The Langdale Pikes, training classes and Rivington Pike - A great walking weekend

Friday was one of those increasingly rare days off with nothing planned other than a walk in the Lakes and, now he’s pretty much fully grown, Marley’s first real Lakeland mountain. Under perfect blue skies with a hard frost underfoot we headed up Stickle Ghyll from the National Trust car park in Langdale, gaining height quickly before emerging at the Tarn for a brief ice cold paddle.  With no sign of tiring, Marley continued enthusiastically to Harrison Stickle, passing a few fell runners, walkers and dogs on route, where we shared a cheese sandwich and a drink of water. Descent was much harder on the icy ground, taking as long to get down as it did to reach  the summit. All good for trying to get some close lead walking though.

Saturday brought a few hours of training classes, which  are going well. Over the past few months we’ve seen a big change. Yes, he’s still a crazy dog but he can hold it together for a meet and greet most of the time. We not yet cracked birds, bikes and joggers, but he doesn’t kick off quite as much these days. He’s though the worst of puppyhood and turning in to a good boy, bit by bit.

Sunday saw another first with a walk up Rivington Pike. I was surprised how much it’s changed in the three years or so since I was last up there. Looking very smart on the terraces and by the Japanese pond. We were joined by lots of Santa’s doing a charity walk at the top. Couldn’t have wished for a better morning walk, which ended with some training amongst the brave or foolhardy bikers who had come over on the Belmont road in such icy conditions.