.
This was the first trip my son and I made. I was 39 and rapidly approaching a midlife crisis, Matthew was 14 and addicted to his xbox, as most lads his age are !! I decided we needed to bond, seemed the right thing to do at nearly 40, and the trips were started.

Matthew had never been walking before, up a hill at any rate, and so I decided a trip to the Langdales was about the right place to start. Oops! Bought a guide book and some software, (Multi Map), and plotted out a shortish route to break him in gently. The only problem was that I picked the highest peak in the Langdales to go up and it was just about the hottest day of the year thus far.




We set up camp in the NT site in the valley and headed off at about lunch time. We left the camp site towards the New Dungeon Ghyll Pub, through the back of the pub and onto the paved path by Dungeon Ghyll Force.




Start of walk New Dungeon Ghyll --Styal at he base of the path --Part way up. Matt not hungry yet!




We had been going for a little while now, regular stops as by now I had realised that the route I had chosen was going straight up and Matts legs were not used to the alien concept called walking. We were nearing Stickle Tarn in the next pics and alresdy Matt, who I can't fill up at the moment had asked for lunch several times !!!





Crossing the Force near the stop off point of Stickle Tarn. Looking to fells on the other side of the valley.






We reached Stickle Tarn and We slumped down and got the much asked for lunch out. As the film states it was 'Gone in 60 secconds'. We had a rest and let out legs recover a bit and decided that we had to go to the top, Matt was less that sure but to his credit he went for it. Half way up the path to Harrison Stickle a blister started to form and we stopped to patch up Matts foot. Took some pics and a group of walkers took a couple of the both of us. What nice people walkers are!!










Looking down the valley towards Elterwater--Lunch spot looking up the path to scree at fot of the summit.
Half way to summit --Me and Matt near summit with Elterwater in the distance.




Despite the picture saying otherwise, Matt is not taller than me!! Again tried to get one up on me by standing on a stone, but wont be long before I have to stop feeding him to stunt his growth!!


All smiles but we didn't quite get to the top, I think it was a bit too far for the first time and we rounded the back of the summit and made our way down via Raven Crag. This was a bit hairy in places, thin path, long long drop and thought to myself glad its not Winter.




On the way down having not gone on to Pike os Stickle.--The long drop on the way down!




Looking back to the campsite in the valley.--Path to Pike of Stickle which we will go for next time hopefully.



We descended back through the New Dungeon Ghyll pub, stopping for a couple of pints and cokes and food to fill up Matt's hollow legs. Then headed off to the campsite for a shower before tea at the Old Dungeon Ghyll pub. Looked across to the Crincle Crags at the end of the Langdales on the way back.



Looking to the end of the Langdales to the Crincle Crags.


First trip a success and we planned our next one on our return home.