A short steep morning constitutional with Angie and Alistair but without Lois.
Route: from the cottage taking the Boonbeck road to Scales and then west before turning south on an improving track. At High Swinside Farm briefly joining the road to diverge onto a path to ford Hope Beck and then pathless and increasingly steeply up through bilberries to the summit. After a brief pause, heading further south to the saddle between Dodd and the rising hillside to Whiteside to pick a way down through scree to a faint path curving north east. After fording Hope Beck, taking the main path down from Hopegill Head to regain the outward route and hence home at a jog.
Conditions: cloudy but dry.
Pub: the Kirkstile Inn (meeting Lois and also Robin and Virginia) for Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale Ale and Loweswater Gold and lunch.
