Anne and Jim try to follow a Trail magazine 2-dayer from Braithwaite to Buttermere and back.

	Saturday, 24th August 2002
	We arrived on Saturday morning with intentions of starting with Grisedale Pike. However, the cloudbase was well below the summit and it was raining heavily. After much deliberation over a second breakfast in the cafe at the camp site in Braithwaite we eventually set off up Coledale Beck instead.
	Near the head of the valley is Force Crag mine. I think it is disused but the site office had a very new looking galvanised roof. The main building had been recently engulfed in a land slip and the tracks on the slope above it indicated that this had been patted down by bulldozer. The whole place is a bit of a mess
	A stiff climb later and we were at the col of Coledale Hause. We were just below the cloudbase and the view back to Braithwaite was quite striking. We just had time for a snack bar when...
	...just 19 minutes later we were all togged up and legging it down the other side while we could still see where to go.
	As we descended the weather cleared to reveal Gasgale Gill as a very pretty valley.
	This is Liza Beck next to our sunny lunch stop at the bottom of the gill.
	We then followed the path round Crummock Water where there were plenty of people taking in the view and the sun. Plenty of bathers too - chilly!
	Grasmoor (on our planned route) and Rannerdale Knotts over Crummock Water.
	Rannerdale Knotts.
	Grasmoor is in the clouds again. We camped in Buttermere village in the small campsite by the beck. It was nice there because the only access is via a footbridge so cars have to park outside. However, there's not much level ground which, due to all the rain, was also boggy.
	Sunday, 25th August 2002
	The weather was better on Sunday so we planned a higher route. A steep climb took us to the top of Whiteless Pike where there were good views of Crummock Water with Loweswater in the distance.
	Looking North-East we could see the line of hills that we were to follow.
	From the top of Crag Hill we could see the Force Crag mine again and Grisedale Pike where we should have been the day before. We could make out lots of figures trudging up and down the ridge so it must have been busy over there.
	Then we dropped down, along the ridge...
	...to Causey Pike, which was also busy but offered fantastic views all around. This one is looking across Derwent Water to Keswick. About an hour later we were back in the cafe in Braithwaite having cokes and ice creams while the sun was cracking flags.