Walk Report

We gathered at the Moot Hall for Saturday's walk heading out to the slopes of Cat Bells - such a delightful name for a magnificent walk. The last time I was here was almost exactly 12 years ago when Ian and I took the launch across to Hawes End and walked the length of Cat Bells before dropping down to the path round Derwent Water. On this occasion we were doing the horseshoe walk known as The Newlands Round, 17 miles. The weather was perfect and there's nothing like clambering up some crags to lift the spirits and put a new perspective on life. The summit of Cat Bells affords magnificent views across Derwent Water with Bassenthwaite and the Northern Fells of Skiddaw and Blencathra to the north east. The walk continued over Maiden Moor to High Spy. We dropped down to Dale Head Tarn from where we began the long slow climb up to Dale Head summit. I noticed some ant like figures making their steady way up the sheer slope to our right and made the silly comment 'We're not going up there surely??' Of course we were, and I braced myself! In fact there was considerably more to the climb than was visible at that point but, steady away, one foot in front of the other and one step at a time the summit was achieved and it hadn't been that arduous after all. The views north along the Newlands Valley and across to other peaks right and left were truly amazing and well worth the effort of anyone. From Dale Head we continued along Hindscarth Edge looking down to Honister Pass on our left with Fleetwith Pike and, behind this, Haystacks, both of which I completed in a solo walk in 2015. More climbing took us to the summit of Hindscarth and, thereafter it was the long, long steady descent with much clambering and awkward movements over rocks. I enjoyed it, picking my way round and over, though it would have been a very different story on a wet day - more a bottom shuffle. Down in the Newlands Valley it was hard to believe we'd been to the tops of the surrounding peaks. A steady walk took us back to Keswick and a gathering at The Pack Horse Inn for, as always, a welcome Guinness. (Beryl Massey)

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