Another hot day - Yesterday was 28c in Glenridding. I normally overdo the warm shelter/ clothing for the operating from the summit office so this time I threw out the summit shelter,my spare bag with gloves and spare hat. But my umbrella will stay. It’s invaluable kit and makes a quick impromptu shelter. An old climbing belay jacket also has a permanent home in the bottom of my bag.
I rarely take food but it might be a longish day so I throw some smallish oranges and a small bottle of water. There’s always decent water to be found on our northern hills.
I leave Glenridding and the masses behind at around 9;30am and ascend maize beck, though the Hole in the Wall and on to Striding Edge
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Or the plaque about the plane which landed on the summit about a 100yrs ago.
As you might guess the summit shelter was occupied and in any case I wanted to operate away from the hoards.
I’ve crossed Striding Edge numerous times and this was no difference. A short pull up past the gully on the right where many years ago I took part in the rescue of someone who had slipped on the hard snow and fell/ slid a long way down the gully leaving a long stain of blood behind them.
A few minutes later I was on the summit plateau exactly two hours after leaving Glenridding.
I stop and wonder how many people never notice this memorial to a faithful dog?
0r have read the memorial recording the occasion about 100 years ago when a plane landed on the summit.
I leave the crowds behind me and arrive on the summit of Fairfield 1hr 40’ later. And there’s numerous choices of shelters to choose from.
I set up office just away from the crowds against some stones and set up shop sheltered. From the breeze by my trusty umbrella.
45’ later I have 5 x S2s and 15 QSOs in the log. It’s not many but I’ve another two activations to do.
I arrive at Fairfield 1hr 40’ later. And there’s numerous choices of office locations to choose from.
35’ minutes after setting the office up I have 10 QSOs in the log.
I pack up and explain to a visitor why I’m fishing from the summit 
. Another walker approaches and eventually points to the west and asks if that was the way to Grasmere. He has no map and his phone was running out of power. I help orientate him in the right direction -using my paper map 
and wish him well.
I pack up and descend the rocky steps via Cofa Pike and along Deepdale Hause to St Sunday Crag, arriving 2hrs after leaving Fairfield. Im spoilt for choice when it comes to office space and go for nice grassy seat behind some large rocks. My last orange gets eaten and two jets race up Patterdale a couple of thousand feet below me just as Im copying the first call. It’s not often I get QRM from a couple of jets 
and I have to ask for a repeat.
An hour later I pack up office and start off NE along the St Sunday to Genridding. Im reminded that these dales were the result of big glaciers in the last ice age. I phot a patch of bare rock which has marks where stones or rocks at the bottom or sides of glacier scraped across the bedrock several thousand years ago and 600m ASL. A big glacier.
It takes me 1hr 30mins to return to my car in Genridding arriving at 7:30pm
Kit ;
A 3 band SW 1b
3 band linked dipole from Sotabeams
1 tiny Morse key made in Russia a long time ago .
2amp lipo battery which lasted all 3 activations although I do carry a spare.
A telescopic pole about 14ft high.
Oh. And an A5 paper logbook
. Sort of draping it over around the brolly .
