This morning, we began our walk from Patterdale, a small village just south of Ullswater, striding out across farmland with the frosty grass crunching beneath our feet. The sun was still low in the sky at this time, but our destination looked promising and, as we climbed higher up the fellside, we soon left the shade of the valley behind.
The first stop on our route was Boredale Hause. A pass between the Patterdale and Boredale valleys, where various paths meet. We were last there when we took the track heading north up Place Fell, back in November. Today, instead, we took the path leading south towards Angle Tarn, a popular place for wild camping during the summer months.
The way ahead was a like entering a winter wonderland. Enough snow to be magical, not too much that walking was in any way difficult. It was powdery and dry. Unfortunately, not suitable for making snowballs - I tried :)