Low cloud hangs over Great Bank as I leave the car park.

Passing through Low Place farm.

Looking back down Miterdale as I rise up towards Burnmoor Tarn.

The remote Burnmoor lodge.

Burnmoor Tarn. There were some interesting wildfowl here including Great Crested Grebe. As can be seen the low cloud base meant I had to revise my route. Heading up and over Illgill Head from here would have been a fruitless task for references. Instead I opted to take in a longer route which may give the cloud a chance to lift. I headed from here towards Lambford Bridge.

Lambford Bridge. I now planned to head to Slight Side on a route that would pass Eel tarn and Stony tarn.

Geese over Eel tarn with Hest Bank in the far distance.

Sheep fold at Stony tarn.

Zooming in on Hardknott Fort as I pass round Dowsonground Crags.

Catcove Beck. I had taken this longer route to get a reference from near here but the cloud was still too low to get the shot. I carried on with the ascent of Slight Side.

The small cairn on Slight Side summit. There was nothing to be seen, visibility was down to about 10m. From here it was up to Scafell, conditions meant that a map and compass were called into use.

Zeta on Scafell summit. Even though it was slightly brighter, we were still in the cloud. It was very still with no wind and just silence.

Zeta with the "dewy" eyebrow look.

Then, with perfect timing this happened.

Blue sky turns up right on cue. For a time we were on the only fell clear of cloud. The top of Deep Gill Buttress makes a fleeting appearance. I waited here for what seemed like ages to get a better photo. I had to move on in the hope that the cloud would continue to disperse.

Pillar appears in the distance as I head off the summit.

The scene was constantly changing.

Lord's Rake from the top. A few patches of snow still remain in the col.

Great Gable over the shoulder of Lingmell.

Ideal conditions for Brocken Spectre.

Cloud hangs round Scafell Crag.

Zeta enjoys the Spring sunshine. Scafell Pike behind.

...as does a local.

My next task was to locate a small pile of stones on Green How, this large patch of moor. I took a guess that it was the small mound on the left of the mid-horizon.

My hunch was right, the stones that AW drew. Not ideal lighting conditions but more than acceptable for what I needed.

Slight Side over Maiden Castle at the summit of the pass.

Kirk Fell above Wasdale Head from the slopes of Illgill Head.

Yewbarrow in the sun from nearing the summit of Illgill Head.

Illgill Head summit cairn.

The drop down to Wastwater from the ridge.

Perfect reflections in the tarns on the Whin Rigg ridge.

Cloud inversion on distant fells from Whin Rigg summit.

A close-up of Great Gable.

Other walkers enjoying the late sun.

Irton fell, my route ahead, still clear of the cloud.

Cloud and sun in Greathall Gill.

Hound on the hill. One of those great lucky shots, no photoshop adjustments needed here apart from a bit of cropping, just as it came out of the camera.

Whin Rigg from Irton Fell.

Plantation on Irton Fell. I was just about to drop down into the cloud.

Into the woods, it was now really dark in the thick fog, it was also quite late about 7.30.

I was heading into the woods in the faintest hope of locating a reference which I had little chance of finding. I had been told a year ago that it was still there but Chris Jesty's updated Wainwright guides contradict this. I followed took as much information as possible from AW's book to locate the "Eskdale" fish signpost but after a bit of a look I had given up. However during a call of nature by a wall I saw an odd moss covered "shape" sticking out of a gap on the stones. Pure curiosity made me loom closer and there it was. Don't ask me how I found it but here it is.

The head end was right into the wall with only the tail sticking out. Its on my rucksack to show the comparative size.

The sign lying close to where it was.

The tracks through the woods. The sign was located very close to here. It was now really dark so apologies for the poor photos.

What looked like a poor start to the day certainly ended up much better than expected.