The forecast was for rain later so I decided to get up at the usual time but not to take so long getting ready. As soon as my brew was ready I continued with the rest of my breakfast and packed up and on my way by 6:45am. The weather was overcast but the cloud level was high enough for me to see Sca Fell and Sca Fell Pike, but Bow Fell summit was still in cloud. I set off towards the Hardknott pass road summit but kept to the right of the summits ahead. I followed a fairly winding route through the humps and bumps ahead. Looking down to my right I hoped to see the Eskdale Needle, but didn't. I recall that you have to be almost adjacent to see it.

A misty Grey Friar summit

I came across the electric fence I'd seen yesterday and followed it's line for a while. The weather was clear enough for me to see the Isle-of-Man to the right. The path started to descend steeply and I was convinced I'd missed the path to the road summit. My fears were unfounded when the road appeared below me and sure enough there was the summit road grid ahead. A very convenient flat boulder was positioned just by the road so I took the opportunity to sit down for a rest. It was still early and I was glad I'd made an early start because I could see the summit of Grey Friar across the valley and I wanted to get there before the rain did. The weather still looked settled as I sauntered down the winding road towards Cockley Beck in the valley bottom. I saw the only person of the day, a fat bloke in a Range Rover driving up the road. I stepped to one side to let him pass and he half waved as people often do on these narrow and remote roads. I reached the bridge by the buildings but still nobody was about. Crossing the road I passed through the gate and across the flat wet field before following the old track up the steep NW side of Grey Friar.

It was a steady and straightforward climb with little wind and more important no rain. My planned pitch was below Swirl How where I knew there was a good water supply. But I'd secretly hoped to camp on Grey Friar where there wasn't. I kept following small trickles of streams up the hillside, hoping there'd be one near the summit. They eventually petered out and I still had a fair way to climb. Approaching the summit plateau I arrived in cloud and an increasing wind blowing across. Over the top the features were blurred by the mist so I headed on towards my planned camp. Just after the twin cairns of the summit I came across a small pond. It had been refilled by recent rains and looked reasonably clear, although the bottom was reconstituting mud and sheep droppings. I reckoned that if I gave it a good boil it should be OK and I was fairly well off for gas. Now all I had to do was find shelter for a pitch. An almost perfect spot appeared behind a rock outcrop and I was even able to get all the tent pegs in OK without resorting to tying to boulders. My early start meant it was still early, not yet 10am. The forecast heavy rain didn't materialise but slight showers did. I did manage to see a hazy Scafell Pike though.