Mikes weather bits & Photo Blog: Calais Migrants dont want to come to Britain! & A great day out in the lakes

The Express continues its focus on the Calais migrant issue with a quote that 50 per day enter Britain. On the other hand this story tells of migrants at Calais who have no intention of coming to Britain and prefer their Calais campsite - - - maybe they'll change their minds when winter comes

Interesting that the jet crash at Blackbushe airport yesterday also covered on the front page had some members of the Bin Laden family on it - - -

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Ash dieback disease is a phrase coming to the fore in the UK with a fungus causing the leaves to wilt and the crown of the tree to "dieback" eventually the tree dies. DEFRA and the Woodland trust are on the case but it looks as if planting another fungus resistant species alongside infected trees might be the only answer.

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After an early morning start i cruised up the M6 to the Lake District half hoping the weather forecast of clearing rain would be correct. At 08:30 i'm parked up at Rydal to take this pic of the famous Stepping Stones - the weather looks good

an hour later i leave the van on the campsite and am enjoying the leisurely stroll to the start of the climb up to Glaramara - - at this stage my plan is to walk Glaramara, Scafell, Great Gable and Green Gable - - -

the sign in the previous pic says Glaramara 2 mile - - by this point i'm wondering if there shouldn't be a 1 in front of the 2 on the sign.

This bit is the only scramble on the otherwise easy track and provides a welcome break from the slog

past Glaramara now and with Sprinkling Tarn way below i start to re-assess my goals of Great and Green Gable in the distance

once past Esk Haus i join the "crowd" of walkers up to Scafell the wind is surprisingly cold and some walkers even have woolly hats and gloves on!

The summit is a crowded affair with at least 50 or so people there and a steady stream of folk arriving and leaving

i join the line of descendee's back towards the corridor route

I experience the onset of abductor muscle cramps here, not doing enough Frog Stretches! gulping down water believing dehydration to be a root cause i remember i have an energy drink in my rucksack and drink that too. by the time i get to the top of the scramble where the track go's over the shoulder of the spur the cramps are gone (could the sugar in the energy drink have been the cure?)

14:45 now and i have abandoned the idea of doing the Gables the weather however is still nice and walking with the wind its very warm

down I go back into the Borrowdale valley

just a few hundred yards to go and its 15:30, 6 hours "on the hoof" for me and the shorn sheep look on with a bemused expression at the weary walkers passing by.

after a good nights sleep when the rain can be heard on the tent roof i emerge at 06:30 to the sight of the rain sweeping off the tops of the surrounding hills and down the valley

packing up and vacating the soggy campsite i drive up to the Honister slate mine to pick up some slate from the discarded pile the clouds have broken a little and the rain has stopped. Leaving Borrowdale later i drive through Ambleside in the middle of a downpour and head back down the M6

the spoils!

the M6 is the normal "car park" and it takes me an hour longer than normal. As i cruise through Chatsworth the sun is cracking the pavement and a few minutes after arriving home the tent is hanging up to dry. Another great successful trip to a wonderful part of England. - - -

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Our Peach tree is enjoying its time out in the fresh air and the fruit is ripening well. Cynic that i am though i cant help thinking it will be back in the greenhouse with the quirky cool night weather we are having lately - -

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