One of the many rescued owls that live on the grounds at Muncaster Castle.
Looking towards the castle itself.
The castle has a commanding view of the valley below.
Looking up the valley.
The roads got smaller, and the stone walls got higher as we approached Wasdale!
Our first good look at Wast Water. The National Trust campground was at the far, northeast, end.
The campground was quite empty, though it would fill a bit each day.
Our first camp meal--mostly things we had picked up from a "local specialties" shop at the motorway rest area.
Looking up at the route to Scafell Pike.
There were lots of great trees, including some gnarled, sit-under-to-write-poems trees by the stream, and some like this one on the hills.
Gaining elevation...Wast Water coming into view as we climb from 0 to 978 meters.
Constant, if naive, smiles.
Getting higher. The trail more or less climbed straight up alongside the rocky stream you can see here in the lower left.
Fences like this, and many without the wooden stakes, stretched far up the hills.
The ocean--about 15 miles off--is visible on the horizon from this vantage point. We would climb Illgill, the peak on the left two days later.
Adina got her sock wet. We showed the sheep that we were wearing SmartWool socks and thanked them for their contribution to our comfort.
One of the sheep of which we speak.
And another.
This one is ready to produce many pairs of hiking socks.
Scafell Pike lies beyond this closer, slightly lower, rock face.
A determined Adina ascending higher. If you look at the trail behind her, you can see that the English aren't much for switchbacks.
Things got really fun when we hit the scree. This is the scramble to get up and over that first rocky face. It provides a more direct approach to the Scafell Pike summit.
The final push up the rocks. Believe it or not, we had seen a very speedy hiker blitz up this face with two dogs, who were undaunted by the terrain.
Looking out from the top of the face.
Peter surveying the completed scramble.
The view (to the east) from the top of this first summit was amazing. This is looking slightly to the right.
And this is slightly to the left.
Happy to be through the steepest part of the climb.
We needed a wide shot to get the full backdrop here. We needed a break too, since we still had the final push to Scafell Pike left to do.
Adina sets off across the rocks. It was all rocks from here to the top.