Lightning descent

P dropped me off on the way home from work yesterday, so I could run back just for variation. The weather had been poor during the day, and I set off in heavy rain, but this soon stopped as I ran up through Bleng forest. Surprised a deer up near the top of the forest but it didn't seem to bothered by me, finding the shelter of the trees but not running away. I descended back down to valley level and ran across Wasdale valley to Nether Wasdale. My original plan for poor weather had been to head over Irton Fell via the bridleway and drop down to Miterdale through the forest, but the weather seemed to have cleared with blue sky showing above Whin Rigg. This was too good to miss so I changed route slightly, and ran across to the  path up the side of the Screes, used by the Wasdale race and the Screes race.

As I was climbing up the steep hillside I was aware of dark clouds amassing over the sea, and was quite surprised to hear thunder rumbling in the distance. The thunder got louder and more frequent and all of a sudden the blue sky disappeared. Whin Rigg was not going to be on. Instead of cutting the corner to the top, I carried striaght on to the main path, and was greeted by a lightening show over Ulpha fell. Somewhat put out that I was on the open fell, with lightening arriving, I pegged it down the ridge, probably faster than in the Screes race, to find the shelter of the trees. Just as I got into the trees, the hail started, and by the time I got home I was incredibly wet.

Still a good run of 12 miles and about 3000 feet of ascent.