A circuit of Seathwaite,wild camp...Mld Solomid,Duomid,Scarp 1 ..

 The forcast was good with only a fresh wind to think about,Andy Beavers and myself had never met yet so he agreed to meet me and Jamie at the Carpark,Friday morning 

Matt Holland had come over late Thursday so we aranged to meet somewhere on the ridge from Rosthwaite fell too Allan crags,it was a stunning day to be out 

Also along on her first proper backpack trip was Maggie dog,who was very well behaved,even if she lacks Oscars loyalty,in walking partners

One plan had been to camp on Great End summit again,but the wind would have made chatting hard work so we had a mooch about and found a nice shelf,near Allen cargs summit 

The first shelf wasnt big enough for all of us so Jamie and Andy pitched there Duomids there,while me,Maggie and Matt went a little higher in my Scarp1 and Matts MLD Solomid 

We had a nice sunset,but a full moon washed out the starry skies.Through the night the wind moved round some more,giving me and Matt some nice 30-45mph gusts,but Saturday started out stunning again,but the windchill was hard on finger ends,taking pictures 

 

Dave Miles turned up at sunset for a chat and we left him there to go and collect Seathwaite fell summit,it was another nice day but the wind was a lot stronger 

Matt left us at Styhead tarn as the 3 of us and Maggie leaned into the pull up to the col,between Great & Green Gable.Here it was near constant 40 but gusting up to 50 mph.None there seemed to notice just a move of 30 ft let us sit a coll in the calm having a bite to eat 

So in the early afternoon we headed over Base brown and the steep drop down to the farm

Ive kept this brief as i used my phone to video this time,so comments please on the video ..keep them with no music or ?

Do try and select HD and watch on a bigger screen to see the hills as good as they did look over the wknd

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwr5H-BlXBs&t=38s

Maggies now collected 16 Wainwrights 

Safe travels Peter & Maggie 

Branstree summit camp,March 2022

So after a few "Mehh" camps it was nice to see a good forecast looming.Met Jamie near Kendal and then took the one car down the windey road too Sadgill,an early start so first ones there and on the move for 7-30 am 

It was a cold wind from the start the temp at 2-3c,but windchill took it to -7c ,as we head up the pass then turned North to head onto Shipman Knotts 

From Goat scar we could see snow covering,Branstree summit,where we will camp later today 

Sadgill valley looked lovely 

As we left Shipman knotts we were head on into the cold North wind,-12c at times meant exposed skin was soon aching,the views back from Kentmere pike were stunning 

Haweswater and the lovely Small water looked cold as the wind raced up the cold slopes too attack us 

From Harter fell we turned towards the pass and the steady plod upto Branstree summit...id picked this for our camp,the wall helping to kill off the windchill

But on the chance id find another spot we carried on,with our packs,to Selside.The small tarn between these two peaks makes Branstree look smaller it was.The last pull up was a little slower as we had picked up and filtered water for the long night ahead 

The days sun had melted the slight snow covering we had seen,earlier in the day,so we mooched around for a while trying to find some dryer patches 

And what a great pitch it was too,the shelters cutting of the last of any windchill,brews in hand it was time to soak in the views 

Tea was another tasty one from Bla Bland supplied by the lovely folk at Basecamp foods 

Tea eaten we got out to take some pics,checking jamies first pics i spied the faint glow of Aurora,which started much rushing about to trying get more pics

Unfortunately the best of it was washed out by the light from Penrith and was on the other side of the wall..where the strong wind reduced me to just taking a few pics...cold cold fingers and the wind was moving the tripod a little too much

But it was great to see the stars out again,but mist banks kept passing through wetting the camera lenses.A nice nights sleep even if i was missing my Xtherm mattress (sent away for repair)

As a treat id brought two eggs and some bacon from the butchers,so so tasty.....someone forgot his bacon  !

The morning had started misted over but as dawn approached it broke up and we got an ok sunrise too as we finished more brews 

Heavy over night heavy frost,needed wiping down first and then we got packed up

L.N.T

It was stunning morning as we walked over to bag another two new peaks for Jamies round,this trip adding him Branstree,Selside,Grey crag and Tarn crag 

Then it was a drop back down to the car and the drive back home again..bit picture heavy but it was such a nice trip ................Safe travels Peter