High March on Hazy Helvellyn

It's March and I have an English suntan... (a marked difference in skin tone where my sunglasses have been!)

A glorious day - started out (a 6am start by the way!) with fog so thick I wondered if it was worth bothering!

By the time we had a full English at The Apple Pie Cafe in Ambleside, the temperatures were starting to soar and the only fog left was in my brain, still protesting at 6am start on a Saturday!

It was worth it though! A walk up to Helvellyn with a rucksack full of unused gloves, Buffs, waterproofs, fleeces... There was a haze all day - the type of haze you only usually get in Summer, but this didn't detract. Far rather a haze than a storm (or worse... a warm drizzle!)

Helvellyn was busy as always - once we've had the summit to ourselves briefly. Watching the antlike procession over Striding Edge is always great fun. I've been over it twice - exhilarating and outside of my comfort zone!

There was no-one on Catstye Cam - one of my favourite mountains. It's got a conical top and amazing views. We often go there instead of Helvellyn; there's something special about turning right when everyone else turns left. It's like a box at the theatre.

This photo is St. Sunday Crag taken from the gap between Helvellyn and Nethermost Pike. It's an iconic curtain sided beauty and while we've climbed it many times, it has beaten us twice. Once in wind so fierce, unless you were prepared to crawl like a caterpiller, you weren't going up; and another time in torrential rain (rain isn't usually a problem but if I tell you this was like walking in a bath, I'm not exaggerating!)

A great day - worth getting up for - hope you're all having great weekends too :o)