from a church hall on Tyneside, which was about to be demolished. Entitled “On the River Derwent”, it was painted about 1870 by Harry Williams, a Liverpool artist, specialising In landscapes. He had no doubt about the role of the River Derwent in creating this Cumbrian landscape but used a little artistic license to ramp up the wildness of the surrounding hills! If you can find and take a photo of the same scene, I will make sure we put it on the website.