The High Stile Range

Tuesday 18th April 2006

The weather forecast for this walk was for rain in the afternoon, which considering the low cloud in the morning did not bode well, but in the end the weather was fine for most of the day. Leaving Buttermere I headed straight up the hillside on a heavily constructed path beside Sour Milk Gill. This is a good path but extremely steep and completely wore me out. When I eventually arrived at the saddle near the summit I veered off to the top of Dodd and had look at the stunning view across Buttermere and Crummock Water. Returning to the saddle I made the final ascent up to the top of Red Pike. Soon after I arrived at the summit a large group of people arrived from a different path and I beat a hasty retreat, but as it turned out it was in vain as this group would stay with me all morning.

My first venture for solitude was to go across the hilltop to White Pike on the Ennerdale side of the mountain and from there I headed back across the hill and climbed up to the top of High Stile. As the group joined me I explored the northern promontory walking out as far as was safe to look at the views and take pictures of the lakes below. Returning to the summit I headed off along the ridge, which was now in clouds. Overtaking the group I arrived at High Crag first and once again explored the views from the top of the northern cliffs while the clouds began to lift from all the tops with the weather gradually getting better. Returning to the top I descended the steep scree slope of Gamlin End, which was much easier than I remembered when I came up this way four years before in hot weather.

After stopping for lunch on Seat I crossed the Scarth Gap and began the highlight of the day: Haystacks. I can understand why Wainwright held it in such regard; even with the heavily constructed path up from Scarth Gap, the adventure of the climb still remains. You can't ruin perfection so easily. Once the almost-a-scramble has brought you to the summit the adventure is only just beginning with many rocky tops and views to explore. I darted from one side of the fell to the other eagerly looking at the views and scrambling around on the outcrops. All day the Buttermere side delivered the best views while Ennerdale remained dark and overcast. Pillar dominates the view in Ennerdale, but in Buttermere you have two fine lakes and the whole of the North-Western Fells as a backdrop. Consequently the vast majority of my pictures from this walk are of Buttermere and Crummock Water, however by this point even I was getting fed up with taking pictures of those lakes! Returning to the path I passed Innominate Tarn and onward to the fabulous Black Beck and it's breath-taking view of Buttermere. Beyond Backbeck Tarn I left the path and headed uphill towards Brandreth, but once again I decided to change my plans. My original intention had been to go up to the Moses Trod and then on to Pillar as I wanted to do the High Level Route to the Pillar Rock. However, since it was 3-30 and I still hadn't reached the Moses Trod I once again had to abandon my plan; I had simply spent too much time stopping to look at the views of Buttermere. An idea of walking up to the Moses Trod and then down the valley was also abandoned as being a total waste of time and energy so I halted my madcap charge towards Brandreth and turned down Loft Beck into Ennerdale. Once at the bottom I sat on top of a moraine and admired the view. I don't do this enough: just sitting and enjoying the views. I am always in too much of a hurry, but this time in the Lake District I was trying to explore a bit more and consequently I was not walking as far as I'd originally planned, so maybe all these plan changes are actually a good thing. After a short spell of reflection I set off past Black Sail Youth Hostel and down the forest track all the way to the Ennerdale Youth Hostel. This was another good day that emphasises the need to slow down and enjoy the scenery.