Sweeping Snow on Place Fell

Winter Scenes from Patterdale and Ullswater March 2013

After yesterday collection of photos of Red Deer on Place Fell, I thought I’d post some others taken over the last week or so around Patterdale and Ullswater as we’ve been enjoying our unseasonal snowy weather.

Once again apologies to my loyal band of Twitter followers as you’ll have seen most of these before…

No real order to them but I think for what it’s worth of the many hundreds that have clogged my hard drive in the last week these are probably the pick of the bunch…

Lake District Views

Some stunning views out across the fells over the last week. Here are some of them – mostly taken from Place Fell….

Patterdale in the Snow

View Towards Kirkstone

View across Ullswater to Greenside

View of Place Fell – Layer Cake

Patterdale in the Snow

Morgan on Place Fell looking South

Ullswater Views

As one would expect England’s most beautiful Lake, Ullswater, has been looking pretty good too..

Ullswater View

St Patricks Boatyard Ullswater

Jetty at the Southern End of Ullswater

Morgan over Ullswater

Trees and Sheep

It’s always amazing how a but of snow can make things you see everyday seem just that bit more beautiful – like trees and sheep!!

Snow Trees in Patterdale

Keldas Trees above Greenside

Patterdale Tree

Hardy Sheep

Sweeping Snow

The wind has been howling at times and whipping up the snow. Fun to be out in if a little on the cold side. Not sure I really managed to capture it but here are my lame attempts…

Sweeping Snow on Place Fell

Place Fell Rock

Place Fell Snow Storm

Morgan in a blizzard

Snow Fun

Obviously the snow has also provided great opportunities for the usual sledging and fun and games, and the drifts at the weekend on Place Fell also gave our son and his mate the chance to build their first snow hole…

Snow Hole Fun

Morgan has of course had great fun, although I’m not sure he appreciated being used as a snow depth gauge…

Morgan assesses the depth of the Snow

He did have more fun trying his hand at sledging. Shame he forgot his sledge…

Morgan Tries his Paws at Sledging

Cedric

We have a rather incongruous stone figure outside our back door which is a relic from our days as city dwellers in London. Anyway he serves a useful purpose these days as a snow gauge – so here he is over the last week….

Cedric over the last week

Final thanks as always to my long suffering walking companion, Morgan…

Morgan questions my sanity again

For more pictures of our adventures in the Lake District around Ullswater, Patterdale and Helvellyn, please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. You can also follow Ullswater on Facebook and Helvellyn on Facebook. If you want to come and stay in the Lake District, all these photos were taken within a 20 minute walk of our pet friendly Patterdale Holiday Cottage.

Enjoy and have a great Easter….

Snow Deer on Place Fell

Red Deer on Place Fell in the Snow – March 2013

One of the few benefits from all the recent snow around Patterdale and the Lake District has been that the Red Deer from Martindale have come ever lower on Place Fell in search of food. Morgan and I have taken full advantage of this over the last week or so to try and take some photos.

For those that are interested in such things I’m reliably informed (by Tom from the Patterdale Village Store!) that these Red Deer are the only purebred herd of wild deer in England. So now you know…..

Now I don’t pretend to have any great photographic or artistic abilities and the conditions were variable on the fells to say the least but here they are anyway. We enjoyed seeing them and I hope you do too…..

Apologies to anyone mad enough to follow me on Twitter as you’ll have seen most of these before…

Young Stag – The Poser

We were blessed one evening by blue skies and the sight of this young fella who seemed quite happy to pose for us. Whether he was used to the sight of some mad bloke and his hound trudging up the fells twice a day or just curious I have no idea, but I’m glad he hung around long enough for me to take these….

Young Stag on Place Fell

Posing

Posing more

Does on the Skyline

On the same evening we spotted these 2 on a ridge. They started watching us but soon found a passing helicopter far more exciting….

2 Does on the Skyline

Eyes Left……

More and More and More

Whereas earlier in the year we’d seen the occasional one foraging over the last few weeks they have been loads of them as they have had to go lower and lower to get to some food…

Foraging in the Snow

Foraging in a Snow Storm

Foraging and Chillin

It’s Hard work in the Snow

As with the rest of us the Deer have struggled in the Snow – which thanks to the howling winds has drifted in places to make getting about a little tricky….

Not happy

Struggling in the Snow

Beautiful Animals

Mostly though they seemed pretty relaxed and undoubtedly beautiful….

Snow on the nose!

Relaxing in the Snow

In search of the Stags

Obviously our dream photo op would have been the huge Stag on the skyline. Sadly we’ve not seen him yet but we’re ever hopeful. In the meantime these are some of the shots we’ve got of the boys …

Before the snow fully settled last week we saw this guy and his bashful mate

3 Stags eyeing us up and one making like a bush….

Watching Us Watching You

Nice day for a stroll…

Lad and Lasses

And we did get one of the “Big Daddy” as he was ambling back into cover….

Anyway that’s the lot, so far at least. A final word of thanks to my long suffering walking companion, Morgan, who has put up with me standing stock still in the snow and wind staring madly up the slopes for ages when all he wants to do is crack on and enjoy the walk….

My Mate Morgan and his comedy Tongue

For more pictures of our adventures in the Lake District around Ullswater, Patterdale and Helvellyn, please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. You can also follow Ullswater on Facebook and Helvellyn on Facebook. If you want to come and stay in the Lake District, all these photos were taken within a 20 minute walk of our pet friendly Patterdale Holiday Cottage.

Morgan views Helvellyn and Red Tarn

A Walk up to Red Tarn and Catstycam by Helvellyn in the Snow March 2013

Well after some more fresh snow at the weekend and with a forecast of sunshine and clear skies first thing it seemed rude not to head up high yesterday, especially after 2 days stuck inside painting and decorating our Lake District Cottages. So here are some photos from the walk from Patterdale, up the Grisedale Valley to Hole in the Wall, to Red Tarn, up Catstycam, back to Red Tarn and then down to Glenridding. As always please feel free to ignore the words and just scroll down and enjoy the pictures!

View towards Helvellyn from Patterdale 08:00

Following my last solo Snow walk up Helvellyn in November I thought  ought to get some company for this walk (other than Morgan of course), especially as the fell top assessors had said there was lots of compacted snow and ice up top. So Tuesday night was spent on the phone persuading Mountain Man Mike, Professor Chris & Morgan’s mate Scruffy to don their boots (well not Scruffy of course) and head on up. I agreed to meet Chris just below Lanty’s tarn at 09:00 and Mike at Red Tarn a little later. All set then…

Up the Grisedale Valley

Having been woken by my son at 06:00 I decided I couldn’t be bothered to wait around. The sun was shining and the clock was ticking. I also of course was fully aware that I am by far the slowest walker of all time so I figured I’d get a head start and Chris could catch me up. So at 08:00 Morgan and I set off. Great views on the way up Grisedale and plenty of opportunities for some Morgan path posing…..

Morgan Path Posing on the way to Hole in the wall

And yet more Path Posing

And on his first patch of snow – loving the blue skies!

Full on Snow Path towards the top

View back to Place Fell and Patterdale

The skies were truly wonderful – a deep blue and virtually cloud free. For once Morgan (well me) made good time and got to Hole in the Wall having donned my Micro Spikes for the last 100 metres or so. with the climb and the sunshine it was nice and hot on the way up and I dreaded arriving and having to heave Morgan over the style. I needn’t have worried – several months of accumulated snow meant the usual 5 foot of steps was now somewhat easier…

Hole in the Wall

I called Chris and agreed to wait for him and Scruffy. I figured I could spend a while catching some rays and enjoying the views, but hadn’t reckoned on the biting wind. Time to don hat, gloves and coat, and for Morgan to do some rehydrating…

Morgan rehydrates with Helvellyn as a backdrop

With some time to kill I took a few pictures as you do…

Helvellyn, Catstycam and Striding Edge from Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall looking north east

Morgan awaits his mate

Looking towards Ullswater

Hole in the Wall Panorama

Snow Covered Mountains Everywhere

Eventually we spotted Chris and Scruffy coming up the path. Morgan’s eyesight isn’t quite what it should be so he was a little unsure who it was we were waiting for and adopted the “who’s that” pose. Still not a bad backdrop view to be getting on with….

Morgan Awaits..

When Chris and Scruffy arrived naturally Morgan was very pleased to see them, and Chris was keen to show off his trendy Kathmandu shades. So here they are…

Chris and Scruffy. Chris is the one in the shades….

We then headed to Red Tarn to await the arrival of Mountain Man Mike, who’d driven up to Greenside Mine and was currently sprinting up the Greenside path at a rate of knots having started about 3 hours after everyone else as usual. So once we arrived at Red Tarn it was time for a few more photos…

Helvellyn and a Frozen Red Tarn

Morgan explores the Red Tarn Ice

Mountain Man Mike arrives

Mike arrived sooner than expected to be greeted by raptures of joy by both the hounds. Why this is remains a mystery to Chris and I, especially as Mike never shares his lunch with the dogs on the hill – unlike their faithful and loving masters….

Coffee Break by Red Tarn with Striding Edge behind

While enjoying a quick tab and coffee break (tabs for me only of course) I took a few more hound photos…

Scruffy the Labradoodle

Morgan’s Comedy Tongue

We hadn’t actually decided where we were headed next but a quick equipment check showed that between us, with the exception of Chris, we were hardly equipped for ice climbing up the face of Helvellyn. One ice axe, some micro-spikes, a couple of walking poles, 2 scotch eggs, a cheese and pickle sandwich, 2 mad dogs and 20 Marlboro Lights. Catstycam it is then….

Helvellyn, Red Tarn and Striding Edge

Morgan on the path up to Swirral Edge

As we headed up Swirral to join the path for Catstycam the sun disappeared and it got a little on the cold side. Time to get a shift on…

Wot no sun??

One positive was some pretty good views looking north, where we could see all the way to Scotland, including the lovely (sic!) wind turbines…

Looking North…

Skiddaw from Catstycam

The path up was not too bad – a bit of snow but nothing too serious. It was enough however for Mountain Man Mike to don some micro-spikes – unusual for a man who’d happily go walking in his slippers..

Anyway we made good time and Morgan and Scruffy raced ahead to check the summit and all seemed good..

Catstycam Summit

Once up top the views, despite the cloud, were still pretty good…

Looking south across Striding Edge to Morecambe Bay

And zoomed in on Morecambe Bay

Looking East towards Ullswater

Scruffy shows off his Ice Beard…

I also took the chance of a bit of zoom lens people spotting….

Lone walker on Helvellyn Lower Man

Man with Ice Axe on Helvellyn

Man on Helvellyn Snow Gulley – rather him than me..

Photos done it was too cold to hang around – time to head home..

Descending from Catstycam towards Swirral Edge

And that’s about it – a pleasant walk down to Glenridding via Greenside and the day was done…

Greenside Beck

Yet another grand day out in the Lake District….

For more pictures of our adventures in the Lake District around Ullswater, Patterdale and Helvellyn, please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. You can also follow Ullswater on Facebook and Helvellyn on Facebook. If you want to come and stay in the Lake District why not choose one of our pet friendly Ullswater Cottages. You can also stay with Mike at his Luxury Ullswater B&B. Chris is currently between jobs, so if you’re looking for a highly experienced and hardworking hotel manager in the Lake District then please get in touch.

Enjoy!

My mate Morgan

Morgan’s mate Scruffy

Morgan on St Sunday Crag

A Great Walk up St Sunday Crag – Snow and Sunshine

Following last week’s wonderful Place Fell Walk Emma, Morgan and I decided to make the most of the sunshine and head up St Sunday Crag. Here are the photos with the minimal words thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!

St Sunday Awaits

Morgan and I get a good view of St Sunday every morning on the early morning walk. Last Wednesday it was looking particularly appealing. So after doing “walking bus” for the school it was time to crack on..

Approaching St Sunday in Glenmara Park

We set off from Patterdale and decided to take the direct route up and down via the saddle rather than the standard route of heading up the Grisedale valley to Grisedale Tarn and then up. This was because a) we’re quite lazy and wanted the quickest route up and b) we figured we’d be in the sunshine for longer. The views back down to Ullswater on the way up just keep getting better and better the higher up you go…

View back to Ullswater

Getting better!

View from the saddle

Helvellyn Cottages!

You also get a pretty good view of our Lake District Cottages from the way up as well! The path up to the saddle is quite steep but the kind folk in the LDNP have made plenty of steps so it’s basically like walking up a very long and steep staircase. Once we reached the saddle and crossed onto the north facing side we saw our first snow although nothing to get too excited about at this stage…

Morgan heads up the snowy path

Looking down to Braesteads Farm in the Grisedale Valley

Morgan shows he’s good with sheep

As we headed towards the first ridge summit Morgan took the opportunity for some good ridge posing…

Morgan pose 1

Morgan Pose 2

We decided to go off piste to detour onto the first summit and basically cos we wanted to walk in some real snow and head back into the sunshine…

Morgan on the Snow

Morgan Summit 1

The slightly annoying thing about St Sunday is that it’s actually a series of undulating ridges which means you think you’re there but every time you top one ridge you see another one looming ahead. Having walked it a few times before, mainly from the Fairfield side, I was well aware of this but as this was a new and frustrating experience for Emma! Luckily the weather and the views more than made up for it!

Place Fell from St Sunday

Helvellyn and Striding Edge from St Sunday

Morgan Awaits

The snow got a little thicker and icier on the last summit climb so we donned our ice spikes just to be ont he safe side. This also meant we could follow the path rather than pick our way across patches of snow free fell…

Nearly there…second to last ridge

Get off my summit

Having not seen a soul on our ascent as we neared the real summit we could see some folk up there. Morgan, who likes to experience summit cairns on his own, soon sent them packing so that when we reached the top we had it all to ourselves….

I point out the interlopers sent packing by Morgan

St Sunday Summit looking south

St Sunday Summit looking to Seat Sandal (north)

Morgan with his water bowl…

Morgan enjoys the summit views – Fairfield in the background

Having sunbathed for a while and rehydrated ourselves and the hound it was time to descend…

Emma descends on the snow

I choose the snowiest path..

Looking east – three ridges before the Pennines

All in all another grand day out in the Lake District, with some great views of Ullswater and Helvellyn, superb weather and of course wonderful company!

For more pictures of our adventures in the Lake District around Ullswater, Patterdale and Helvellyn, please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. You can also follow Ullswater on Facebook and Helvellyn on Facebook. If you want to come and stay in the Lake District why not choose one of our pet friendly Ullswater Cottages. Enjoy!

My Mate Morgan

La Thuile Italy

Feb 2013 Skiing Trip to La Thuile in Italy

Some photos from our half term trip to La Thuile in Italy. Won’t waste time with too many words but suffice to say that it’s a great place – superb skiing, not too busy, very friendly and we were blessed with superb snow and great weather. So if you want info then feel free to peruse the text, otherwise just scroll down and enjoy the photos!

Real Snow – A Proper Snowdrift

The Resort

The Planibel

La Thuile is a small ski resort on the Italian/French border. The transfer from Turin should have been a pleasant 2 hour trip (see below!). We were staying in the Planibel Hotel Apartments – ideally located at the bottom of the slopes and perfectly servicable accommodation for what you want on a ski trip – warm, enough room to store your gear (altho’ we could have done with a few more coathangers!). Obviously the accommodation was not up to our own Lake District Cottages standards (!), but the resort has great facilities on site including a supermarket, ski-hire shops, charcuterie, swimming pool, pub, shops and restaurants. It was also just a 10 minute walk down into the village itself which has some great restaurants and contrary to some reviews I’ve seen is actually quite scenic and immensely friendly. No it hasn’t got 101 nightclubs and bars, but for a family friendly resort it certainly ticked all our boxes. For what it’s worth our favourite places to eat our were La Fordze, the Brassiere, and La Grotte. Just remember to book a table on a Friday and Saturday night as it’s very popular with Italian weekenders – a good sign in itself…

The Skiing

Blue Skies and Empty Pistes

With 3 under 8s in the party we were looking for somewhere with a good range of beginner slopes, plus enough variety and challenges to keep our resident Franz Klammer super skier amused. La Thuile delivers on both counts. The nursery slopes are right outside the Planibel with a bubble and chair lifts to take you up to the main ski area which has a great range of blues and reds. We also skied over to La Rosiere in France on one of the days. Great for the “I’ve skied in 2 countries today” bragging rights but frankly very busy compared to La Thuile!

On the Border!

Empty Pistes – Bliss

Not a bad place for a lesson

View from a Chair Lift

Lessons

All three of the youngsters had lessons in the morning. Other than the somewhat chaotic Italian organisation at the start of the day the lessons themselves were great and certainly by the end of the week 3 novice skiers were skiing like demons. Again the friendliness of the instructors helped a great deal. 3 of us slightly older folk also had lessons, in my case for the first time in 20 years. Suffice to say my skiing probably didn’t improve quite as much, but we had a great group and it’s always good to be guided around the resort. My instructor Franco was also superb. Some of my fellow learners had been to the same resort 11 years on the trot and had had Fraqnco teaching them for many of those times. He’s an old school instructor – permatan, supercool, very friendly and of course he skies like he was born with 2 planks attached to his feet, which he probably was -like many of the instructors he’s born and bred in the area. He was also an effective weather barometer. When Franco turned up in the morning with his goggles and balaclava, you knew it was going to be a tad cold on the chair lifts. When he turned up in his shades and (almost) in his shorts – you knew it was going to be a scorcher..

Franco puts the group through their paces

The Views

Living in the Lake District, I’m pretty used to great views and spectacular mountain panoramas. However with the weather we had I have to say the scenery was truly breathtaking. Anyway judge for yourself…

Mont Blanc

Nice View

Towards the Matterhorn

Spot the man walking up the ridge

View from the Gondola

Our Ski Package

A few words on our tour company, Neilsens. I’m always a little cynical about ski reps and I know the job isn’t as easy as it should be but just cos it needs to be said here are a few pointers for them if they happen to chance across this blog:

• Don’t make the punters site for 2 hours in the coach at Turin airport waiting to depart for the resort when there’s only 1 seat left on the coach and yet you tell them “we’re waiting for a family of 4″
• Don’t arrange for people to arrive in resort at lunchtime when you know their apartments aren’t going to be ready until 17:00, or if you do then prewarn them and make sure they have somewhere to store their luggage in the interim
• Don’t hand out green vouchers for ski lessons and tell people to hand them over to the instructors when the instructors respond saying “they should know by now these are the wrong vouchers” and so you end up having to spend 2 days tracking your rep down to get the right voucher.
• Don’t at the end of a great holiday make people wait outside in -10 degrees at 5 in the morning in the wrong place for a bus that’s actually in a completely different place.

Simples. Anyway soap box safely stored for another year…

All in all though I can’t recommend La Thuile highly enough – great location, great facilities, superb skiing and above all a warm, welcoming and friendly place. We shall return!

Us looking the part…

Morgan on Place Fell Summit

After last week’s skiing in Italy we returned to the Lakes and found we’d missed yet another snow fall. Keen to find some white stuff and based on the MWIS forecast of “possible risk of sunburn” Emma, Morgan and I couldn’t possibly miss the chance to head up the hills yesterday. Turns out it was a good choice!!

The views back down to Ullswater on the way up were pretty good!

Having left the valley floor where we live in the shadow and freezing cold it soon became clear that we were slightly overdressed. It was boiling hot by the time we got to Boredale Hause so it was time to delayer. Morgan of course was fine as long as he could find a handy beck to slurp from.

Spot the Morgan

Most of the snow had gone from the fell other than in sheltered gullies although there was still some on the north facing slopes of High Street…

High Street behind Place Fell

Even the final scramble gulley up to the summit ridge was snow free…

Morgan Awaits

On the summit ridge there was still a fair amount of snow and we were treated to some great vapour trail displays over Brotherswater and High Street..

Dogfights over Brotherswater

Liftoff over High Street

In fact the views from the summit ridge looking south were just plain awesome…

Even Morgan enjoyed them….

Morgan takes in the views

We were a little late setting off for once so there were a fair few people up top by the time we arrived, but not as many as I suspect there were on Helvellyn….

Helvellyn Summit from Place Fell

The big issue on top was finding water for Morgan. The pools were all frozen so it was time to get one of my boots wet and crack some ice..

Morgan savours the flavours

He seemed a lot happier after rehydration….

Morgan the Lake District Labrador

It was also the first outing for my funky Crookabeck Angora Mohair Helvellyn Walking Socks. Highly recommended – warm, comfortable and best of all they dried out very quickly having been dunked in cold icy water whilst making Morgan’s water hole…

Crookabeck Farm Socks!

After the obligatory fag break it was time to head off piste a little to try and get some good shots on the edge..

Glenridding from Place Fell Summit

Panorama of Ullswater and Brotherswater

We also had some great views across the dale to our Glenridding Cottages.

Helvellyn Cottages in Glenridding

The views on the way back down to Patterdale were none too shabby….

Morgan towards Brotherswater

View of Patterdale

Having made it back down it was time for a final splash in the beck for Morgan and then a trip to his favourite Patterdale Village Store for a few extra biscuits…

Morgan rehydrates in the beck

Patterdale Village Store and the White Lion Pub – need I say more..

For more pictures of our adventures in the Lake District around Ullswater, Patterdale and Helvellyn, please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. You can also follow Ullswater on Facebook and Helvellyn on Facebook. If you want to come and stay in the Lake District why not choose one of our pet friendly Ullswater Cottages. Enjoy!

Morgan and his mate on the summit – just to show I didn’t send him up by himself…..

Ullswater and Helvellyn in the Snow

24 Hours in the Lake District – From Snow to Sheeting Rain

Well having had snow on and off all last week we were treated to some real “amber” snow around Patterdale and Ullswater on Friday. Having fallen softly for the first part of the day in mid afternoon it really starting coming down big style and by early evening the roads were covered and the rest was very deep and crisp if a little uneven. On Saturday morning we were treated to a hint of blue sky which made for some scenic views. Needless to say this being the Lake District come Saturday evening it started raining and it hasn’t really stopped since.

Anyway here are some pictures taken during and after our the brief winter wonderland window of opportunity….

Snowing big style

Snow on the Gate to the Patterdale Playing Field

Our Acer Tree about 16:00

And the same tree 2 hours later

Spooky scenes in Patterdale Church Yard

Morgan on the A592 “main road” in Patterdale

Looks impressive – to be fair the sign is only 2 feet tall anyway….

St Sunday Crag in the Snow from Patterdale

Towards Helvellyn

Footsteps in the snow above Ullswater

The Best Bench in the Lake District

Morgan on the Path above Side Farm

Ullswater in the Snow

Morgan enjoys the view of Ullswater

Helvellyn in the Snow

View up Place Fell

A Snowy Goldrill Beck

The Snow Lady from last week got a new coat

And we managed to give her a pet snow dog

By Sunday Morning the thaw had started. This is Side Farm

Morgan in the Floodwater on Side Farm

For more pictures of our adventures in the Lake District around Ullswater, Patterdale and Helvellyn, please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. You can also follow Ullswater on Facebook and Helvellyn on Facbook. Enjoy!

Scruffy and Morgan

Morgan and Scruffy take their humans for a snowy walk on Place Fell

Having made it half way up Place Fell the day before when Morgan and I were invited to go the whole way up it was an offer we couldn’t refuse. Better still (for Morgan at least) our walking companions were Chris and Scruffy, Morgan’s best mate. We were also joined (for part of the trip) by Mountain Man Mike, who was with us until he got a call half way up from the Fire Brigade and randomly decided he had to head back down to polish his hose…

Conditions were much the same as the day before under foot – crunchy snow on the paths and soft fluffy stuff on the sides. As we headed up higher the snow had drifted into some of the gullies on the main path up to the summit so we were walking in the fluffy stuff for much of the way. Needless to say the dogs were in the fluffy stuff pretty much all the time..

Anyway enough of the words once again, here are some photos from the walk….

Chris half way up to Boredale with a snowy Ullswater Valley behind

A little snow on some of the main path

Mike gets the call and promptly disappears

Scruffy and Morgan await the humans

Scruffy and Chris on the summit plateau of Place Fell with Helvellyn Behind

Helvellyn, Brotherswater and Ullswater Panorama

Just to prove we made it to the top

Place Fell Summit in the Snow

Place Fell Summit Ridge

View of Helvellyn from Place Fell Summit

Chris bravely fell into this to give the boys a much needed drink

The Walk Back Home

A frolicking Morgan above Ullswater

Morgan over Brotherswater

By the time we caught up with him he’d sat down!

Chris proves very popular – or is it that Cornish Pasty??

Caught on camera – a couple of slackers faking a summit shot!!

Morgan’s mate Scruffy

And my mate Morgan….

For more pictures of Morgan’s adventures in the Lake District around Ullswater, Patterdale and Helvellyn, please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. Enjoy!

View towards Ullswater on the Way Down

From Blizzards to Blue Skies – a Snowy Walk onto Place Fell above Ullswater

Well you have to make the most of it while it’s here so we decided to head up to Boredale Hause on Place Fell at lunchtime today. The forecast was for clear skies but it was snowing when we set off, snowing very heavily when we got half way up, and still snowing when we got to the top. Needless to say as we clambered back down the sun came out and blue skies abounded. C’est la vie. Anyway enough words, here are the pictures……

Snow Storm over Ullswater – picture doesn’t do it justice!

Morgan Surveys Deepdale

One man and his dog on the way up

Morgan at Boredale

View from Boredale

One man and his dog on a mission

This is what we wanted – the View over Martindale

High Street Panorama

Time to head back down

Blue sky began to appear on the way down

Sun breaking through over Brotherswater

Morgan takes a break under a convenient tree

View towards Ullswater on the Way Down

View back up Place Fell

Yet more Blue Sky and Snow

Morgan Admires the views

Red Deer on Place Fell

Goldrill Beck Patterdale

My mate Morgan

For more pictures please follow Helvellyn on Twitter. Enjoy!

Cumbria Joinery Services

Shameless plug I’m afraid for a friend’s website. Will have some Lake District Snow pictures later this week as well! Stephen Dixon is a trained joiner and carpenter based in his workshop in Grasmere in the Lake District. He offers the full range of joinery services using traditional and contemporary methods, high quality timber, both hardwood and softwood all from sustainable FSC Approved sources. He operates throughout Cumbria and the Lake District and provides a high quality, honest, and competitive service. Here is a list of the joinery services he provides.

Cumbria Roof Joinery & Balconies

Stephen has experience in the manufacture and installation of a huge range of roofs, roof trusses and joists right across Cumbria. This picture is of a project he did near Penrith. He can also design, construct and install a range of wooden balconies.

Timber Window in Cumbria

Stephen supplies and installs all types of wooden windows including traditional sliding sash windows and casement windows. His windows are manufactured in a traditional style but incorporating modern features including energy saving glass and insulation as well as modern security features for your peace of mind.

Wooden Stairs, Staircases and Floors in Cumbria

Stephen makes stylish wooden staircases in both contemporary and traditional styles, with a range of newels, spindles and handrails. He has experience of building all types of stairs including straight and winding flights, cut string, and open and closed tread.

He has makes solid wooden flooring using high quality timber with a range of finishes to give you a durable and stylish finish that’s built to last is also offered. He can also supply engineered flooring suitable for under floor heating. 

Wooden Doors and Porches

Stephen can design any conceivable type of internal and external door, whether you want to replace an existing door with an identical one, or create a new one. He also builds wooden porches to whatever design you require.

Bespoke Kitchens in Cumbria

Whether you are looking for a fully bespoke kitchen or simply adding some individual kitchen cabinets or drawers or replacement kitchen worktops, Stephen can supply and fit a kitchen from an agreed kitchen plan, or design, in both traditional and contemporary styles. Bespoke units can also be manufactured in the workshop if this is what you require. 

Bespoke Wooden Furniture

Whether you’re looking for some bespoke wardrobes, shelving or cupboards, or a specific piece of high quality wooden furniture or cabinetry, Stephen will guarantee a high quality product that is built using traditional methods. He will meet with you to agree the design and specification of your furniture, working to both traditional and contemporary designs, and then manufacture it in his workshop before delivering and installing it in your home. His experience ensures that what he delivers is exactly what you want, a stylish and enduring piece of furniture.

Bathroom Wall Panelling in Cumbria

Stephen can supply and fit bathroom wall panelling as an alternative to the traditional ceramic wall tile. It has the advantage of no grout deterioration, and it can easily be cleaned. There is a large collection of colours and patterns for wall and ceilings. 

Stephen Dixon Joinery Limited operates across the Lake District

Stephen is based in Grasmere but operates across the Lake District, including in  Ambleside, Keswick, Windermere, Bowness, Langdale, Hawkshead, Coniston and Troutbeck. So if you have any joinery needs in Cumbria please visit his website:

www.cumbriajoineryservices.co.uk