More Lakes
As far as the lakes and particularly the Wainwrights are concerned I'm a johnny-come-lately. My first visit was not until the mid-nineties, and until the walks given below I had restricted myself to low level ventures mainly in the Windermere - Ambleside - Grasmere corridor. That has now changed!
Thu Aug 28th 2008: Derwentwater
Distance: 10m, Climb: 160 ft
Alex and I decided to have a long bank holiday weekend in Keswick, with a walk around Derwentwater being the agenda for the day of arrival. A perfect gentle chill out with the lake and Cat Bells vying for attention but not stopping a short diversion to Lodore falls and admiration of various crags on the eastern side. Would I do it again? Only every time I visited.
Fri Aug 29th 2008: Skiddaw
Distance: 10m, Climb: 2800 ft
The weather was fine throughout our visit, but we never saw the top of Skiddaw. I suspect you need a cloudless day for that. I suggested Skiddaw on the simple basis that looking at the map it was the highest point near Keswick, a logic that appealed to Alex too. More recent reading has enlightened me to it being the fourth highest peak in the Lakes, and the lowest of the 3000 footers. We went up the so-called tourist route, which initially follows the Cumbria way around Latrigg to a car park. Here there was an NT volunteer conducting a survey. There were plenty of people passing by for him to question. He warned us that the first part of the climb up Jenkins Hill was the steepest, and advised us to stop frequently on this section. He was right, and we did. The stops of course were strictly to spend time admiring the view over Derwentwater, which in my opinion is the prettiest of the main lakes, though I have yet to set eye on Wast Water or Haweswater Reservoir.
Fairly early on we passed three young men who were clearly debating whether to continue or try something easier; we think they took the latter course. If so they were the exception, as ramblers young and old were around all the way to the top, as was the company of mist from around the 2000 feet level.
The top was well populated by picnickers admiring the surrounding white walls. We would like to have found an alternative path back via Carl Side, but we were unable to identify a clear route in the loose slate, so mindful of the risk of meeting sudden steep drops in the mist, we settled for taking only a slightly different route back by Skiddaw Little Man. Needless to say the return journey was much quicker than the climb.
The route we took was easy to follow and provided no anxious moments (if you discount the unsuccessful search for the alternative route down). The initial climb through Ewe How showed signs of mud, so I guess at other times of the year it might be a slightly messy start. However Skiddaw remains on my to do again list, if only to see the view from the top on a clear day.
You won't find a detailed note of our adventures for the rest of our stay - we used a hop on - hop off bus to visit first Winlatter Forest Park and then Buttermere and engaging in short(ish) strolls. We did however hear when waiting for the bus on the Saturday that whilst we had been conquering Skiddaw a family had fallen to their deaths from Sharp Edge on Blencathra. Skiddaw by the tourist route can make one think that tha lakeland fells are like other English hills, only bigger. Having since seen rather more of them I am disabused of that notion.
Sat Mar 21st 2009: Grasmere - High Raise - Dungeon Ghyll - Grasmere
Distance: 12m, Climb: 2670 ft
This walk morphed into a plan B, the original idea having been to return to Grasmere via Easedale Tarn. But I get ahead of myself. Alex and I booked into Windermere for a lakes visit, one day of which was to include a lake cruise and a visit to the aquarium of the lakes. The first however was to be in the hills, so we took a bus into Grasmere, filled mostly with other walkers who also disembarked there. Many of these set off in the same direction as us but either took the path towards Easedale Tarn or turned off for Helm Crag, so on reaching the valley of Far Easedale we were alone.
The walk through Far Easedale is delightful, and gives a gentle warm-up to the more serious work ahead. Indeed I wish to include this valley in a future itinery to enjoy its solitude again.
We had done all the steep sections, getting almost to Greenup Edge before the cloud that had been forming engulfed us in mist. No problems getting to High Raise (762m) though it took a momentary thinning of the mist for us to spy the summit cairn. Across to Sergeant Man, avoiding numerous small tarns, which were mostly like large puddles, and we were still on track though mistbound. Seeing some walkers coming up around the rocks from lower ground we decided to go from whence they had come. Within a few steps we were below the cloud and a beautiful valley complete with tarn opened up before us. We pretended to each other that we thought it was Easedale, though we knew it was not. The sight after time in the mist was just too inviting, so we plunged down into the valley, initially making our own paths and duly arrived by the tarn under a spectacular cliff. Those who know the area will realise we had descended just east of south to Stickle Tarn, with Pavey Ark towering over it, rather than just south of east to Easedale Tarn.
All seemed empty apart from the odd solitary body until we reached the south end of the tarn and started the descent to Dungeon Ghyll New Hotel. Suddenly there were crowds in both directions more appropriate in number to a seaside promenade. No teashop walk this though. The climb down is very steep; I would not like to have attempted it without the help of the stone stairway. Indeed there were places where the risers on the steps were so great that my nervousness must have been apparent to all.
But we reached the bottom and had a refreshing pint at the hotel. We departed the hotel with plans to follow Great Langdale into Ambleside, avoiding the road as much as possible, but once again showed flexibility. Passing through a quarry behind Chapel Stile, we then followed a lane before cutting across under Huntingstile Crag and returning to Grasmere, arriving with minutes to spare to catch a bus.
Fri 10th Jul 2009: Windermere - Ill Bell and back
Distance: 14m, Climb: 2900 ft
The walk took over 7 hours, yet from the moment of stepping onto the path almost outside the station towards Orrest Head to returning to civilisation I saw only 7 walkers and one fell runner, despite it being summer and good weather. This is what Wainwright refers to as Far Eastern fell territory, and it is known as a good place for solitude. Not here the crowds of Dungeon Ghyll in March or the steady passage of humanity up Skiddaw.
The path took me initially up and through some woods, emerging from which one finds oneself drawn towards the view of the Langdale Pikes. Staying below Orrest Head and winding through various paths and lanes I reached my first target of Longmire Road, which I followed, turning off onto Garburn Road. Despite their names these are tracks not roads; indeed the latter would need much work before being suitable for wheeled transport. Climbing Garburn Road to towards Garburn Pass is a little tedious, but one can keep a track of height gained by noticing the way in which The Tongue, a hill in Troutbeck Valley, ceases to rise above ones viewpoint and eventually ends up well below ones feet.
The path leaving Garburn Road for Yoke, Ill Bell and beyond is easy to identify, and much of it is now paved, saving one from picking a way through marshy ground. From amongst the cairns on Ill Bell I looked wistfully north towards Froswick, Thornthwite and High Street, but decided that time considerations meant they would have to wait for another day. Taking care with the initial descent from Ill Bell - a right turn at the end of a short steep section is advisable to avoid a rapid close inspection of Kentmere Reservoir a long way below - I then followed a sheep trail below Yoke which soon returned me to the path towards the Garburn Road. Instead of completely retracing my steps I turned off early onto Dubbs Road (another track), past Dubbs Reservoir and made the balance of the return to Windermere along (very) minor roads and the A591.
Fri 25th Sep 2009: Coniston Old Man
Distance: 7 m, Climb: 2480 ft
This is (just) the shortest of the 2008/9 walks listed here, though the height factor pushes it a bit further up the time required list. However this is very much the sort of walk I could envisage doing several times.
I chose not to make a direct assault on the fell. Instead starting from Coniston with a short walk along the main road to Bowmanstead, I took a path behind a pub (can't remember the name!), crossed the old railway, a field, and passed through a lightly wooded area; then followed a stream and a drystone wall, climbing all the time to emerge on rough pasture. Crossing this extensive area was also a gentle climb, though the bulk of the Old Man to the right made it appear flat. I headed towards a valley cutting into the wall of the fell, and climbed into this to reach Goat's Water - in the Lakes one gets used to climbing to reach a body of water. After a brief respite from the uphill, a sharp climb was made to Goat's Hawse and a lesser one round to the summit of the Old Man. A thin mist had descended by the time I reached the top, but it was possible to catch glimpses of Coniston Water and the village through tears in it. I took the direct descent past Low Water and through the disused quarries. Although this was steep for much of the way, it was only near the very top that I felt at all uncomfortable, probably because this was the only section which was truely exposed.
So what is the attraction? Variety. Up and down through the quarries would I suspect be a slog, but my chosen route easily kept boredom at bay.