A Room with a View

...Continued from this backblip.

After a really good nights sleep and a leisurely wakening we had breakfast. Porridge for most of us. Dehydrated Spag Bol for Richard (his choice).

Richard *is* hardcore. The man slept in an ice rimmed bivvy in a tattered sleeping bag by Angle Tarn while we languished in our huge 2 man tents a few years ago. And when we went down to Patterdale for supplies, we forgot his Kendal Mint Cake so he went down solo to get some. Richard wanted mint cake and by thunder he was going to get some. Richard did Sharp Edge on the same day that that Outdoor Mountain Marathon hit the headlines a couple of years ago for the torrential rain. Chuck Norris knows Richard. And Chuck fears him.

We spent some time exploring for future spots to camp down, and a bit more time watching a cormorant drying his wings and flying inch perfect over the tarn. By this time the morning dew and overnight rain had dried from the tents. We resisted almighty temptation to spend the day at this idyllic spot and packed up our mobile homes into our backpacks to head a bit deeper into the hills.

Backpacks were quite heavy as we were prepared for Winter conditions. Daytime temperatures at sea level can be vastly different to nightime temperatures a couple of thousand feet above!

So - up to Nan Bield Pass where you get the choice of heading to Kentmere, High Street, or Harter Fell. All recommended! I think if there was one single spot I'd been to in the Lake District more than any other, it would Nan Bield Pass.

Anyway - left turn and up to Harter Fell. By this stage I'd taken 100 photo's and my walking colleagues, although they didn't say anything, were probably getting a bit fed up with me. 'Don't wait for me!' I kept saying as I stopped to blip an interesting piece of sheep pooh. 'I'll catch up!'. But they'd wait and I'd feel a bit guilty, especially as I knew deep down that the sheep pooh was never going to make the Mighty Blip. 'Ooh that's an interesting rock!' I'd declare earnestly as I reached for the blipmachine. 'Yeah whatever...' I'd hear from their thoughts...

Awesome views from Harter Fell and the best view of Haweswater ever. I can't say it enough but I love it round there.

The next destination was Gatescarth Pass, another crossroads I've visitied many times. Our destination was back up that hill. 'Up *that*???!?' I heard 2 voices exclaim. In joy or shock or couldn't quite decipher... Only 2 voices because at this stage, Richard 'The Chuck', was heading home, down to Mardale on an urgent mission.

To iron clothes for a busy week.

Most of us would have thought up an excuse relating to hospitals, or promises to loved ones, but not Richard. The guy is so 'Chuck' he doesn't have to lie. If he's going home to ensure his suits are immaculately pressed for a weekend of meetings in London, then so be it!

So we wished Richard a fond farewell and we headed up the hill (mountain) known as Branstree.

Again, a whole mountain, if not mountain range, all to ourselves. We settled in before sundown by which time I had taken 200 photos, but this, the last one I took that day, seemed appropriate for the end of this days tale.