Five L&M U3A members met at Tesco car park and all managed to fit into one car for the trip to Thirlmere Dam where we parked. Here we found John had his rucksack, but no boots, while I had my camera  but the batteries were flat. No trouble! John walked in his shoes and I had a point-and-shoot back-up camera hidden in a side pocket. We took an overgrown path to the left, under the impressive Ravens Crag and discovered that John's description of 1000 foot climbing was correct. The footpath went straight up through the woods, to break out through the canopy over a thousand feet above!! However, the view from the top of Ravens Crag, along the length of Thirlmere, backed by Helvellyn made it worthwhile.

From here we crossed to Castle Crag where a brief scramble up through heather and bilberries saw us on top of the Fort with more brilliant views to the north up the Shouldthwaite Valley to Blencathra and the slopes of Skiddaw. We should have been able to see the Stone Circle, but unfortunately we had no binoculars.

Here we had our picnic and, as we were sitting in beds of ripe blue bilberries, you can guess what followed the sandwiches and they were delicious!

We then traversed across to the Benn, with more superb views of Thirlmere. A brief search for a path followed, and then down to the Shouldthwaite Valley for a long but pleasant stroll back to the car.

Thanks again to John Ellison for a most entertaining and well-planned walk to a part of the Lakes I never knew existed.