Black Fell

After a gap of 18 months, waiting for Poppy to grow from the size you can manage in a carrier to a size where she can walk up proper hills, we were back!  Staying in a house on the edge of Coniston over the New Year, we'd tried to bring enough warm gear to survive the week.  We started fairly gently for the week, mainly to see how much Poppy would be capable of, but also conscious of the likely weather.  We started off by visiting Tarn Hows, but with designs on the fairly low Black Fell.

Difficulty: 2
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (12), Grace (10), Evie (7), Poppy (4)
10:34, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (211)
12:44, 3.6km 2h10 171m, Black Fell (323)
15:13, 8.1km 4h39 250m, End (210)

The route started from the car park at Tarn Hows, skirted around the left hand edge, but just before the head of the lake taking a left and striking out.  There was a very obvious farm track where you turn right, and follow that for a while before turning left and making north for Black Fell.

Firstly, a walk around the edge of the lake in brilliant sunshine.

Poppy demonstrating our best small child walking coat - does up at the back, has a great hood and is really warm.

However, it was warm enough to trip off!  Grace obligingly carrying Poppy's shed layers, and showing her the way after Isabelle successfully navigated us to 'not Black Fell', but the closest piece of high ground.

Now at the top of Black Fell.

Time for some lunch, and unusually for us we've even put the food in boxes, rather than just using the nearest plastic bag that comes to hand.  They are actually a bit of a pain, harder to pack and taking up more room when empty, so a bundle of sandwiches in a plastic bag does make some sense.

Moving off after lunch, and we pause to take some pictures of each other, otherwise clearly the walk didn't happen.  Evie has her photocall...

Isabelle, too cool for school.

I even relent.

Grace and Poppy once more.  Grace's gloves were great, although not so much in the wet, so I think they didn't get used every day.  Grace's fleece neck warmer was superb.

Back to Tarn Hows to complete our circumnavigation of the lake.

Still part frozen, and not too far some sunset.

All in all, quite a good warm up and the first Wainwright of the week conquered.