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.

Last week after a day’s work I took the easy route to the top heading SW at first from the parking area. Approaching from the Keswick side last winter, we’d decided to leave the top section because ice and frozen snow had made conditions so slippery. It’s not always a doddle this walk.

What I hadn’t known was that the route (No 38) I was now on had been developed as part of the Lake District Planning Board’s Miles without Stiles new scheme to promote walking for those with limited mobility. It’s a great project and needs more publicity as it helps to put many of the Lake District tops, lakes and fells within the grasp of those using wheelchairs or pushchairs and people with visual impairment.

Just hours later I found the Keswick Reminder’s ‘Chinese Bridge Ready on time’ story (21 August 2009) about the walk round Derwentwater. So here was another favourite, (Route No 34) which is also part of this same scheme – and it’s fun for children too! More details are on the Things to do section of the Planning Board’s website.