A long 17km walk on a glorious day with Richard Gipps.Route: leaving the car at the NT car park in Buttermere and walking along the east side of the lake past Gatescarth Farm and along the path in Warnscale Bottom. Turning right off the main track onto a smaller path, crossing the stream at a bridge and ascending quite steeply on a rough path the head of the valley. Crossing a stream initially losing the correct line and regaining it by further climbing. After passing below the bothy, turning right to gain the rough ridge and along this, in crowds, to the summit of Haystacks. Descending a previously untried but regrettable path south of the main descent. Then on the steeply ascending path up High Crag, along to High Stile, then Red Pike and descending quite slowly the initially worn scree track, then the relentless rock steps to the lake shore where, sadly, the obvious bridge was missing necessitating a diversion to Scale Bridge and back to the start.
Conditions: sunny and warm at ground level and also, unexpected, on the tops.
Pub: the Bridge Hotel, Buttermere for one pint of Tractor Shed Mowdy Pale Ale and soft drinks for the others.
