It's a Magical World*

After a fairly flat feeling week of consultancy work, software proposals and the odd pooch walk I was feeling in need of a proper day getting IntotheHills. Seeing that the weather is forecast to break - as well as the patterns of the last few days & inspired by Bom & Fairweathergirl's recent entries I formed a cunning plan...
Up and out by 5am I was well on my my way up Riggindale Ridge above Haweswater before 6am. Theres always something special setting off by headtorch (as opposed to the usually something worrying if returning by headtorch sensation) but by 06:40 the sky was starting to be streaked with fantastic colours - time for the first pause, coffee & wow (extra1). Invigorated I headed on up - pausing as the Lakeland version of Alpenglow lit up High Street's Easterly flanks (extra2) and at Caspel Gate Tarn I startled the first Red Deer of the day. Todays Blip was taken from the final slopes of Long Stile.

Arriving on the summit I sat & had breakfast - not a soul in sight, not a breath of wind - just the bellowing of the stags echoing up and off Kidsty Pike from deep in the Riggindale Valley and the sun starting to warm my face - the English Lake District laid out before me in all its glory.

From the turn to Ramsgill Head I cut very steeply down into Riggindale (not recommended unless you're very sure on your feet) and went to see how close I could get to the source of the bellowing. As the sun got higher in the sky it became clear that the valley was full of deer - there seemed to be 10-20 with each big Stag - but for such a big animal they are surprisingly wary & very very agile - the  last extra was as close as I could manage - but it was simply wonderful to sit & watch them - listening to the roars and the odd clash of antlers. From near the valley floor I climbed back up the Southern flanks of Kidsty and made my way over into Randale where if anything there were even more deer. From here I watched as the inversion rolled in like the tide filling the valleys and building up to the 600m contour. It was too nice to head straight down into the clag - so I opted to skirt round and climb onto Low Raise and then make my way down Long Grain until I could make a way betwixt Ladythwaite & Lad Crags - eventually picking up the path around the reservoir and walking back in the mist to the car.

Home by 2pm I had half a day left - but that mist has never lifted & I've been content to stay on the couch chatting & catching up - today the best part of the day was before the sun even rose.

*As I've gotten older I've come to realise that the philosophers I've most been inspired to live my life by are a 6 year old cartoon boy and his best friend - who's a very wise tiger :-)