Winter continues.....

Another couple of great days in the Lake District. Conditions up high remain good for winter hill-walking and climbing. A full report can be found here.

Window Gully (Upper Icefall Finish) III & SE Gully (III)

An early start (06.50am) saw us leaving the house as the moon was beginning to set in the western skies, our destination, Great End.

The moon lighting the road - it wasnt 25c by the way!

Looking up towards Great End

Arriving at the base of the crag as the first rays of Sun hit the summit rocks

Central Gully and SE Gully - note the climbers at the base

Upper Icefall Variation (III)

Atop Great End

We topped out into morning heaven. Weak winter sunshine, no winds and crystal clear views over the surrounding fells and out to the Isle of Man and Southern Scotland.

Spring Route - IV - The Old Man of Coniston

And so to Sunday.

The first rays of sun were gracing the slopes of the Old Man of Coniston as one rather lethargic climber (me) wandered off along the track from the Walna Scar car park.

Early morning sun on The Old Man of Coniston

We took a quick divertion on the approach to see whether Low Water Beck was any closer to re-forming, it was, but still some way away from being climbable again.

Low Water Beck - forming but not quite in condition

After the initial icefall, our route ran R-L across the buttress on the Right

Stepped bulges offer a few rest places

Looking down on a frozen Low Water