Haystacks, Buttermere, Cumbria, England

My visit to Haystacks happened when I realised quite what a fancied trot over Seat, High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike would involve given the state of my hill fitness at the time. Even now, sticking to one hill a day remains the way though sessions on a bike trainer are having a noticeable effect. As it happened, getting up to the top of Haystacks from Scarth Pass needed more effort than it's 597 metre height above sea level would suggest to some. Scrambling was the order of the day, and it was steep enough to make me glad enough that I was ascending the crags and not going the other way. In fact, that way up had me considering another route down.

However, there were rewards for my pains, and you see one of the views here. Great Gable and the head of Ennerdale drew my attention and that is what lies to the right. Innominate Tarn lies in shadow on a sunny day when clouds failed to obstruct the sun elsewhere. My descent took me into the photo as you see it before I crossed Warnscale Beck to continue down the flank of Fleetwith Pike on the way back to the shores of Buttermere again. My explorations may have been diverted and truncated, but there were plenty of delightful sights to go with all the steeps ups and downs.