Weekend in the snowy Lake District 10-11th December 2011

After a wasted mad dash to Manchester and the third change to accommodation plans I quite literally skidded to Ambleside youth hostel arriving just before 11pm.  Snow was on the hills and the earlier rain on the lower ground had turned to ice in the freezing fog.  Perfect rally driving conditions - and I am very pleased to say that I haven't lost my rally driving skills learnt many years ago.  I guess the grit man and his van had bigger roads to cover!

Snow .... not much ... but there was
a patch

Saturday morning was spent trying to drive over to Buttermere (the original destination). I tried all three passes - the first got me up to the mine/ top of Honiton Pass but no further, the second pass was a road of pure black ice and the third was closed shut. So with an even longer detour I arrived at Buttermere youth hostel where I quickly unloaded the car and headed for the hills.

There was snow on the hills, not too much but there was hope that I could put my shiny new running crampons on. It was very cold and windy though.... thermals were on with my trusted Buffalo - stopping was not an option.   Backpack with running crampons at the ready, I chose a mountain and just went - time was not on my side and I didn't want to be caught at the top of the mountain at sun set.

That was the lower hill - lovely
little ridge

3000ft later I  decided to head back down again and hoped to trot along the lower hill for a bit before it got dark.  Buttermere youth hostel was fantastic.  Great food, great bed and great people running it.  Can't wait to go back there again.

So, a quick recap of the last couple of weekends - night with hills, mud with hills and this weekend was snow and ice with hills... whats next?? ahhh that's right ... another day in the Lakes.