I strapped my knees up this morning and poles at the ready, headed to Rydal to begin my ascent up Loughrigg Fell – one of Wainwright’s 214 Lake District Fells. You wouldn’t believe that earlier this week I was back and forth between my GP and the hospital for x-rays on my knees. They’re not getting any better unfortunately, but it’ll take a lot more to keep me off the fells.

I’ve used many apps for route setting, but happy with Outdoor Active at the moment, which I also get a discount on as a Wellness Walk volunteer. I used the app to track my route which created a nice 3D flyover at the end.

It rained in buckets on my drive up – not what the met office told me – but it soon settled. It left the ground pretty boggy however, but I managed to summit and get back to the car within a couple of hours.

After I stopped at the summit to eat my sandwiches and take in the view, I popped on some rubber gloves and took a sample of the soil and undergrowth, along with a couple of small rocks. My next step is to label the sample and then simmer some of it at home on the stove to create a toner for a cyanotype.

I haven’t settled on which image I want to use yet, but I’m happy with the results. Once I’ve decided, I will edit it and invert it on photoshop and print off on acetate, ready for developing.

I’m home now and excited by my little soil haul, but my knees are feeling it..