A lovely Walk on a Lovely Day...

...Or, "Triumph and Tragedy on the Eiger Mungrisdale Common".


The day started well, with the promise of good weather all day, and a route that would take us to about 2000ft and stretch our legs a bit more. The following photo' shows the start of the walk, with Bannerdale Crags in the far distance being our target.

The route started off nice and easy, along a track and then beside a stream (where we saw a tiny lizard - no idea what sort as we forgot to take our "I-Spy Lizards of The Lakes" book), then got much steeper as we followed a rocky ridge up to the top of the crags.


We stopped for elevenses half way up in a handy rock built shelter - it was too hard on our weedy legs to do it all in one go.

Sir K Bonington studies the final pitch with the critical eye of the experienced Alpinist...
(whilst simultaneously scoffinging an energy giving orange).

Once on top we could take stock of the unusual weather. I'd heard about the rare 'Blue Clouds' you sometimes get at these altitudes but never in my life expected to see them in the Lake District. Yet, there they were, plain as day, drifting along without a care in the world, dwarfing the normal white ones. Below is a photograph of this rare phenomenon.

'Blue Clouds' Exist!

Having taken a well earned rest we set off on the long descent back to base camp (conveniently located in the Mungrisdale village hall car park). But as is so often the case with expeditions of this nature it is during the descent phase, when the team is basking in the warm glow of a major climb successfully executed, that one's guard is down, and 'Triumph turns to Tragedy' (Da - Da - Daaaaaaah).

That it should happen to our great leader, Sir K Bonington, makes it all the more awful. We were traversing the 'Lower Ice Field' (which to the untrained eye would probably appear to be a wide grassy track), when a massive crevasse opened up without warning! (Well, there was an indistinct, grass covered, groove in the path anyway).

Sir K was swallowed and lost in an instant! (i.e. K trod in the groove and went over on her ankle). The team were devastated at this singular turn of events, crying "We are done for!". (In modern parlance, "Oh for F**k's sake!").

The remainder of the return to base camp was conducted in a sombre mood of despair (ditto).

Oh well, it was still a nice walk, so here's the route;

After a long session with ice packs and rest, we went to K's brother's place down in Kendal for dinner, which was very enjoyable. Think tomorrow we might just give the mountaineering a miss, and see how the ankle goes. Shame, though, the weather really is set fair for days to come...