The day we had scheduled for our walk over Caudale Moor and High Street was forecast to be a washout. I called Ras in Preston and suggested that he came up for the day on Friday instead of Thursday as this was forecast to be a much better day.

As a result, Chris and I decided to have a tourist day. The morning in Ambleside and Watermillock Ghyll, lunch in Keswick with a visit to George Fishers and then mid afternoon at Aira Force. This would then allow a return to Langdale over the Kirstone Pass to check out the conditions up there.

After breakfast, I packed up my camera gear and off we went. As forecast, a wet sleety day ensued; glad I was wearing my waterproofs. After a quick stroll down the high street, we headed up Watermillock Ghyll to take some photographs. It was now that I was glad I had packed some faster film other than my Velvia and Sensia slide or superia print as the light was very poor.

I gave my Minolta Dynax 404si to Chris and told him to snap away. I was using my Minolta Dynax 505si with my tripod and remote release. Finding some of the better places to take what photos we took, the sleet came down and the light became progressively worse. Chris took some rare photographs of me with the camera I gave him.

The one advantage of the wet weather was that when we would get to Aira Force, the waterfall would be well and truly in spate, as was Watermillock Ghyll which doesn't really do justice in the waterfall photography stakes.

After a somewhat disappointing session in Watermillock Ghyll, we headed of to Keswick for lunch and a walk around George Fishers, possibley the best outdoor shop in Keswick. From here, a drive along the A66 past the cloud and snow capped tops of Skiddaw and Blencathra, passing the Rheged Centre which we had visited the day prior. Aira Force was as ever popular in the sleet as it is at the height of summer.

The best and only place to photograph Aira Force waterfall from is the typical classic angle often seen in many photos, from directly opposite below as the shot below shows. The downside of taking such photos when the waterfall is in spate is the spray that it throws up - couple that with the sleet coming down.

The Kirkstone Pass road was clear of snow but there were several inches over the tops. A cold North wind blowing straight over the pass told me that tomorrow I would need my thermals on. Heading back to Langdale, we stopped at the cattle grid near Elterwater to take some winter photos of the Langdale Pikes.

Tomorrow - Caudale Moor, Thornthwaite Crag, High Street & The Knott - come rain or shine.