Having contracted the black death I was forced to sit out the fells last weekend which hurt like hell knowing I had a free Saturday but I simply couldn't muster the energy so instead I did that thing that blokes do when they have man flu (a simple cold) I sulked.

Ok, I admit it was probably more than a cold but you get what I mean which even saw me turn down an invitation to do a walk with David who's just returned from Holiday. Having a free weekend wasn't so much a bad thing, it meant that I could catch up on some much needed house keeping on the website which kept me occupied for the best part of the weekend.

I arrived at Gutherscale around 08:15am after driving through an almost deserted Portinscale and managed to park easily next to a large motor home. The ground underfoot is saturated, evidence of the previous days rainfall which was still flowing down the tarmac lane and because of this I struggle to keep my laces dry whilst fitting my boots. Another car soon pulls onto the parking spaces put I don't see the driver who has parked on the other side of the motor home. The forecast today was for it to largely remain dry but low cloud would affect most areas so I hatched up a plan that if said cloud was blanketing the ridge I would first walk through Newlands alongside Newlands Beck to Dalehead Tarn, then ascend High Spy when the cloud would have hopefully cleared but there was no need to change my plan because from the A66 earlier I could plainly see that Cat Bells and Maiden Moor are cloud free.

I kit up in shorts and add a light windproof should I need it which was just force of habit I guess. By the time I was ready to lock my car I spot a chap starting his own ascent on Cat Bells after crossing the familiar cattle grid, he appears to be covering ground at some pace and by my reckoning it's probably the last I'll see of him. I join the path flanked by thick bracken where already the tinges of the leaves are starting to turn brown just in time for when Autumn returns, it doesn't seem two minutes ago when the bracken was ready to flourish.

Despite the mildness of the air it's cloudy overhead and the sun struggles to penetrate through the cloud cover leaving a dusting of sunlight over Derwent Water's surface, it's been a good few months since I last saw sunlight reflecting this way which was just another reminder that the district in approaching the transition between Summer and Autumn.

With just one week away from the fells I seem to have lost a yard as I struggle with my breathing not helped by my still leaking nose which I am forced to empty (sorry) at what seems like five minute intervals, nevertheless I made it to Skelgill Bank in around twenty minutes and surprised myself by passing the walker who I had seen earlier just prior to reaching this spot. It's looking much brighter now and what with all the huffing and puffing I reckon this is as good a spot as any to remove my jacket.

Why I put it on in the first place is beyond me, like I say force of habit I guess.

I had noticed, but hadn't paid it really much attention at what appeared to be a cairn from the ridge from down below and even then I passed it off as a rather ambitious cairn but on reaching the summit I was quite surprised to find that a new stone column had been built for reasons I can only assume depicts the popularity of Cat Bells.

On top of the column a circular plaque showing the distance from summits within the vicinity rounded off by the words "Scenes of great beauty unfold on all sides, they are scenes on depth to a degree not usual" by Alfred Wainwright taken from Cat Bells chapter of the Pictorial Guide to the North-Western Fells.

Still feeling relatively surprised by the new stone column and caught within the words of Alfred Wainwright I would have seen the advancing shower which caught me by complete surprise which I might add only lasted a a few moments but was substantial enough to give me a good soaking hence this only shot from the summit.

I guess I should have known better, after all I have been walking the fells now long enough to know just how unpredictable the weather can be and the last twenty minutes or so just proved it. It just goes to show that you don't have to climb high to experience the ever changing Lakeland weather.

Well, fingers crossed this sunshine appears to here to stay with huge gaps opening out between the cloud and with it, more mild temperatures.

That's Esk Pike over on the far left with Great End to the left of High Spy summit cairn, further right is Great Gable and of course Dale Head in the right of the foreground.

I devoted almost half an hour to Dalehead Tarn that morning, securing the best seat from the ruined sheepfold and shared 'mornings' with the couple who I had seen descending Dale Head earlier who continued to ascend High Spy after they also spoke "what a beautiful spot it was " I think they were German by the sounds of their broken English.

By the time I found at the old Yewthwaite Mines I could see that just above crowds were starting to gather on Cat Bells summit this along with the dozen or so I spotted still heading towards the summit I couldn't but help feel thankful that I had the summit to myself earlier even if it was raining. I'm not too far away from my car now and with the mildness of the afternoon I'm ready to replenish my thirst with a couple of Satsumas before I head home. The track back to the carpark is still flowing with water which I use to clean the soles of my boots before arriving back at a bustling car park, two guys are stood helping to reverse a large BMW alongside my car one of whom checks the gap between my car and the poorly fitting BMW "It's tight and you'll have to get out the passenger side" one guy says before he realises I'm the owner of the car.

"This yours mate" I get that sinking feeling but not because I think there's damage been done, and not even because the guy was rude because he wasn't, I got that feeling because I didn't get to end a walk the way I normally do but I guess in the end it doesn't matter, and I guess most won't understand what I'm on about anyway.

Until next time eh.