Frustrations continue as the best of the weather is forecast through the week only for the wet weather to return by weekend. Spying Friday's forecast at the beginning of the week I booked leave and prayed the forecast wouldn't change, it didn't.

With the exception of 2021 when I look back through my walking diary by now I would have already climbed the heights of Blencathra, Bow Fell, Helvellyn and travelled down to Snowdonia to climb Y Garn yet due to appalling forecast I've only managed to scale Branstree and Melbreak while the rest of my walks have either been low level or local.

Due to this years slow start no doubt my fell fitness has faltered slightly so with what appeared to be the perfect weather window I aimed high. It's been nearly 4 years since I last linked these fells together, the main attraction of the route being the ridge linking Raise and White Side, a flat high level slice of heaven that I have missed and was heavily looking forward to returning to.

The morning sun takes the nip out the air as I complete my kit up, I then lock the car before heading up Greenside Road passing workmen carrying out repairs to a nearby cottage and a local lady defrosting her car. Inconsiderate parking in Glenridding has got to the point where cones are laid outside all the residential housing which extend towards the rear of the Travellers Rest where one or two parking spaces used to be located, I say used too because aside half a dozen cones the whole area is littered with red 'Private Parking' signs which is probably why I left the camera in its bag. Greenside Road steepens after a right turn where views unfolded over to Birkhouse Moor and Mire Beck before I pass through a gate and begin the short but steep ascent on Glenridding Dodd.

Then came the "do you know such a body" we ended up having a good natter about home, friends and fell walking before sharing our routes. The guys were heading for Sticks Pass before ascending Raise while my route would see me visiting Hart Side and possibly Stybarrow Dodd first. Talk about a small world.

We bid each other to enjoy the rest of our walks before the guys left while I stood transfixed watching the cloud envelope the far eastern fells.

At times the cloud lurked low enough to obscure entire mass of Brown Cove and I wondered was there any takers on Swirral Edge, there had to be. At the bottom of the zigzags the path levelled as the temperature rose to the point where I had to remove my hat and gloves. I passed through what was YHA Helvellyn where I couldn't resist a look up at the white water cascading down Swarth Beck.

I left the cottages and joined the tarmac of Greenside Road proper. Walkers occupied tables both in and outside of the Travellers Rest while further down the road the workers I'd seen this morning were packing away tools into the back of a van. My nostrils were treated to the smell of wood smoke coming from the chimney of a nearby cottage as I reached the end of the road with only minutes to spare before my parking ticket ran out of time. Despite the car being less than half full Glenridding was still busy with footfall as I reached the car, unlocked my boot and began to kit down not forgetting to grab a hot flask of Vimto which I sipped while staring at the cloud cover over Place Fell which I later learned extended over the top of Kirkstone pass and back down the other side.