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 ease progress. We reached the plateau and, after passing over the highest point on Swarth Fell, headed to the spot Alfred Wainwright had chosen as the summit of Bonscale Pike in his Pictorial Guides to the Lake District. Although not the highest point, the cairn was in a good position looming over Ullswater to take in the view north, west and south. After a quick snack sheltering from the fierce dry easterly wind, we headed on to our next objective.

We rounded Swarthbeck coombe on a good path, taking the route out to Wainwright's summit on Arthur's Pike. This, too, was a well-chosen spot to admire the Lakeland panorama. Time was now pressing, as AT and JT had to be home by 7pm, but we resolved to push on fast to Loadpot Hill, which would be AT's 100th English 2000ft summit. I had visited it once before in May 2012 on another hot sunny day. AT and JT powered ahead on the ascent, heads down. I lagged behind, but caught them up on the flat summit. There was time for a few photos before heading back.

We made our way north along the edge of the plateau to rejoin our steep outward route, at speed. We were soon back in Fusedale, taking the lane past Howtown Hotel to the road. An ascent at the end of a walk is always not welcome, but we made swift work up the zig-zags back to my car. We made it back to AT's house with a few minutes to spare.