Tarn Crag and Branstree

Peter picked me up just after 6 am and we drove to Steves, on the road by 6.15.  As the weather forecast was not clear we were not sure whether to go to Great End or to Longsleddale.  As we thought it would be wet to start with at Great End we went with the Longsleddale option so we turned off the A66 and headed for Kendal.  We arrived about 8am and got tucked into the traditional Angus the butchers Steak pie.  A great start to the day again!  We parked at the end of the road into Longsleddale and started walking up the gravelly path.  It was a steady start and very gradually started to climb.  After about a half hour we came across an unexpected sight on the pathway.

We are not sure how this car got as far up the track without 4

 wheel drive or indeed what it was doing there.  Anyway you can just make out the path we had just walked in the distance behind the car.

After about another 15 minutes we came to a gate where we had to turn right and start our climb proper.  We decided it was time for a cuppa so stopped just after the gate, behind the wall for shelter as the wind was starting to build up.  Peter had brought some paste eggs.  The 3 eggs were fully kitted out in red and white, one was Djibril Cisse, one was Kenwyne Jones and one was Andy Reid.  So first of all Cisse and Jones fought it out for top dog and Cisse drew first blood by cracking KJ's head.  A second blow to the gut finished him off.  Andy Reid took on the winner and Cisse must have been weakened in the battle with Jones as a crack appeared in his head straight away.  Reidy then followed up with a pile driver so the little

 Irish fella ended up the Champ.  After scoffing the Sunderland strike force we set off up the

 mountain sticking close to the fence all the way until the fence crossed our path.  We climbed over the fence and arrived at the summit around 10.30.  

You can make out to my right why this mountain is called Tarn Crag.  You can probably also make out that it was pretty chilly on the top.  So we didn't stay too long, just enough to get this photo and then set off on the same path and then started to drop quite a bit into a very boggy area before we started to climb again towards Branstree.  We arrived at the summit just before noon.  The top was about 10 yards behind a fence but very exposed so we took the opportunity 

to have another cuppa in the shelter of the wall.

Again you can see that the wind hadn't dropped and it was also raining quite heavily now.  Just over the fence on Steves left was the summit of Branstree.

We quickly jumped over the fence to reach the summit and then started back down to the car.

It was a steady descent again today so easy on the knees.  After 20 minutes or so we joined the path and wound our way down until we reached the gate where a few hours earlier the egg battle had taken place.  The car was still futher down the path as well and it would take some work to reverse back down the valley!  Arrived back at the car around 2pm and then went for a pint in Kirkby Lonsdale where Steve gave Peter and myself a lesson in pool!

So thats 6 tops down and its only 4th April, well on target.  The next planned walk is for the weekend of 10th May.