An 8km practice climb with Christine in advance of her sunrise ascent of Helvellyn.
Route: leaving the cars at the forestry car park by Wythburn Church (£7 in coins for the day x 2 for 2 cars, luckily achieved with 7p to spare) and ascending the steep often stepped path up overlooking Comb Gill and then turning right, south to ascend the lip of the comb and then up Birk Side on an alluvial subsoil path in large zigzags to the summit plateau, cutting pathless to find a strikingly situated summit cairn. Descending the same way having first approached what may have been a slightly higher cairn, making cautious progress down the stone steps.
Conditions: despite a forecast for cloud, a largely sunny day.
Pub: The Kings Head, Thirlspot for Charles Wells Bombardier.