Red Screes + Middle Dodd 24/11/19

After nearly a month without being in the mountains, I headed down to Ambleside last Sunday for a day trip with the fellwalking society. The road walk at the start was pretty boring, and I quickly regretted my choice of winter thermals underneath my fleece and waterproof. We delayered at the start of the path up Red Screes, and what soon became clear was that this so-called 'mountain' is nothing but a grassy mound. Had it not been shrouded in thick cloud, I can imagine that the view might have improved the walk somewhat. However, the mound remained mostly featureless for the entire walk, and the boggy trudge became so monotonous that I didn't even realise we had passed over the summit of Middle Dodd (which was even more banal than Red Screes).

I brought a Hertfordshire flag up to the summit, alongside my ice axe and crampons to practice carrying them (and because I feel incomplete without them). Though dire in physical characteristics the walk was made decent by the company; the social amongst the fellwalkers was as brilliant as always. 

Nevertheless, I did find it a shame that being in such a large group of people made it impossible to appreciate the unique type of silence one can only find on a mountain shrouded in cloud. The best part of the walk was undoubtedly drinking cider and eating ice cream in the near-tropical warmth under the Christmas lights of Ambleside. I shall, therefore, conclude that I will not be willingly hiking up Red Screes and Middle Dodd again.