"Saturday 26th May 2018. An ascent of Bonscale Pike 524m, Arthur's Pike 533m and Loadpot Hill 672m/49m in the Far Eastern Fells, Lake District, Cumbria, from Martindale Old Church. 11.8km, with 740m of ascent. 4hrs 20mins. After picking up AT and JT from their home, we drove through Lancashire into Cumbria and made our way down the narrow lane on the east side of Ullswater. It was a bank holiday weekend, the weather was good, and it was consequently teeming with people. I failed to find a parking space near Howtown, where our hike started, but managed to secure the last remaining slot on the saddle below Hallin Fell, close to Martindale Old Church. We took a path by the road down into the valley, and then a shady trail beside Fusedale Beck up towards the house at Mellguards. Near the beck was a profusion of spring flowers. AT identified wild garlic, red campion, spearmint, crosswart, bluebells and yellow poppies, among others. Where there are wild flowers, there should be butterflies. And so it was. I noted orange tip, small white and meadow brown. The ascent up the flank of Swarth Fell was steep and unrelenting, hot work in the sunshine. The path zig-zagged a little to ea..." — marktrengove2 • May 26, 2018