I just spent 2 weeks (July 27th-Aug 9th) in the Lakes with my XYL and 2 black labs based in the small village of Ennerdale Bridge and managed to activate 4 hills. The WX was great for the first week but very mixed for the second, with monsoon conditions on 5th Aug.
Hills were selected on the basis of easy access/short drives from holiday cottage/not too steep - XYL had to look after both dogs en route as I had my hands full of walking poles and very few of the routes were sheep-free.
For the first 3 hills I took HF and 2m (KX3, Sotabeams linked dipole 40/20, 10m 2el yagi, Quansheng UV-K5 and Slim-G/rubber duck) and for the last just 2m gear.
Overall, HF band conditions were pretty poor and I was also surprised not to get more chasers on 2m - it was almost like activating in NE Scotland as far as VHF activity was concerned. Nevertheless, I did manage a few Es contacts on 10m to justify lugging the gear up and quite a few S2S, so happy with that. One thing I noted was the poor 3G/4G mobile coverage, even on the summits. I’m with O2 and coverage was either very slow or non-existent, which sometimes made spotting tricky.
1. Lord’s Seat G/LD-033 552m 2 points 29th July
This has very easy access from the Whinlatter Visitor Centre and some nice views from the grassy summit. I didn’t immediately realise that the convenient cleft in the rocks at the top which I selected as operating position to shelter from the strong breeze was in fact THE Lord’s Seat 
and I had to vacate it and move some gear around as other folk arriving at the summit wanted their picture taken at the spot.
Activation: Just 2 locals itl on 2m FM but I just missed a S2S with G1ZJQ/P who was up on G/SB-001 near Berwick on Tweed. I managed to copy 1JQ/P but then lost him, which was a shame. Only 2 itl on 40m - a S2S with MM/WU7H/P and GM4WHA just across the water in Annan. I had no chasers at all on 20m - very poor. 10m seemed pretty much dead but to my surprise F4WBN called in for 59 both ways, followed by 2 other French stations F4HZN and F5VKT. I then heard GI0CWV calling CQ and managed a short exchange. These were the first QSOs from Lord’s Seat on 10m. No more contacts after that but I did hear 9K2JJ in QSO with a YC0 - I could hear both stations, so propagation wasn’t limited to Es.
The proverbial Lord’s Seat
Dipole and yagi, with Broom Fell in the distance
Looking down on Whinlatter Forest with Grisedale Pike, G/LD-015 on the RHS in the distance
2. Blake Fell, G/LD-031 573m 2 points 30th July
We followed the route described on the Wainwrightroutes website, starting at the small car park at Felldyke,walking out past Cogra Moss reservoir and up an initial fairly steep and narrow track which climbs up through the trees. One of our labs went AWOL on this stretch, having found something “tasty”. 30 minutes later, his gourmet meal of entrails re-appeared, which necessitated a short stop to clear the path 
Typical lab!
Ascending the narrow path up from Cogra Moss
The path then follows a fence line up in open country, with the broad flank of Blake Fell a further reasonably gentle climb away. Several fell runners passed us at this point, heading up on the other side of the fence.
Looking down on Cogra Moss
At the summit there are some very nice views
Looking East towards Buttermere and Fleetwith Pike
Looking across the end of Crummock Water to Grasmoor G/LD-009
Looking NW across the Solway Firth
Summit shelter
Activation
Operating position
Just 2 itl again on 2m FM - GM4WHA and GM6LJE. 10m had some Es to HB9, so I managed a S2S with HB50VC plus a chase from HB9AOO, followed by a local QSO with Richard 2E0XGO in Whitehaven. I nearly had another S2S with F8DSN/P but we failed to complete. The Es then swung over to Poland, giving me 2 chasers - SQ9IDE and SP6KEP. 40m was not great - only 3 itl but including Chris MM7RVC from the Deeside SOTA group. Going back to 10m I managed another S2S with I/HB9GVW/P and another local, GM0NCA in Castle Douglas.
On 31st, we went on a non-SOTA walk and I managed a decent 2m FM QSO from a hill called Grike with the Quansheng +rubber duck with Paul GM0VXA in Motherwell.
3. Low Fell, G/LD-042 423m 1 point 3rd August
For this we parked beside Loweswater (the lake), very close to a good track that goes uphill above Loweswater Hall. A single track then leads uphill through bracken (photo pause with Sota hounds Hamish & Ruby)
across Darling Fell and then down to Crabtree Beck, with a final stiff climb up to Low Fell. It was pretty windy at the top, and the 10m yagi needed some extra guying
Looking down on Crummock Water
Activation
Just one local on 2m FM - 2E0MIX, Dave in Whitehaven.
I tried 20m and got EA1DHB, S57S and OK3KW, then 2 S2S, so an improvement!
10m had some brief Es to 9A and S5, where stations were preparing for the EU HF Championship contest. I got 9A1P and S51A before the Es faded away. I did hear M0PJE/P calling CQ, presumably from NP-017, but he didn’t hear me and just as I was about to try turning the yagi, a hillwalker engaged me in conversation. By the time I got back to the rig, Pete had QSYd.
40m was in slightly better shape than previously, but not by much - just 4 itl including a S2S with MM7VXJ/P.
Going back to 20m, I got 3 more S2S and then a fairly reasonable run of 8 in response to a spot. Back on 10m, I heard LU5FC calling CQ, but he couldn’t hear me.
We ended the day in the Kirkstile Inn near Loweswater, where we had some nice beers for free, as compensation for their food ordering system forgetting our order.
4. Illgill Head G/LD-029 609m 4 points 6th August
For this one, as my knees were starting to feel a bit stiff, I decided to leave the HF gear behind and just take the Quansheng +rubber duck. This was a good decision, as the final half of the route up was pretty steep. We started from the National Trust car park at Wasdale and the track was good, if a bit soggy in parts due to the very heavy rain the day before. All the streams that crossed the path were flowing pretty fast, the last one needing to be jumped to avoid wet feet.
Some excellent views from the top
Looking back at Wasdale, Kirk Fell and Great Gable
Looking North between Middle Fell and High Fell, with Haycock to the rear
At the summit cairn with Sota hound Ruby
Activation
2m FM only. I was pleased to get 7 itl , including a surprise S2S with EI/HB9HXJ/P and EI/HB9EVF/P plus 2E0XGO/P on Seat Sandal G/LD-022
Cheers and beers to all
