Lakes 6/7 Feb Advice & Invite

[Trossachs?]

Hi
I will be staying in the Lakes, at Sykeside / Brotherswater this weekend. A longstanding favourite campsite/ bunk house and pub, with decent food and Jennings!!!!

The weather seems mixed and I was wanting to invite anyone who fancies for a long day out and also to ask two questions:

-what are conditions like on the tops now? I can be anywhere in the Lakes, will be near Fairfield etc but not too hard to drive further for better conditions

-what low level alternative routes would people recommend? This may be the most useful bit really as its something I know least about I guess.

Jason

[scott baistow 93]

Hi
I will be staying in the Lakes, at Sykeside / Brotherswater this weekend. A longstanding favourite campsite/ bunk house and pub, with decent food and Jennings!!!!

The weather seems mixed and I was wanting to invite anyone who fancies for a long day out and also to ask two questions:

-what are conditions like on the tops now? I can be anywhere in the Lakes, will be near Fairfield etc but not too hard to drive further for better conditions

-what low level alternative routes would people recommend? This may be the most useful bit really as its something I know least about I guess.

Jason

I was in Ulverston at birkrigg common on Sunday the day was one of the best of 2010 you could see isle of man clearly, but from what i could see the kentmere fells didnt look to bad the fairfield fells look quite bad at the top, and the Conistion fells were still pretty much covered in snow mainly the old man though, so a run on the lower fells could be a better idea but i dont know how deep the snow will be at all on the bigger fells may just be an inch or two.

[Pyrenees Haven]

This pleasant http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walk...s/walk_b/2425/ and the website is pretty good as well.

Debbie

www.pyrenees-haven.com

[Inov-8 Insider]

Ambleside AC 7th Feb Sunday training run is from The Brown Horse at Winster which is outside Windermere.
http://www.amblesideac.org.uk/when1_winter09-10.htm
or you could call Lakes Runner/Ambleside and ask Barnsey if any club members are running around South Lakes

[scott baistow 93]

If you fancy a race there's the Jarrett jaunt at 1:00pm 4.5m/1500ft, from Wath brow bridge, west Cumbria. refreshments included.

[Mike - TheBoyBarry]

Not sure what its like now but I got back yesterday morning from a weekend in Patterdale and conditions are ideal. Snow/ice wise, there was very little below 600 metres. Above that was hardened, slick hard ice. It may have thawed a bit.

Hope you have a good weekend. Love Sykeside. My fave campsite !

[Mark G]

Bad weather option - you can get right round Ullswater, obvious route on the south side, paths a bit more inland on the north side but a surpisingly long run with about 3000' ascent - route on the north takes in Gowbarrow, either over the summit or around the front and there are a lot of other ups and downs.
If the weather is good my favourite run there is to do the Ian Hodgson route without descending to any of the changeovers - I usually do it from Patterdale so St Sunday, Fairfield, Red Screes, High Street and return via Angle Tarn. You could do it from the campsite along the race start of course but you would have to desend to valley level again to cross from Angle Tarn to St Sunday.

[Duff]

Re recent conditions;
Had a run in the Lakes last weekend. Bowfell/Esk/Scafells/ Langdales all covered in a mixture of re-frozen snow and powder, with a bit of water ice mixed in. Running crampons came in very handy (albeit two pairs between four of us!).
Some of the paths were dodgy ( the main path up to Stickle Tarn was more or less log- jammed with nervous walkers and the MRT were in evidence).
The Western and Northern fells looked clearer from what we could see.
Still, the sun was shining, the views were spectacular and all in all it was of the best days imaginable.
Enjoy!

[Trossachs?]

Cheers folks, cant wait! Forecast on MWIS seems ok so it'll be more about underfoot conditions, I like the idea of a long day round Ullswater, but we shall see. Thanks for the suggestions

Jason

[KatintheHat]

T,

I'd keep an eye on the fell conditions report on the met office website, as Helvellyn is not a stones' throw from Fairfield. Should indicate what the underfoot conditions are like.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/loutdoor..._pressure.html

The Coledale Horseshoe hills were OK last saturday with a covering above 600m deep in places, although it was nice to have spikes and axe with you, but there's been a thaw up high since then. Couldn't see anything tonight as it was dark and very misty here in the west!

Kat