A Cold Start

 The wading boots were left off & the hill walking boots put back on for yesterday as the weather wasnt good at all. 

Snow in the morning as you can see from the start of the trek & the wind was bitter with Ellerton scar off in the distance & that being the afternoon half of the walk.

I also needed a day on the hills to clear my head and at the same time get myself back into the habit of carrying weight on my back again and build back up my fitness after 4 months of being off the hills.

I was glad to get to the windbreak on the top of Blackstone edge as the bitter wind was making my eyes stream & it was nice to get tucked away in the corner out the wind with a coffee.

The walk certainly cleared my head & the views down into Swaledale were as always stunning.

The afternoon was slightly less of a chill & the walk across & up onto Ellerton scar was a good leg stretch.

With views over to Semerwater & beyond.

The walk back along the ridge past the old shooting house, where once this grouse would have been hanging up outside it.

And to finish it all some wise words on a bench.

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. It certainly refreshed mine.