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About Summiteer

~Keldas~

20th June 2010

Departure morning at Gillside Campsite, Glenridding. 06:45 and I've had my breakfast, the tent is covered with dew and therefore I need to leave it to dry out.

It's a long time since I've been up on Keldas, so I set off with my camera to take a look....

Gillside Campsite

Gillside Campsite

Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk

Bench

The Bench

I'd had two very good walks and knew I would be heading home in the morning, but when I got out of the tent at 6'ish and saw the deep blue sky over Birkhouse Moor, I began to wonder if I'd made the right decision. This bench commands a fine view and bears this plaque, any ideas?

Ullswater

The View

I suppose my camera doesn't tell the full story, I was stood up. If I'd been sat down and you could sense the cool, stillness of the air and the smell of the woodland, you'd begin to wish you were sat there, right now, and thank M & JB or their friends for their choice of bench positioning.

Sheffield Pike

Sheffield Pike

Gillside Campsite

Gillside Campsite

I always look for the same area on the site. Close to the track, level ground, away from the trees (midges and sap) and not too far away from the washrooms (out of sight). If you're viewing in black and white, mine is the red car next to the grey tent.

Sheffield Pike

Sheffield Pike and Gillside

Grisedale

Grisedale

Pines and Ullswater

Ullswater

I reckon that if I ever write a little book about my time in and around the mountains, I'd pick a little photograph like this to adorn one of the opening pages, it says so much about the Lake District and yet shows so little.*

Clouds

Clouds above The Dodds

I'm not the first person to notice that it was a good day for Cloudspotters. I'm on the top of the little bump called Keldas, close to Glenridding. It is private property with permissive access to the top. No meandering or camping allowed!

Lanty's Tarn

Lanty's Tarn

Now back on "public" land and I find a sorry looking Lanty's Tarn. Drought has caused the level to fall and now the tarn forms two separate puddles. This tarn was a reservoir for local water supply and is dammed at the far end. I suppose the lowering of the water level is entirely due to evaporation.

Lanty's Tarn

Lanty's Tarn

Lanty's Tarn

Another Look

St Sunday Crag

St Sunday Crag

Back out in the open and famous fells come into view. St. Sunday Crag on the left and some well-known other ones further round.

Gillside

Gillside Farm

Glenridding and Ullswater

Glenridding and Ullswater

Wall

The Wall

There's always someone trying to find a bigger stone than everyone else, drystone walling is competitive.

Closed

Keswick Book Shop

Let's hope for the best...

I've got a feeling that it won't get any better than that this summer: the weather, the walks, the campsite and the company - everything came together at the right time. It's been a great weekend, now all we need is the summer holiday crowds and the annual deluge that comes in July/August.

Walkers: Just Me.

Time taken: 1hrs 40 minutes over a distance of not very much.

Route: Gillside, up to Keldas, the summit, Lanty's Tarn, back over to the hill to Gillside.

Weather and conditions: Sunny and warm.

Greetings Count: No one, until I joined the Helvellyn ascent path near the campsite and I tried to make it look as though I'd just come down from the top of said mountain.

Richard's Refreshment Review: Nothing to report

* Wainwright places a drawing of this scene in Book One

All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2010 ©

Take me back to the start ....

Take me home....