Patterdale Weekend

Looking back, I must have been missing my Saturday afternoons with football hooligans - why else would I go to Striding Edge? But Heather hadn't done it before, and I last descended it on a winter afternoon, top side of 40 years ago, so I reluctantly promised not to snarl at people and off we went. We ended up traversing along the side, rather than queue up along the ridge behind the crowds. We did the only bit of easy scrambling down from the end of the ridge, but it's hardly worth the mucking about.

But guess what? We turned left and never saw a soul all the way along over Dollywaggon Pike, Nethermost Pike and down to Grisedale Hause. This put me in good humour, which even the passage of hundreds of bumblies on some kind of character building nonsense failed to spoil, so we returned over St. Sunday Crag, getting some more peace and quiet and a good soaking from the threatened thunderstorm. Back at the hut, Cath and Dave, who'd got back before the storm, tried not to look smug as we dripped all over the floor. Cath got the pleasantest day from the hut - lake steamer down to Howtown and back by Wainwrights of choice, in this case, Hallin Fell and Place Fell. Dave took his nicely recovering limbs all the way to Angletarn Pikes, High Street and Grey Crag, where his uncannily accurate Norwegian weather forecast got him off the hill in time to avoid a soaking. So a very pleasant evening in the hut, with the rain beating down fit to drown tents.

It passed in the night and Sunday was a beautiful day. Cath's caught the Wainwright Heresy and dragged Dave off to do Beda Fell, the classic example of a hill nobody would visit if Wainwright hadn't acted as its PR man. Actually, it's a very pleasant long ridge if you don't mind doing an out-and-back. Cath then ascended Angletarn Pikes, whilst Dave, who'd seen enough of the damn things the day before, didn't.

Heather and I drove round to Haweswater, got the last parking space among dozens, and Heather ascended the classic long ridge onto High Street and back by Nan Bield Pass, whilst I did a bit of it, 'nuff said. Lying in the sun was very pleasant.

Best and cheapest hut in the Lakes, decent weather, scrambling and climbing readily available, but only 4 of us.