After Thursdays visit to Snowdonia today I'm back in Lakeland walking a route that I penned some months ago, availability and the weather pushed the walk back until midweek when I received an email from David asking was I up for the Kirkstone Pass to Dunmail Raise walk this Saturday. this just one day after completing the Nanntle Circuit I couldn't turn the walk down, not when we're experiencing such a good run of weather. We had arranged to meet at the top of Dunmail Raise at 07:00am I arrived early and booted up noting how chilly the wind was so once I had my boots on I jumped back into the car and waited for David to arrive. David arrived around five minutes later much the same time as a walker who was about to set off who as he passed let out "Jesus it's bloody cold" we laughed but the guy was right, the wind was perishing.

After swapping my gear into David's car we set off for Ambleside and Kirkstone Road, more commonly known as The Struggle, a narrow lane with an average 8.5% gradient linking Ambleside with the top of Kirkstone Pass. There was little traffic as we were so early which meant I could take in the views such as this one of Red Screes taken on the move as I sent the passenger window down. We arrived at the car park at the Top of Kirkstone Pass parking easily facing the road, there was a few folk milling about notably a DIY camper van who we'd parked next to who kept his engine running. The moment we stepped out the car we'd understand why. It was even colder that it has been back at Dunmail Raise.

With lunch packed away we stood up feeling the bracing wind that the summit wall had been sheltering us from instantly, it took a minute or so to adjust to the cold. We began our descent passing a young couple the lass didn't look to be enjoying herself but we managed a morning through panted breath. we passed a teenage lad and who appeared to be his grandad, the lad was struggling with the cold as he stopped to add layers whilst his grandad waited down the slope. It's a steep descent which we did with pace whilst watching two pairs of walkers ascending Dollywagon Pike direct from the top of Raise Beck, we both agreed that the ascent was possibly one of the steepest in the district but to be fair to the duo's they were giving it their all. We soon reached the top of Raise Beck and began our descent over grass then steeply over rough boulder, Raise Beck never far from ear shot as we stopped to admire its many waterfalls.

We both remembered the last time the trio descended Raise Beck in December 2017 back then we descended the whole route wearing crampons the ice so thick underfoot we only removed our crampons once Dunmail Raise was reached, I have never trusted my life into spikes of metal the way I did during that descent. Today, however the path was hot and dusty and with the wind confined to the tops it was hot too. David removed a layer while I choose to overheat David laughing at the method in my madness as I deemed the car too close for a stop...that didn't stop me feeling like boil in the bag rice though. The path finally levelled David complaining that his legs felt like jelly no wonder as he had been out on the fell out of four of the last five days. kicking my feet into the backs of my boots Dunmail Raise came into view bringing the walk to an end. My car was a good ten minutes walk away yet by which time I think I'll be overcooked.