Keswick Mountain Festival 2012 Rannerdale Bluebells

Rannerdale is famous for its bluebells in the Spring.  If you are lucky the gorse will be in flower too and even the hawthorn.

Rannerdale in April

Our walk during the Festival in May will include not only the walk up Rannerdale itself but also the stroll along the ridge of Rannerdale Knott and round the lake shore of Crummock Water.  The exact route will depend on the conditions on the day because the way off Rannerdale Knott, though short is quite steep and can be slippery in the wet.

Keswick Mountain Festival 2012 Great End the Wilderness Way

As part of Keswick Mountain Festival 2012 I shall be leading a walk over Seathwaite Fell and up Great End via the Band on Thursday 17th May next year.  This superb walk threads an almost untrod way over an area of fell which many people think they know well.  Loads of you will have walked up to Sty head Tarn and past Sprinkling Tarn to Esk Hause but how many have explored the fell beyond Sprinkling Tarn? You may gave plodded over the boulders above Esk Hause to the top of Great End but how many have realised that the forboding cliffs of the north face of Great End hide a delightful ridge with easy scrambling?

Here are a few photos from an ascent of Great End by this route in 2009.

Route up the grassy rake to the Band from above Sprinkling Tarn


Sprinkling Tarn with Skiddaw in the distance

View back down to Seathwaite Fell and Borrowdale from the ridge



View across to Great Gable with Styhead Tarn below

 I can't promise such glorious weather as there was on this day but why don't you come and join me. Go on the KMF site to book  http://www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk/