It was thick cloud when I peeked out of the tent in the early hours but as morning approached it thinned a bit and I was able to see the moon's disc. Just after 4am the sky was clear, I couldn't believe my luck. I left the tent at 4:25am to wander about and take a few photos of the reddening sky. About 4:40 the sun broke above the horizon but almost immediately high cloud began to form. I returned to the tent for a brew and some breakfast before setting off at 6:40. I headed SW towards the two summit cairns but I couldn't decide which was the highest. I glanced back and to my amazement a lone walker was striding across the plateau. I continued my descent and took it easy and steady down the first steeper sections before reaching the old track down past Cockle Beck Gill then to the farm buildings then the road.

On Grey Friar, waiting for the sunrise.

Mid-summer sunrise from Grey Friar.

Looking up Eskdale towards Esk Hause.

I turned right to reach Cockley Beck Bridge. I was now at the bottom of Hardknott Pass and surprised how many cars there were parked in lay byes. I climbed up a short way to the start of the Moasdale path. It is wide enough and stony enough to keep the ferns back which is always a problem this time of year. After a mile the track narrows to a path and then loses its way in the wet bog. There is a faint track of flat grass to follow but several patches of squelchy rushes had to be crossed. At the head if the valley a gate leads over into Lingcove. I had an impressive view ahead and across Lingcove Beck I could see the faint path that would take me to the upper reaches of Eskdale. I descended to the beck, not knowing what sort of river crossing I would find. The last time I had to take my boots off and wade but I was surprised to see that the recent rain hadn't raised the level too much. There were enough large boulders protruding to hop across. The path was an easy short cut to Scar Lathing. Without it I would have had a long descent then climb via Lingove Bridge, adding quite a bit to the day. I joined the main path to Great Moss.

 It's the only one and not two as shown on the OS map where once again they show fictitious paths which common sense tells you there wouldn't be one. Fortunately the River Esk was quite low and it was easy to get across with boots on. The path was surprisingly wet though. As the head of the valley approached the path steepened and headed up a ridge. It was about here that the first spots of rain began. The path and river then join again to squeeze through a narrow gorge climbing steeply up towards Esk Hause. The rain soon turned heavy and by the time I'd got full waterproofs on it was torrential. My plan to get onto Great End had to be abandoned. Just below Esk Hause I searched for a flat area to pitch. I found one but there was no mobile reception so I moved around till I got a signal and a reasonable pitch. I'd been walking nonstop for over 5 hours and was glad to get the tent up at midday. For the rest of the afternoon I had to remain in the tent while listening to the rain battering the outside.