I was pretty undecided whether i wanted to put this walk on my blog for one reason ,I got myself a little lost!..When I say lost I mean listened to someone else when I should of trusted my own judgement , And for probably the whole of the week to come i beat myself up emotionally ,Inside I knew I should trust my own judgement ,I suppose it happens to the best of us I’ve spoke with many a walker & drifted on to the conversation of getting lost & sometimes I think “Hang on Paul your not on your own here “& listening to some people they are not afraid or ashamed to speak about so why did i beat myself up so much?

I cant answer that ,I suppose your mind is on the job so much you cant fail? Wrong, it happens ,Yes?

Anyway enough about that , Back in July me ,My dad & his two collies decided on a walk around Buttermere He noted to me pointing at a walker making his way through Burtness Wood towards Red Pike look how steep that is ,"He’s not hanging about is he!” so we watched this guy make his way through the wood & out of sight ,Thats one part of the reason for choosing Red Pike ,The next is pure coincidence (Bear with me)

In June this year I thought id treat my self to a pair of new boots & I’ve had my eye on a pair of Raichiles id seen in Cotswold Outdoors & the only place who had my size was Liverpool ,So off I went ,Tried them on for size (walking around the store for a good 10mins in them!) had a quick glance at the book section ,Now I cant remember the title nor the author but I picked a book up on Lakeland Walks & hey presto the page fell open on Red Pike !I thought to myself there’s your next walk the Gods have spoken!

So after the walk around Buttermere with my dad the planning started ,A date was set for the 31st July ,As you know you cant always trust a weather forecast but today I had no choice I was trusting this baby to the very minute !Rain Am ,Clearing Pm round about 1pm ,So my idea was to set of later than normal & maybe get there for 11ish & brave the rain just for an hour or so, Wrong ! I couldn’t see a thing through all the spray coming of Buttermere never mind try an accent! So off I went sulking pack up  the Honnister Pass thinking of what to do & where to go next ,But that’s another story ,I did eventually get back & here are my pictures.

Wainwright Guidebook

Campsite at Buttermere  Behind The Hotel

High Stile & my route ahead first through Burtness Woods  ,Its a great day for walking.

Ok out of the woods now & following the path that zigs zags its way up towards Bleaberry Tarn

A close up of Fleetwith Pike

Sour Milk Gill Waterfall & as I’ve been drinking water like there’s no tomorrow i think ill top up my water bottle here !

Looking down on Sour Milk Gill after topping my water up.

Looking down towards Buttermere & ill have to admit I do quite  like this picture

Red Pike summit shelter & no I don’t know this guy ,he just walked into the shot!

Crummock Water with Mellbreak to the left & Grassmoor on the right

Looking back at Red Pike summit ,& yes it is a pretty steep last push !

I’ve had a wonder to the opposite side of the ridge for a few shots of Ennerdale

A close up of Scafell & Scafell pike in the distance

Great Gable & Kirk Fell

Walking toward High Stile summit & I guess after this picture was taken it all went wrong , I spotted a couple just beyond the summit here looking a bit lost & as I had to pass them I thought I just give the Morning!! and if they needed any assistance I’d do my best to help, As it comes they’d just wondered of track & was looking for the path which would lead them towards the Scarth Gap Pass & off High Crag ,Now intentionally this also was my route & I thought we could all make our way together but before I had the chance i spotted the Husband holding a GPS system (In all he was blaming his wife for inputting the wrong co ordinates) Now I’d already knew I’d past the path to come off High Stile but this guy was adamant I hadn’t & it was “down there” Pointing towards what I can only describe as something the sheep may use?? .Now I’m clock watching a little because it had took me a little longer than expected to get up Red Pike & I’m thinking of my little ticket in my car windscreen running out on me getting a hefty fine because if I make my way off High Crag I will be late back .

I don’t even like to write about this because it did affect me for days ,I followed this guys GPS down a path that wasn’t on my OS map .

This was the path I followed which just descended into nothing but a boulder field,Now I don’t admitting I cocked up hugely here because believe me I really beat my self up over it ,I wasn’t in any danger at all but the question is :Was I where I thought I was & why did you listen to someone else will always haunt me. I now realise that I was wrong here & that maybe id stayed of the path in anticipation to get back to the car !!

But aside all that I’m here to tell the tale ,To hang my head in shame ,To go back up those hills.