DATE 16.12.2017 | DISTANCE approx 10.6KM | HIGHEST POINT 772M
Posted by Matt | Filed under LAKE DISTRICT
Yesterday was a pretty short walk with not much in the way of excitement. I wanted today's walk to be a bit more of an adventure. The route I had planned would be more dramatic and higher too, meaning more snow. This route starts quite tough, it's a steep climb up to the summit of whiteside but with that, you gain height quickly. from then onwards we were in the snow, and it was pretty deep in places too, especially descending hopegill head where a few of us ended up on our backsides. I lot of care had to be taken today because it was slippery and exposed in places but fortunately most of us had some form of device for traction. This route was definitely demanding in the snow but i look forward to doing it again because it felt like it ticked all the boxes, great lake views, scrambles, ridges and beautiful snowscapes.
Whin ben and whiteside

SOME OF THE GANG HEADING OFF FROM THE CARPARK

ALAN FEELING THE BURN

MARK AND ANDY HEADING UP WHIN BEN

A STEEP START TO THE HIKE BUT HEIGHT BEING GAINED QUICKLY

SMILES AS WE LEVEL OFF BRIEFLY ON WHIN BEN

NOAH TAKING A BREAK ON WHIN BEN

LOOKING BACK TO A CLEARER VIEW BUT IT DIDN'T LAST. TAKING ON MY PHONE

PUSHING ON TO WHITESIDE. PLENTY MORE STEEP ASCENT TO DEAL WITH

FRANCIS IN HIS CHRISTMAS HAT

LOOKING DOWN INTO GASGALE GILL

PLENTY OF SNOW ON THE TOP OF WHITESIDE

SOME CORNICES TOO

ON THE RIDGE BETWEEN WHITESIDE AND HOPEGILL HEAD. VISIBILITY EXTREMELY LIMITED

ANOTHER GROUPSHOT WITHOUT ME. JUST BELOW THE TOP OF HOPEGILL HEAD

THE VIEW DOWN INTO COLEDALE

HARD GOING AT TIMES IN THE SNOW

BETWEEN CRAG HILL AND GRASMOOR. A FEATURELESS SNOWY LANDSCAPE

ON WANDOPE

WHITELESS PIKE AHEAD. A PRETTY SLIPPY DESCENT ONTO IT

LOOKING BACK ON WHITELEES EDGE

WHITELESS PIKE, NOT QUITE OUR LAST ASCENT OF THE DAY.

TAKEN ON WHITELESS BREAST

RANNERDALE KNOTTS BELOW, OUR LAST CLIMB OF THE DAY AND LAST WAINWRIGHT TO BAG TOO.


SOME OF THE GROUP BELOW TAKING A MORE DIRECT ROUTE TO THE CAR PARK. THOSE OF US WHO WANTED A BIT MORE CONTINUED ON TO RANNERDALE KNOTTS.

ON RANNERDALE KNOTTS

IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE. CRUMMOCK WATER FROM RANNERDALE KNOTTS

PANORAMIC SHOT TAKEN ON MY PHONE. CRUMMOCK WATER IN FULL.
