Parking at Bridgend I was on my way by 6.30am just as the dawn touched the fells that I was to be on later.

My route was to take me on the Gavel Pike ridge to St Sunday Crag. Slight deviation off the path was called for as I was looking for this small Holly Tree, still there after 50 years.

Ullswater from higher up the ridge.

Past Gavel Pike summit to the distant fells of Crinkle Crags and Bowfell.

Fairfield from St Sunday Crag.

Great Gable and the gullies of Dollywaggon Pike. 

Seat Sandal reflects in Grisedale Tarn.

 Striding Edge, apparently with no walkers on it.

Ahead is a steep pull up to Cofa Pike.

 Back to St Sunday Crag from the flanks of Cofa Pike.

Bailey and Zeta wait for me. Bailey has really taken to a bit of scrambling!

Cofa Pike.

The next section between Cofa Pike and Fairfield summit took a long while as I was after one angle of the crags of the north face in particular. This meant ascending by the edge rather than the more popular path route. It was important to find the correct location today as the snow in the gullies, as in AW's drawing, was obviously disappearing fast. This isnt the view point but I liked the cornice with the Far Eastern Fells away in the distance.

This was what I was after, (see Wainwrights Fairfield Chapter page 14) The snow is not quite the same but pretty close, including the foreground cornice. Well worth the effort I think.

 Fairfield summit, today completely deserted.

Coniston Fells over Great Rigg.

  From here it was an obvious route to Hart Crag but I had to deviate slightly.

A descent of a couple of hundred feet took me to Greenhow End.

All for this shot of the crgas of Fairfield. Now I re-ascended the ridge back to the Farifield/ Hart Crag path.

Hart Crag.

Windermere.

Great Gable and Pillar over the Great Rigg/Fairfield ridge. it was just about this point where I met the first other person of the day. I decided to head somewhere quiet for lunch.

So I took myself off to the cairn of High Bakestones.

Not a bad place to have a picnic. Not only was the day bright, sunny and warm but it was also very still, hardly a breath of wind.

The rustle of the biscuit bag gets attention.

By the time I had returned to Dove Crag it had attracted quite a crowd.

Descending off Dove Crag I first wanted to find a place which I had read about.

The Priest's Hole, a small cave high up on the face of Dove Crag. A popular place for a bivvie.

No wonder as this is the view!

Returning to my route I contoured round from Dove Crag, seen here, to the ridge from Hart Crag to Hartsop above How.

Scrubby Crag from the ridge.

The ridge to Hartsop Above How.

The hounds on Hartsop Above How. 

Whilst I get my references Zeta enjoys the sun. My original plan last month would have been to just drop down along the ridge and head back to the car. However, I realised that with a bit more effort I could tick off just one more awkward reference. This involved re-tracing my steps back up this ridge to Link Cove and then descend into Deepdale.

I had come from the cove in the top right of this shot, under Greenhow End and contoured round to here, just where I needed my last reference of the day. Up to the right is the head of Deepdale and Fairfield.

It was an easy walk back down Deepdale to the point where I ascended the fell this morning.

Then back to Bridgend and the start. An excellent day out on a perfect Spring day.