Hello! It's a long time since I put down a few thoughts here (more than a week) and I'm super excited to bring you a good few posts from further afield, the Lake District to be precise. The week we spent away in Cumbria was extremely mild for mid October and at one point I was stripped down to a t-shirt, would you believe! This post is from the last full day of holiday when we waked up Cat Bells for the first time. As one of the summits I had heard of, my preconception was that it would need the full works for climbing/walking but as usual I was wrong. At this point I ought to mention that we only walked Pathfinder guide routes (there were 3 books; Lake District walks, More Lake District walks and Eastern Lake District walks.)
The Cat Bells summit route was marked as an easy/short route at 2 hours which seemed manageable enough. To be fair, I was a cross between nervous and chilled out about this walk; it looked daunting from a distance but how bad can a 2 hour walk be? Anyway, we took the neatly signed and paved route which popped an initial cardio burst. A family ahead looked a little daunted by the light scramble as part of the start of the route. It was absolutely fine, they made a meal out of something simple (and trust me, if there's the remotest chance of danger I'm the first to squeal).

Came up from here! Not as bad as it looks.
As per usual, with a walk to any summit you can really only see the full extend of the route once you top the faux summit (which can then seem a little more worrysome).
The windiest part was between the mini summit and the main one. It was a terrible wind and really made a sail out of my (heinous) practical walking trousers (picture to follow). The ascent to Cat Bells itself was fine and surprisingly cloudless, though the surroundings were in a haze.

Above, from above the 'ridge' walk, though it was an easy one, not on a ledge.
HELLO UGLY TROUSERS, FLEECE AND BOBBLE HAT. I couldn't find a smile, C kept veering too close to the edge. Me: don't f*cking fall off the edge just to get me in the picture! C: I wasn't! Me: YOU ARE! ************************************
Me: [won't smile]
The summit monument was pretty!

Partner in crime.
Views from the top were impressive!






As the main point of excitement was early on in the walk the majority of time was spent going downhill. It was all safe and easy to follow with lovely views.
This old couple ate lunch on a bench. it was sweet and made for a sweet picture.
In the centre of the shot you may be able to spot a bird of prey if you squint very carefully. There were lots of interesting bird activity on all the walks but my trusty 50mm lens never captures the aviary action.

Have you ever climbed Cat Bells? It's a walk I would recommend to anyone! Amazing views, interest, a brief rocky patch and a leisurely descent all on good paths.

Sophie