To day we went up to Keswick in the northern Lake District to walk the mountain Skiddaw. The weather was bright and sunny with a very deep frost which got deeper as we got towards the Lake District. We pulled up at Mill Beck with lovely views over Derwent water to the west and a 2984 very steep ascent eastwards around 6 miles there and back. It was steep at the beginning, steep at the end and steep in between! There was only one bit that actually went down for a tiny time at Carl Side and then there was another 600 feet up a well trodden scree field which was very slippy because it was still frozen or mostly frozen. The Tarn we had just passed, really just a pond, had inch thick ice right across it. We set off at 10.30 and we had done 2300 feet height by quarter to 12 which was pretty good going and Fiona and I were only a couple of minutes behind the boys. The lads did include a couple of scrambles over some small rock faces just to keep it interesting. We had lunch just above the tarn and there was a really good view of an edge called Longside Edge. When we got to the summit the temperature had dropped considerably and the wind had increased and there were great views over the Solway Firth towards southern Scotland and we could clearly see the Isle of Man.

Going down the scree field had got even more treacherous because in the half an hour or so we were around the summit the sun had melted some of the ice and the scree had got quite soggy and very slippy. Good fun so long as you are going careful! When we got down to the Tarn at Carl Side we had arranged for the boys to go down Longside Edge on their own because I am giving Miles more responsibility for himself as well as his brother and it is a bit of a tricky walk with some nasty edges so he was in charge and responsible for everything. We went on down the way we came up and told the lads we would meet them at the Raven Stone Hotel. Off they went and so did we and the descent down the very steep path was quite slow and very slippy in spite of it being very dry. The Silurian Slate is very slippy even when the moisture added is just off your own boots. It was the most punishing descent I have ever done! About 400 m from getting to the car which was right by the hillside Fiona's legs just gave up because of the punishing push of the hill down onto her legs for the last 90 minutes! It was a total hoot to see her just plop down very quickly and complain about her legs giving up! I must admit my legs were also a bit shaky but I think all those years of rushing up and down hills have left them in a better state than Fiona's. Still, she is a real lioness and we made it down to the car and drove round to the Hotel and picked the lads up and they both told us a good story about descending down Longside Edge.

We drove into Keswick a couple of miles away and the boys rowed us around Derwent water which was really nice because the clouds had come over a bit leaving gaps for rays of sunshine to tickle the water and the surrounding trees. After this we had a very nice meal in the Loose Box and then drove home which only takes 90 minutes to watch an episode of Star Trek. An absolutely wonderful day with a lot of physical struggle, plenty of sore legs which is always good and an awful lot of laughs with my totally gorgeous family. I not only love my wife very dearly but I totally respect her sheer physical toughness, will and good heart, to just keep going when today her legs really did give out! Good stuff Fiona.