A Family Picnic

So the sun was shining in between the snow showers, and therefore it was deemed a good day for a family picnic.

We were right; by the time the sausage rolls and pasties were warmed in the oven, the flasks filled variously with coffee and hot chocolate, the crisps, apples and bananas assembled, and the water bottles filled, the snow showers had stopped.

Looking back down the valley where we passed the deer

So we drove into the hills, and walked. The first part is along a long glacial valley, with a misfit stream, some murrain, and frequently (as today) some red deer. We were walking south, into the sun.

Following that is a long ascent up a cleft between two fells to a high mountain pass, or Hause.

The view at the Hause

We stopped at the Hause for our picnic, to recover our breath from the first serious uphill pull of the day, and admire the magnificence of the view.

Then we shouldered our packs again, and turned to the north west, for the second (and final) serious ascent of the walk. It was steep, but worth it for the superb panorama at the top. (I think the kids manage to do clever things with their phones to take 360 photos, but my technical skills are those of a middle aged dad…)

The second ascent...

Once over the top, we were on north facing slopes for the descent, which meant the snow was still drifting thickly for the first half mile or so.

Descending from the final summit

Then we dropped below the snow line, with the sun still on our backs, and into the valley to recover the car.

Anna admiring the Misty Mountains