We parked the car directly under some crags after Hause Point. There was space for just a few cars here and we dropped lucky. We had noticed a few divers in the water near Hause Point, I wonder what they were doing there? When we were ready we followed the footpath towards Rannerdale. This was slow at first because be kept stopping to peer over the wall into a field full of new lambs. Sarah was in “Ooh aah” mode! When we rounded a corner we were confronted with a view of the steep side of Rannerdale Knott. After a few seconds of looking at it the smiles and the “why not's!” started to come out! The odd outcrop of rock and a few crags looked like we could find an interesting way up.

We only had to touch the rock to realize that it was no good for scrambling on today. Wet and slimy as well as very flaky, we now had to find a way up using the grassy ledges that lay between the rocky outcrops. As we made our way up I was at the rear and as I looked at possible routes I was willing John to take a turn to the left, at first I thought he was going to go straight on but after a moment looking around he went left. This led onto a grassy incline that led under a small crag. He gingerly followed it and seemed to be taking loads of time checking the route out. I got a bit impatient and started to try and go straight up the crag. It was OK for a few steps until the small jagged piece of rock I was holding onto started to come away, Oops! I had to admit defeat and slowly retrace my steps down to rejoin John and Sarah. It did give me a bit of a fright and I promised myself to be very careful in future!

Once past the area where John had been taking his time (a bit of a role reversal here, it's usually me taking my time and John doing the daft stuff!) it was more steep grass to ascend. John and Sarah decided to stop and add more layers as a fine drizzle had started. I did not think it was worth it and as I was feeling pretty pumped up by my near accident I just carried on upwards. I soon reached a large crag that offered no way up apart from at either end. The left hand side looked like it offered the best way up. A groove in the junction of the crag and the fell side led upwards at a 45 degree angle. The groove seemed to be just the right size to allow a boot to grip and there seemed to be enough hand holds on either side to help. I spent what seemed like ages looking at it and the more I looked the worse it seemed. With John and Sarah coming up behind me I took the plunge and went up. I managed a few steps upwards and was finding it hard work. The grip I was expecting from my feet was not happening and my feet always felt like they were sliding down. The hand holds were also very slippy and the next one I needed to reach held a slug! I hate slugs! I would have to move the offending creature before I could use the hand hold, yuck! John chose this moment to shout up and ask how I was doing. I had a few choice words that I was thinking of using when gravity overcame the grip I had with my feet! I was sliding back down the groove and I could do nothing to stop myself! I thought friction might help so I jammed my knees forwards into the groove, no help! I then thought that I would like to see where I was going so I somehow twisted myself around and started to look for a suitable landing place! Whilst all this was happening I thought about the party invites to my 40 th birthday that I had given to John and Sarah less than an hour before, that's a party I didn't want to miss out on, so why was I up here, rapidly going down there! I ended up in an untidy heap on the ledge below. I was really shaken up but uninjured, apart from my pride that is! I was covered in green and brown stains and was finding it hard work to stop myself from shaking! I had only fallen about 10 feet at the most but it was enough for me! Why did I not listen to the words of advice I had given myself a few minutes earlier! After I had a few minutes of rest I walked along the ledge to join John and Sarah who were trying the right hand side.

The right hand side was easier but involved a lot more use of natural features such as tree roots and branches! It reminded John of the way we had gone up Castle Crag. We made our way up a series of steep ledges, staying away from the rock and on the grass as much as possible. We reached a point where we had to go up through a holly bush, I saw a rocky outcrop that seemed to offer an alternative and was even thinking of using it before I found myself talking to myself about having a death wish today! Needles to say the sensible side of me prevailed and I followed the others, after all I was still shaking!

The next ten or twenty minutes was a fun filled assault course sort of ascent. Tree roots, branches, tufts of grass and even the odd bit of rock helped us upwards. It was not true scrambling and to me it seemed like every step was a potential accident waiting to happen to me. It did not seem to bother John or Sarah but I was having quite a few “moments” all to myself! As we reached an area clear of trees and rocky outcrops, in fact it seemed like a path that led above the crags I decided it was time for some caffeine and nicotine to calm my nerves.

Whilst I tried my best to calm down we looked around and realized two things. We had come up quite a way and the ground below us was very steep. I for one did not need to be told how steep it was! Due to the low cloud we did not have much of a view but across Crummock Water Mellbreak looked interesting.

As we (me) caught our (my) breath and tried to calm down (me again as I was still shaking!) we saw some walkers below us taking the same path that we had started on. That gave the height we were at some perspective and it did feel high up! After a few words to myself about calming down and not worrying about the black cat that had walked in front of me, or the lone Magpie that I had seen (I'm not usually superstitious! ) it was time to carry on.

As we seemed to have left the crags behind we were confronted with a steep grassy slope that led upwards by the side of a large rock crag (if you had been there you would understand that bit!). These crags looked steep yet inviting but by now we (me) had learned our lesson and kept to the grass! Again this was hard work but Sarah took the lead and we went upwards. At one point Sarah seemed to have a bit of difficulty choosing our route up. I surveyed the scene and decided that a slight detour up a rocky outcrop was called for, so I set off to lead the way. What was I doing! Less than 30 seconds later I was again stuck and feeling the oncoming shaking of arms and legs! Sarah and John passed by me on the grass without any effort whilst I was stuck on a dangerous bit of rock on a steep slope, feeling like I was going to drop of at any moment! What was I thinking of! What was I doing! I had already had two moments of stupidity and I had promised myself to be careful, I kept having visions of my wife, two children, a rabbit and a horse all at my 40 th birthday without me! It was as if I had a death wish today! Normally it is John who does the daft stuff and me being careful, I really could not figure out what was going on at all!

I somehow managed to retrace my steps and started to follow John and Sarah upwards. By now they were a fair way in front of me. I could see them pick their way upwards between the odd bit of rocky outcrop. I thought that it must be quicker to try and use these odd outcrops (there you go, I was still at it!) but something at the back of my tiny brain said “NO”, so I just followed them upwards along the grass. This was not as easy as it seems, the slope was so steep that I actually found myself grabbing handfuls of grass to help me up. This was like three points of contact on a steep scramble or on ice, but this was on grass! By now John and Sarah began to see the funny side of my predicament. John threw a large tuft of turf down towards me, I could see it coming and tried to duck out of the way but it hit me in the midriff! Normally John would aim to miss when he does this sort of thing, I guess that hitting me just goes to show that I was having a seriously bad hair day!

The path led out into a depression between two raises. Unfortunately we were now in the cloud and we walked in the direction we felt led upwards. This somehow meant walking in a half circle until we found a small cairn and signs of a proper path! A cairn! At last a sign of previous walkers, this must be the proper path up from the car park, one that would have been a doddle compared to the way that we went up, but would it have been as much fun (I can't believe I am saying fun, cos I'm still a bit shaky now!)

This path consisted of some steps in places, which did make it a bit easier as it was quite wet underfoot as the path followed a natural drainage channel upwards. Within a few minutes we reached to top, or rather the big rock outcrops that are near the top! These rocks were obviously the top but which one was the actual summit, we spent some time clambering around and over them before seeing the actual summit a few feet further up.

With no chance of a panorama due to the cloud it was a quick photo opportunity and then off we went. The path from here onwards was a delight. It was one of those narrow paths that followed the contours along the ridge, great to walk along. Apart from one steep rocky section that we came across, the path gradually lost height along the ridge.

Soon the clouds started to thin out and we had a semi view down towards Buttermere. It was one of those infuriating times when you wish you could just see that little bit more, but Buttermere remained partially hidden for most of the way down. Of course the cloud had cleared on the summit of Rannerdale Knott as I looked back at it! Life's just not fair sometimes!

As the path had widened, in fact I think it just disappeared we walked side by side and I even started to join in the conversation, its amazing what a flat path can do to my confidence! Soon we decided it would be a nice time to stop and have a break. We sat down out of the wind and had a second lunch, I pointed out some walkers on the ridge up to Whiteless Pike and mentioned it as a possibility of a way to continue the walk but everyone seemed happy to return down Rannerdale and see the bluebells, fine by me!

Before too long a path left the ridge and descended down into the head of Rannerdale. It would have been nice to follow the ridge to the end and then head down the valley but this path just seemed like the natural way to follow. Within a few minutes we reached the valley floor and then turned around and started to follow the path down into Rannerdale.

John and myself were in deep conversation about something that I can't even remember now ( must have been important then!) when Sarah suddenly started talking about shoes. She does this sometimes, just totally changes the subject and starts talking about something else! I tried to explain to her that she could not do that, change the subject that is, but John took the bait and started to talk about shoe shopping. Today was turning into a very different sort of day out, shoe shopping indeed!

As shopping for shoes is not one of my favorite discussion topics I decided it was time to take a panoramic photo looking down Rannerdale. Shoe shopping, and yellow shoes at that! What happened to football and beer and important stuff like that! I tried my best to put shoe shopping to the back of my mind and carried on down the path. As it happens it was a nice path, narrow and great underfoot. Don't you think paths are a much better subject to talk about instead of shoes?

By now the bluebells could be seen. At first they had been nothing more than a sort of purple haze in the distance, was purple haze Jimmy Hendrix or Deep Purple? Talking about old songs beats talking about shoes any day! The nearer we got the more pronounced the bluebells became. I guess it was the bluebells that made us come to Rannerdale today, so we started to talk about the bluebells. I must say that I was impressed with them. They seemed to cover the valley floor and all the way up to the stone walls. The story or legend goes that the bluebells grow so well here due to the blood spilt during a battle between the Normans and the locals back when King Harold was a lad. Whether there is any truth in this I don't know but for some reason there is a huge area covered with natural bluebells that seem to be doing rather well for themselves. John though that a spot of natural photography was in order so he took the camera and got up close and personal with some of the bluebells. As it happens he probably did take the best photos of the bluebells! it's that one below and on the left.

While John was off doing his nature photo thing Sarah and I waited and chatted away. Somehow the conversation got onto shoes again! Well not shoes exactly but boots and walking shoes. During the walk down the valley I had experienced a few pains in my feet, a sudden sharp pain that had no explanation. This seemed to ring a bell with Sarah about some of the pains she has occasionally so we chatted away about the differences in footwear that we use. On the last walk up Skiddaw I had used some Brasher AT 20 walking shoes and I had no problems. Today I was back in my Salomon boots and had a few pains. The problems with my feet are well documented and we talked about the possible differences between footwear that could have possibly caused my problems.

With the slug off me I was free to walk again. Slugs, falls, slips and shoe shopping! This was a walk I would never forget! But back to the bluebells. By now we were surrounded by them. There seemed to be quite a few paths around here and also a fair amount of people walking on them, all come to see the famous Rannerdale bluebells. The purple colours, coupled with the yellows of the flowering Gorse and the greens of the grass all went to make a pretty picture. Squat Beck added to the scene and a few little cascades finished off the picture. I guess that me liking purple yellow and green all in the same picture is a good indicator as to why I am not an interior designer! Out here in the natural settings they made a perfect compilation! I have to admit that this little area of the Lake District was a revelation! In a tiny corner of the district, a quiet little valley provided some of the best scenery that I have ever seen. It must be the time of year as I suppose in the winter or autumn there are no bluebells and it would not look the same.

We came across a rock that had painted on it an arrow and the word ”path”. It was obvious where the path was, it was where the bluebells weren't! I suppose this little sign was there for when the bluebells weren't, just to protect them from the odd size 9 boots that might trample over them! The bluebells around this area seemed to be much denser than we had seen before so maybe the sign had worked!