Lonscale Fell

profile of Lonscale Pike on the way down to Burnt Horse

This is one of my all time favourite routes.  It's a good one in poor conditions as the route finding is very easy, following fence lines or bridleways for the majority of the route.  Alastair agreed to drive up to Latrigg car park, a decision he perhaps regretted when he saw the very large potholes in the road.  It saved us a few miles though, particularly that difficult first uphill from Spooneygreen Lane.

This was the first time I had done this route in the dark.  I've done it in very deep snow a few times as well as in thick cloud.  The only real thing to remember is to take the single track off the main Skiddaw track just at the point that the track bends to the left.  Tonight I measured it and this junction is exactly one mile from the car park.  If in doubt, keep going in the same direction as the fence.

The rest of the run, up to the top and down over the beautiful (even in the dark) Burnt Horse, was great fun.  It's such a great run over Burnt Horse and then down through the field towards Skiddaw House before turning back right onto the track around Lonscale Fell.  Towards the end my back started to hurt a bit.  Perhaps going a bit heavy on the digging at my new allotment!

the moon was out over Lonscale Fell

that bloody 'orrible Skiddaw path

misty night

David and Alastair at the summit

me and David (I think)

Burnt Horse

back on the Glenderatera track

twice as cool at night

Dodd

up on the top

A Hardly AC run in particularly wet conditions.  The forest tracks of Dodd Wood provided some reassurance considering the high volume of water running off the hills.  We made a steady run to the top.  

Despite the very wet conditions, it was pretty nice on top.  We stopped to admire the lights of Keswick and I tried to take pictures which proved quite difficult at night with a phone.

There is a really nice single track down from Dodd summit.  However, it was so wet that we decided to stick to the forest track and took it easy back to the cars.

Latrigg

at the carpark, watching runners' lights approach

Latrigg.  A good wet weather and dark night run.  Both of these factors were encountered as we ran up Spooneygreen Lane to Latrigg Carpark, up to the summit along the 'accessible' path and then down to meet the railway line.  Great to get out on a rotten night like this.

Lords Seat from Braithwaite

cold and dark

Jonny, Joanne, Jonathan and I.  We started at Braithwaite church and ran up the road, taking the track off on the right and picking our way through dark trails up into the forest and ultimately to the summit of Lords Seat.  I got there a little bit ahead of the others.  It was very spooky with the mist blowing past in the dark being lit up by my headtorch.

Lord's seat is a good option for the dark though.  Pretty easy to stick on the track and there is additional shelter provided by the forest.

spooky