The Lake District 2006
I am finally getting around to putting these reports and pictures on the blog from my holiday in the Lake District last Easter. It may be a symptom of my general malaise at the moment, but I have really been finding it difficult to find the motivation to put any thing on this blog lately. The upshot being I now have loads to put on here after a lot of walking over the last couple of weeks in the Lake District and Snowdonia. Well, without any further ado here we start with the first entry from Friday 14th April.
Windermere to Grasmere via Thornthwaite Crag
Today was a grueller that I really should have avoided. I arrived at Windermere train station at 10.30 and immediately began walking up the road opposite the station winding up the hillside through woods coming out at Orrest Head, a popular viewpoint for the Windermere tourist, especially today where it was liberally populated by the old and the very young.
After taking a few pictures of Windermere (this picture was actually taken on the ridge to Sour Howes) I left the top and headed north through several fields until I reached the Dubbs Road. This untarmacked road took me towards the Garburn Pass, but before I got there I turned aside over a stile onto the fellside of Applethwaite Common. Slowly climbing the widening ridge I ascended onto Sour Howes. It was a total waste of time and energy, something as will be seen, I couldn't really spare, but that didn't stop me also going up the neighbouring fell, Sallows. The reason for this diversion was simple; both fells were Wainwright's and having been given his books for Christmas I had no choice but to do them. With hindsight it may have been better if I hadn't, but it probably wouldn't have made much difference to the end result.
Once the Garburn Pass was finally achieved I proceeded along the path towards Yoke. The previous time I did these fells I had taken a path near the top of the ridge beside the wall,which turned out to be exceptionally boggy, and a really bad idea. This time I managed to stay on the path, which was relatively excellent; there were very few bogs to negotiate.
On top of Yoke I had my lunch before tacking Ill Bell. I remember this ascent as being really painful and difficult, but compared with the later ascents, it probably wasn't too bad. (The picture was taken from the top of Ill Bell showing a cairn marking the vantage point on the summit of Troutbeck Dale with Windermere in the distance). After Ill Bell I passed over Froswick and then climbed up to Thornthwaite Crag.
(The picture was taken from the head of Kentmere Dale, near to Gavel Crag showing Ill bell and Froswick with Kentmere Reservoir on the far left). By now the weather was excellent, so even though it was obvious I wouldn't get to my destination till late (I was thinking 7 o'clock at this time) I was happy to continue. Before coming to the Lake District I had decided that I didn't want to be as tied to getting to the hostel before as I have been in the past. To this end I had taken a couple of camping mealpacks with me as backup meals in case I was late anytime, so at this time I wasn't too concerned about how much more I had to walk. I descended the scree slope to Threshthwaite Mouth and then climbed the rocky slope to Stoney Cove Pike and Caudale Moor. By now I was feeling pretty good and relaxed; I was actually enjoying myself at this stage. Not for long. 
From the cairn on the top of Caudale Moor I noticed another cairn a short distance away; going across to investigate I discovered that it marked a viewpoint overlooking Caudale Cove, the point being marked on the map as Caudale Head. The views down Patterdale (as shown in the picture) were stunning and I had never seen this sight before in all my years in the Lake District. In the past I have been overly concerned with bagging peaks, this year I want to investigate a bit more: look down cliffs and from viewpoints. This was a start.
Passing the Atkinson Memorial I rejoined the path and descended the rather dull ridge all the way down to the Kirkstone Pass. Now I was ready to arrive at the Youth Hostel, but I had a lot of walking still ahead of me. Crossing the road I started the climb straight up the cliff face ahead of me, past the Kilnshaw Chimney onto the top of Red Screes. The path was very good, being well designed and manufactured, but that didn't stop it being an absolute torture for me as I crawled my way up to the top. In sheer exhaustion, at the summit I had a piece of my emergency supply of Kendal Mint Cake, and discovered that I had run out of water.
With still a lot of walking ahead of me, not a soul was met during the rest of my walk. From Red Screes I passed over the Scandale Pass and ascended the hillside all the way to Hart Crag, stopping off at Little Hart Crag on the way; another Wainwright bagged. Dragging myself up the hill I managed to get onto the top of the ridge on the eastern side of the Fairfield Horseshoe. Turning right I passed over the top of Hart Crag and Dove Crag, making sure that despite my extreme exhaustion I went to the summits of both hills. Both previous times I've been over these hills the weather hadn't been good, last time it was raining. Now, for the first time I have clear views (remember the good weather was one of the reasons why I continued with this madness), so I was able to locate the summits with considerably more ease than on previous occasions.
When I reached the col between Dove Crag and Fairfield I collapsed. I couldn't go on, the steep slope ahead of me felt like the north face of the Eiger; it was insurmountable. After a rest and another piece of Kendal Mint Cake I was ready to re-evaluate my assessment of the slope ahead. Staggering to my feet I started climbing onto the wide plateau of Fairfield, now gloomy in the twilight, but still clearer than any time I have visited it before. Despite this I passed to the south of the summit heading straight for the western ridge of the horseshoe.
With a stunning sunset to admire all fatigue seemed to drop from me (I had been too exhausted to take any pictures for a while but I had to take some pictures of the sunset, of which the one on the left is an example). Passing over Great Rigg I took the path veering right that descended off the fell over Stone Arthur. Which of the many rocks is the actual stone, I have no idea; I went up several of them at first but soon tired of this as I came off the hill in rapidly diminishing light.
Using my small torch I negotiated the lower slopes of the hill onto the road beside the Swan Hotel. Now in Grasmere I had only to get to the Youth Hostel, which was up the hill. In my exhausted, hungry, sleepy state this was the last thing I wanted or could even cope with. After feeling ill just going up a small raise I decided to eat a third piece of Kendal Mint Cake. This gave me the necessary energy to get to the Grasmere Thorney Howe Youth Hostel, at 9.40 pm. At over 11 hours this is my longest walk, and definitely the most exhausting. I hope I never have to repeat it.
Windermere to Grasmere via Thornthwaite Crag
Today was a grueller that I really should have avoided. I arrived at Windermere train station at 10.30 and immediately began walking up the road opposite the station winding up the hillside through woods coming out at Orrest Head, a popular viewpoint for the Windermere tourist, especially today where it was liberally populated by the old and the very young.
After taking a few pictures of Windermere (this picture was actually taken on the ridge to Sour Howes) I left the top and headed north through several fields until I reached the Dubbs Road. This untarmacked road took me towards the Garburn Pass, but before I got there I turned aside over a stile onto the fellside of Applethwaite Common. Slowly climbing the widening ridge I ascended onto Sour Howes. It was a total waste of time and energy, something as will be seen, I couldn't really spare, but that didn't stop me also going up the neighbouring fell, Sallows. The reason for this diversion was simple; both fells were Wainwright's and having been given his books for Christmas I had no choice but to do them. With hindsight it may have been better if I hadn't, but it probably wouldn't have made much difference to the end result.Once the Garburn Pass was finally achieved I proceeded along the path towards Yoke. The previous time I did these fells I had taken a path near the top of the ridge beside the wall,which turned out to be exceptionally boggy, and a really bad idea. This time I managed to stay on the path, which was relatively excellent; there were very few bogs to negotiate.
On top of Yoke I had my lunch before tacking Ill Bell. I remember this ascent as being really painful and difficult, but compared with the later ascents, it probably wasn't too bad. (The picture was taken from the top of Ill Bell showing a cairn marking the vantage point on the summit of Troutbeck Dale with Windermere in the distance). After Ill Bell I passed over Froswick and then climbed up to Thornthwaite Crag.(The picture was taken from the head of Kentmere Dale, near to Gavel Crag showing Ill bell and Froswick with Kentmere Reservoir on the far left). By now the weather was excellent, so even though it was obvious I wouldn't get to my destination till late (I was thinking 7 o'clock at this time) I was happy to continue. Before coming to the Lake District I had decided that I didn't want to be as tied to getting to the hostel before as I have been in the past. To this end I had taken a couple of camping mealpacks with me as backup meals in case I was late anytime, so at this time I wasn't too concerned about how much more I had to walk. I descended the scree slope to Threshthwaite Mouth and then climbed the rocky slope to Stoney Cove Pike and Caudale Moor. By now I was feeling pretty good and relaxed; I was actually enjoying myself at this stage. Not for long. From the cairn on the top of Caudale Moor I noticed another cairn a short distance away; going across to investigate I discovered that it marked a viewpoint overlooking Caudale Cove, the point being marked on the map as Caudale Head. The views down Patterdale (as shown in the picture) were stunning and I had never seen this sight before in all my years in the Lake District. In the past I have been overly concerned with bagging peaks, this year I want to investigate a bit more: look down cliffs and from viewpoints. This was a start.Passing the Atkinson Memorial I rejoined the path and descended the rather dull ridge all the way down to the Kirkstone Pass. Now I was ready to arrive at the Youth Hostel, but I had a lot of walking still ahead of me. Crossing the road I started the climb straight up the cliff face ahead of me, past the Kilnshaw Chimney onto the top of Red Screes. The path was very good, being well designed and manufactured, but that didn't stop it being an absolute torture for me as I crawled my way up to the top. In sheer exhaustion, at the summit I had a piece of my emergency supply of Kendal Mint Cake, and discovered that I had run out of water.
With still a lot of walking ahead of me, not a soul was met during the rest of my walk. From Red Screes I passed over the Scandale Pass and ascended the hillside all the way to Hart Crag, stopping off at Little Hart Crag on the way; another Wainwright bagged. Dragging myself up the hill I managed to get onto the top of the ridge on the eastern side of the Fairfield Horseshoe. Turning right I passed over the top of Hart Crag and Dove Crag, making sure that despite my extreme exhaustion I went to the summits of both hills. Both previous times I've been over these hills the weather hadn't been good, last time it was raining. Now, for the first time I have clear views (remember the good weather was one of the reasons why I continued with this madness), so I was able to locate the summits with considerably more ease than on previous occasions.
When I reached the col between Dove Crag and Fairfield I collapsed. I couldn't go on, the steep slope ahead of me felt like the north face of the Eiger; it was insurmountable. After a rest and another piece of Kendal Mint Cake I was ready to re-evaluate my assessment of the slope ahead. Staggering to my feet I started climbing onto the wide plateau of Fairfield, now gloomy in the twilight, but still clearer than any time I have visited it before. Despite this I passed to the south of the summit heading straight for the western ridge of the horseshoe.
With a stunning sunset to admire all fatigue seemed to drop from me (I had been too exhausted to take any pictures for a while but I had to take some pictures of the sunset, of which the one on the left is an example). Passing over Great Rigg I took the path veering right that descended off the fell over Stone Arthur. Which of the many rocks is the actual stone, I have no idea; I went up several of them at first but soon tired of this as I came off the hill in rapidly diminishing light.Using my small torch I negotiated the lower slopes of the hill onto the road beside the Swan Hotel. Now in Grasmere I had only to get to the Youth Hostel, which was up the hill. In my exhausted, hungry, sleepy state this was the last thing I wanted or could even cope with. After feeling ill just going up a small raise I decided to eat a third piece of Kendal Mint Cake. This gave me the necessary energy to get to the Grasmere Thorney Howe Youth Hostel, at 9.40 pm. At over 11 hours this is my longest walk, and definitely the most exhausting. I hope I never have to repeat it.
posted by David Keates at 4:41 pm
1 Comments:
This guy is sad
Post a Comment
<< Home