Today’s walk was my contribution to a request for members of the Online Fellwalking Club (OFC) to celebrate its 5th birthday by members collectively walking 500 Km's and ascending 5000m in the week before Easter Sunday.

As I was walking without John and Sarah I reverted back to some of my favorite fells, the only problem was how to avoid the madding crowds that usually accompany a bank holiday weekend. My solution was an ascent of Black Sail by its southern ridge, not marked on any maps but a delight and easy walking with the odd bit of scrambling thrown in for good measure. Coupled with a late start this quiet route also meant doing the Coniston Fells anti clockwise, the crowds usually start with Coniston Old Man, I was to finish there so I managed to spend a relativley quiet time on these busy fells.

The Black Sails Ridge was a revelation to me, a quick way up to the high ground, if you like solitary walking, bits of crags and easy grass terraces to walk upon (very rare in the Coniston area) this is the place to be, it was fantastic. Once at Swirl Hause I joined in with the crowds for the first time, most of them heading in the opposite direction. Familys with young kids enjoying the fells seemed to be the order of the day, many with the dulcet tones of the southern counties. They deserved a nice walk if they had been stuck in all the traffic on the M6 that I had witnessed yesterday!