Cups' birthday weekend

Following birthday party starty for the crew on Friday evening, we had a lazy-ish morning and arrived at Mardale Head (Haweswater) to set off walking shortly before noon, in time for the best weather of the day. Great horseshoe route from Selside Pike round to Kidsty Pike walking over everything inbetween!

Pitched the teepee at Waterside campsite on the Howtown road out of Pooley Bridge before heading to the pub for some scran. Plumped for the Pooley Bridge Inn in the end for ambiance but menu looked pretty good in the Crown too. Back to camp for stove, whisky, stars and bats.

Awoke to a lovely morning.... 

A fine way to celebrate a birthday in the house and the weekend seemed to be a great warm-up for whatever is in store for the bank holiday...

Journey Home - with assistance...

We had intended to climb at Birchen Edge on the way home, however Bobby's timing belt had other ideas. We were extremely lucky to have had enough momentum (on an uphill?!) to have reached the car park to a pub where we landed.

10:30 - call to the AA
11:40 - diagnosis
12:30 - lunch at the pub (best veggie pub meal ever!)
14:40 - truck arrives
15:15 - departure
16:30 - truck and driver swap at Ferrybridge
18:15 - arrive at Yarm for tea and camper delivery
21:00 - home

We certainly had a feeling of being passed from pillar to post but the AA got us back north and we're just hoping that the bill to get her back up and running again isn't too hefty.

Stanage in the wind!

Day 2 - Luke W and Chuckups getting hypothermic at a very cold Stanage.

Day 3 - too busy climbing easy grades at Stanage to take pictures! Sunny but breezy day followed by the Hope Valley Beer Festival. Toughtags helped us to return a no. 2 nut to its rightful owner.

Peaks Climbing - Bamford Edge

Met up with Gareth, Jayne, and Ken for some peak action.

Day 1 - Bamford Edge

Wainwright bagging cont.

Day 2 - Angletarn Pikes, Brock Crags, The Nab and Rest Dodd. Departure time: 15:00. Back for tea by 20:00. Couldn't get better weather.

Day 3 - Mini expedition starting with a trip on the Ullswater steamer with Val and the Booths! Split parties to bag Bonscale Pike, Hallin Fell and Steel Knotts. All rendezvous-ed for cups of tea on the lawn at the Howtown Hotel before heading back to Patterdale over Beda Fell and Cups' solo ascent of Place Fell. A beautiful day all round.

Wainwright bagging - Far Eastern Fells

Started a few days of grabbing wainwrights by heading up Gray Crag , Mardale Ill Bell and Hartsop Dodd via Thornthwaite Beacon. Sykeside campsite served us well for a couple of nights. Enjoyed tea with Val at the Brit in Elterwater.

Northumberland

We marked the first weekend of the Easter holiday with a weekend in Northumberland. Joined the Joneses for a couple of nights at South Meadows campsite in Belford (we can recommend the fish n chips from John Dory!). Some comedy antics with Clara on Saturday morning before a trip to Alnwick, Bari Tea and Barter Books then frisbee time on Bamburgh beach!

Sunday saw some pretty breezy and short lived climbing at Bowden Doors...Russet Groove is a brilliant VDiff and was worth the outing in 35mph winds.

Put off by the winds after Charlie had an attempt at a lead, we headed back to Bamburgh for some ruff'n'tuff kite flying!

20 second video of Chuck B flying the rasta kite. All that's missing is "FENTON!" at the end...