The day for me to complete Wainwright's 214 was glorious with Haystacks looking splendid as we parked the car at Gatesgarth Farm
As we passed the Fanny Mercer Memorial
the view down Buttermere started to open up.
Turning to look up the ridge it was clear that we still had a long way to go
I was glad that I wasn't wearing a fur coat unlike Tilly and Dusty
After a few hair-raising moments with the dogs on the rocky steps we finally reached the top and what a viewof Buttermere and Crummock Water
Then it was time to open the well deserved bottle of Champagne
The view across the valley to Haystacks and beyond to Pillar, with Pillar Rock and the Shamrock Traverse clearly visible, was spectacular.
After spending a very relaxing hour on top of Fleetwith Pike, it was time to head through the quarries to Haystacks, but first we came to the final resting place of AW; Innominate Tarn.
From there it was nothing more than short stroll to the summit tarn on Haystacks
Then it was time for home and a last look at Haystacks
and a look across at the ridge on Fleetwith Pike.
I have looked forward to completing the 214 for a long time and I wasn't disappointed. Fleetwith Pike was an excellent mountain to finish on and the weather was extremely kind. I can now go back and visit some of my favourites and maybe even visit some new spots.
All photographs taken with either a Nikon D40X (10.2mp) or a Nikon Coolpix 4200 (4.2mp)
