Two Wainwrights from Mungrisdale.

23/05/2018.

We have a couple of free days to go walking in Cumbria, we are being well and truly treated, with beautiful warm May sunshine. But where to go,certainly no shortage of choices. We remembered our last trip up here when we got a right old drenching on Bowscale fell a day that we had a longer walk planned but due to the weather called it a day. "I would like to go back to climb the other two Wainwright fells in the area" I said.   Sorted, Bannerdale crags and Souter fell it was to be then. Not a cloud in the sky as we left the village of Mungrisedale...Heading up to Bannerdale, this had the makings of a great day

We were following the route that we had taken off Bowscale fell, Water squirting from our boots that day. None of that today. Bannerdale crags,the days first objective can be seen in the picture above [ on the left]. Its a decent path,not too steep which is just as well in this weather.We plodded on up to the ridge where we took a well earned breather.

The 2241ft summit seemed close by now along an easy path along the ridge. The summit of the fell is smooth and grassy with a cairn set well back from the crags..Some great views along here.

Its been a few years since I have walked up here, the last time was probably over 20 years ago while we were camping at Pooley bridge. I must have been fit in those days, we came up to the Lakes most years Wainwright bagging. I used to think nothing about getting up at 4 in the morning, do a couple of fells before breakfast. then another walk during the day..Those days are well and truly gone now, just glad I can still get out and do it although at a much gentler pace...We stood on the summit taking it all in, realising I had no map on me I tried to recall how I got down to cross the Glendaramakin river but couldn't remember so we were going to have to wing it...Heading off in the direction of Blencathra which looked so close that you could reach out and touch it. Tiny figures could be seen scrambling along Sharp edge. Karen didn't like the idea of guessing the route so we decided to change the route. We would go and visit the summit of Mungrisedale common instead.

We met a couple on the way that told us that the route was dry and that there was just one boggy patch that could easily be walked around..This is rare because the fell usually resembles a quagmire. Yes it was reasonably dry even the wet patch could be easily walked across..i turned to see Karen dithering, "come on walk across it" I said....she did and ended up knee deep, you can always trust Karen to find the wettest spot...This is said by most to be the most boring Wainwright fell of them all, I wonder why he included it on his list?..its not that boring and the views of the northern fells are superb...Thunacar knott gets my vote as the most boring..I remember Old Wainwright said of the fell.."It has no more pretension to elegance than a pudding that has been sat on".

All that was asked of us now was to retrace our steps..going back the same was is no hardship on a walk this good as you get to enjoy all those views again...And no walk is complete until you visit the pub at the end luckily The Mill was open for a pint of the local nectar...I wont forget todays walk in a hurry.