Helvellyn & the Dodds

Saturday 2nd April 2005

I was going home on this day so the sun came out; isn’t that just typical! It was still cold and windy, but the rain had stopped and the clouds had lifted (though it was still a bit hazy), which left me with a lovely day to be out on the fells, so it was a pity I was going home. I had one more walk to do, so setting off early I headed up the Glenridding valley, across the beck and then up the hill beside Red Tarn Beck. On reaching the tarn I turned right towards the Hole-in-the-Wall to begin my assault of Striding Edge. To be honest now that I’ve gone along the edge I can't see what all the fuss has been about! I sailed over the very top of the ridge with huge drops either side and with the ridge no more than a foot wide in places. In wet conditions it may be tricky, and much worse with snow under foot, but in the dry and with only a medium cross-wind I had no problems at all. What had I been so nervous about all these years? I have no idea, but now I felt I could do any edge; bring on Crib Goch!

The summit of Helvellyn was as usual bleak in appearance, but unusually it was totally devoid of people at the relatively early time of 11 am, which was too early for the tourists coming up from the main road. I was merely lucky though, as I saw the advance guard approaching from Browncove Crags just as I was leaving. After a lingering look at the scenery from the top of Swirral Edge I headed out over Lower Man and down the ridge towards Whiteside; the fells now came thick and fast. Following Whiteside was the rocky Raise and beyond the Sticks Pass, the grassy Stybarrow Dodd was followed by the inconsequential Watson's Dodd and the massive Great Dodd. 

My descent now began in earnest as I passed over Little Dodd and on to Calfhow Pike before crossing over to Clough Head. All that now followed for me was a steep descent down a steep, grassy slope just to the left of White Pike until I reached the Old Coach Road at Hausewell Brow. Turning left I walked along the old coach road until I reached a gate where I turned towards the north again and followed the fence down the hill of Threlkeld Common. At Newsham I joined a track that took me to Mill Bridge where a footpath beside the river took me over the A66 trunk road and to the church in Threlkeld. After a quick drink at the Horse & Farrier I caught the bus to Penrith and began my journey home. After nine days in the Lake District I was happy to be going home, but I will still miss it and I was looking forward to returning next year. I think an annual holiday in the Lake District is a must as there is no better place.

Red Screes, Fairfield & St Sunday Crag

Friday 1st April 2005

 

This was another cold, wet and windy day, in fact the weather was the worst of my entire holiday, but I still did my intended walk; I'm not afraid of a few drops of rain! When I left Elterwater there was mist in the air, almost a light drizzle, that didn't last long and it stayed dry for more or less the rest of the morning. I walked beside Great Langdale Beck, past the lake Elterwater and past the woefully inadequate waterfall of Skelwith Force. A bit of road walking took me to the start of a bridle path that crosses the southern part of Loughrigg before descending into Ambleside. The village didn't seem too busy as I shopped for some Kendal Mint Cake but it wasn't long before I was heading out of Ambleside and up a road called ‘The Struggle’. 

 

After a mile I turned off onto a footpath on the left that follows the ridge all the way up to the top of Red Screes. It soon clouded over as I ascended the muddy path which robbed me of any views except clouds until I was descending into Grisedale at the end of the walk. After lunch at the top of Red Screes I headed down to the Scandale Pass where it started to rain in earnest and it was a long time before it stopped. Continuing west I followed the path over High Bakestones blindly trusting that the path would take me to the stone wall on the top of the ridge south of Dove Crag, which it did. Turning right I headed over Dove Crag and Hart Crag (presumably, I never actually saw the summits, just clouds) before climbing onto Fairfield. The wind and rain continued as I gingerly descended down to Deepdale Hause and climbed up to St Sunday Crag, where I was hit by a vicious southerly wind. The wind, however, quickly fell away as I descended the northerly side and would you believe it, the sun came out! The clouds broke and a rainbow appeared since, of course, it was still raining. The rainbow, with ends in Grisedale and Glenamara Park, remained as I clambered down to the bottom of Grisedale, lingering above me as I descended. The conclusion of the walk involved climbing over the hill beside Lanty's Tarn, descending into Glenridding and up the valley to the Helvellyn Youth Hostel.

The Coniston Fells (cntd.) & Pike of Blisco

Thursday 31st March 2005

Once again the weather on this walk was cold, cloudy and windy, and I chose to look on that as ideal walking weather so it is a pity about the lack of a view. In the morning I set off from the Coniston Coppermines Youth Hostel down the road towards Coniston but soon I turned off to the left near a row of cottages and headed up the hillside. I don't know where I made a mistake but somehow I must have strayed onto an old miners' track to a disused quarry below Sweeten Crag; I eventually realised I wasn't on the right road when the path petered out soon after the quarry! I went around the edge of a marsh near Kitty Crag and headed north-east towards the ridge I was supposed to have been walking on, crossing over the clear path through Hole Rake on the way. I headed up the side of the ridge but I didn't find a clear path until I finally reached the top of the ridge. Maybe I had taken an unorthodox route, but I eventually reached my destination, so why complain?

Wetherlam was my first big hill in the Lake District, climbed on a warm July afternoon three years before this walk with clear, stunning views across the surrounding countryside. I distinctly remember it having very good views, but then again I had nothing to compare it with at the time, but on this walk the views were non-existent, Wetherlam was completely covered in cloud. The summit seemed much smaller and rather inconsequential when seen under cloud cover, though I suppose I’ve seen a lot in the intervening three years. Heading west I bypassed Black Sails and climbed up Prison Band returning to the fell that I had been at the top of the day before, Swirl How. Continuing west I bypassed Great Carrs and descended the grassy plain of Fairfield before ascending to the top of Grey Friars, a fell that I'd never been to before. The weather was still rather hostile and a strong easterly wind now blew at me as I stood at the top of Grey Friars. Returning to the top of Great Carrs I paused by the wartime aircraft wreck before beginning my descent over Little Carrs and Hell Gill Pike onto Wet Side Edge. At a marker cairn I turned off the ridge and descended to the Three Shires Stone immediately beginning the ascent beyond it up to Red Tarn. The weather now appeared to be clearing slightly to reveal a patch of blue sky above Pike O'Blisco, but the Coniston Fells behind me remained shrouded in clouds. I was no keen on doing the Cringle Crags, so I headed up to the Pike of Blisco and then crossed Wrynose Fell descending the steep, staircase-like path beside Redacre Gill down to the road. After going around the small prominence of Side Pike I climbed up to the top of the ridge and followed a fence across the spine of Lingmoor Fell. Despite limited visibility I was finding this walk highly enjoyable, and was even skipping across the top of the hills; there really is nothing like hill walking, I love it. Beyond the summit of Lingmoor Fell at Brown How I passed a few disused quarries and dropped down the hillside to a byway that led me from Dale End farm into Elterwater.

Harter Fell and the Coniston Fells

Wednesday 30th March 2005

This day started grey and cold, but despite the weather I still headed off on another walk along the road at the bottom of Eskdale before heading up a bridle path straight after crossing Whahouse Bridge. Once out of the trees into open country I had a steep climb ahead of me up to the top of Harter Fell. This may have been a very cold and overcast day, but it seemed almost like ideal walking weather: there were few other people on the fells, and none on Harter Fell. I had the fells to enjoy all by myself. Descending towards Dunnerdale Forest I discovered there were now no trees in the Forestry Commission land but a bleak, barren landscape where the trees had been until recently. Ennerdale is in a similar state in parts where the Forestry Commission has removed all the trees from an area, but coniferous forests have a destructive effect on the ground, poisoning it so nothing else can grow. With all the trees gone we are left with nothing but bare earth across the hillsides, which is not what I came to the Lake District to see. It is not a pretty sight and the sooner the land recovers the better.

After negotiating the steep, barren landscape I reached the bottom of the valley and crossed the River Duddon. I walked south along the road until I crossed a cattle grid where I climbed over Troutal Tongue and passed through Tongue House and Long House farms, crossing several muddy fields in the process. Eventually I reached the beginning of the Walna Scar Road and ascended the track to the summit near Brown Pike. While braving the strong winds that assailed me at the top I headed along the ridge northwards over Brown Pike, Buck Pike and Dow Crag. After crossing over Goats Hawse I climbed up to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston, which was inevitably hidden within the clouds. Heading back north I passed over Brim Fell and climbed up to Swirl How. I was now unsure what to do next. I was planning to go along Wet Side Edge, north of Great Carrs, the next day but suddenly I thought it would be a good idea if I left something else in the Coniston Fells to do as well. With this in mind, and also with uncertainty as to when I'd get to the hostel otherwise, I decided not to go up Wetherlam but descended from Swirl Hawse past Levers Water and down to the hostel in the Coppermines Valley.

Scafell Pike & Sca Fell

Tuesday 29th March 2005

Bright sunshine accompanied me for much of this walk but despite the good weather I wouldn't rate it as the highlight of the holiday. The night before I was trying to come up with an interesting walk but nothing seemed to work so in the end I had to settle for my original plan: Scafell Pike. So it was that in glorious weather I began a four mile trudge along the road beside Wastwater to Wasdale Head: great views, but what a waste of a glorious morning when I could have been up high. My plan, formulated the night before, was to head up to Sty Head along the bridle path that runs up the lower slopes of Great Gable. I did a walk up this way the year before, but stayed at the bottom of the valley beside the river, which turned out to be a rather difficult route to find as the path pretty much disappears at the head of the valley and leaves you with a steep climb in order to get up to Sty Head (I must try it again). This time I took the main path up to Sty Head from Wasdale Head and naturally I found it to be a very easy path.

The main reason for my going through Sty Head to get to Scafell Pike (besides avoiding the crowds on Brown Tongue) was so I could take the Corridor Route to the Lingmell Col. This superb path hugs the side of the hill below Great End, weaving around the crags and across the top of gullies as it climbs from Sty Head to join the tourist path at the col with Lingmell; it is never boring. I had lunch at the col with my back to the crowds that were passing up the tourist path while I gazed out on Great Gable and the surrounding scenery, which looked amazing on this sunny day. With relatively little effort I quickly dashed up the tourist path after lunch to the crowded summit. The path was full of families with young children who had all climbed up to the highest hill in England; I felt sorry for them, there are far more interesting hills in the Lake District. Clouds were beginning to cover the Pike while I was there but I was still able to see the views almost all around the summit, such as they are. I don't think the view from Scafell Pike is particularly noteworthy compared with others in the Lakes. There are far better viewpoints. Quickly beating a retreat I headed across to Broad Stand and with a quick glance at the start of Lord's Rake I made a careful descent down the scree towards the Foxes Tarn route to Sca Fell. Let's face it, there is no easy route from Scafell Pike to Sca Fell; the Foxes Tarn route may be the only recommended route given the poor state of Lord's Rake these days, but it's still not easy. There is a very steep scree slope to descend and then a lengthy scramble up a gully to Foxes Tarn, which is made trickier by the stream coming down. Once at the small tarn you have yet another scree slope to walk up before you finally reach the summit. It took me an hour to get from one summit to the other, but as the eagle flies it's just 900 metres! It may not be easy, but it's quite fun nevertheless.

By now the day had turned colder with cloud descending everywhere; Sca Fell was completely covered in cloud, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm as unlike the Pike this summit was almost bare of people. What a difference fourteen metres makes! Ahead of me now was a slow descent over Slight Side into Eskdale. As one looks out from Slight Side the route ahead appears to be over a rather depressing, boggy landscape, but I didn't let that dampen my spirits and I quite enjoyed myself as I made the descent. I climbed this way on my first visit to the Lake District and it is far better as a descent. The path was clear for most of the way and rather enjoyable once I got down to Catcove Beck where I started weaving around the bogs and crags which made for a very pleasant, relaxing descent into Eskdale.

Red Pike, Yewbarrow & the Wastwater Screes

More from my holiday in the Lake District Easter 2005:

Monday 28th March 2005

The weather on this walk was much better than the day before with clear views all day and even though some of the hills were still hidden under clouds they were never the ones I was on. It was a lovely, though overcast morning as I set off from the Ennerdale Youth Hostel across the same fields as my walk the day before but this time I continued straight into the wood and didn't cross the Woundell Beck. After an initial climb I crossed the Silvercove Beck and without crossing the adjacent Deep Gill I headed up the tongue between the two streams. This was an enjoyable climb in the cold morning air with stunning views up and down Ennerdale and proved to be a much better way of getting onto the ridge than the one that I had used the day before. I also got to the top considerably earlier than I had then, and I don't think the weather was to blame.

Once at the top I veered to the right to the cairn on top of the bare grassy plain of Caw Fell before doubling back on myself and following the stone wall. I must say I was having a whale of a time as I enjoyed the glorious weather and stunning views while passing over Little Gowder Crag, Haycock, Great Scoat Fell and Little Scoat Fell. Every step along the ridge was a joy. After passing over the top of Scoat Fell I veered south-east down the hillside and up to Red Pike, a hill that I have missed out on several times in the past, and consequently was the highest hill in the Lakes that I had never been up. Chatting merrily to myself I passed over Red Pike and descended to Dore Head.

To my left was the infamous Dore Head Screes, a steep descent into Mosedale, but now a muddy slope rather than a scree slope. I shuddered at the thought of going down it and instead I ascended the cliff wall of Stirrup Crag ahead of me. Though this is larger and more technically difficult than the Kirk Fell Crags of my previous day's walk (which I'd only been wary of because I had gone completely wrong while attempting them a couple of years ago), it was still not too difficult to climb up them, even if I had to change my line of approach a couple of times. At one time, a couple of years ago, I wasn't too keen on scrambles, but now I can't get enough of them. Funny old bod, aren't I?

After lunch at the top of Yewbarrow I descended the hill down the scree slopes by the Great Door, which was extremely tricky. I had heard that Yewbarrow has an infamous reputation but I wasn't prepared for how difficult it would actually be. For such a low hill (not much much more than two thousand feet) it deserves to be treated with respect so I was thankful when I finally reached the bottom by the side of Wastwater and began a circumnavigation of the deepest lake in the Lake District. After rounding the north-eastern end by the (closed due to a bridge being rebuilt) National Trust Car Park I headed along the south-eastern shore. Most of my walk beside the lake was rather pleasant especially in the increasingly sunny afternoon weather, however the second half of the walk was across the fearsome scree slopes of Wastwater (so infamous they are sometimes called simply “The Screes”). At one section you have to literally hop from one boulder to another in an attempt to get across, so it was almost with regret that I completed the walk along the shore, it was such great fun. On the final stage of the walk I followed the River Irt to Lund Bridge and then along a woodland path back beside the river to the lake and around to the youth hostel at Wasdale Hall (with tremendous views over the lake up to Wasdale Head).

Ennerdale Round (almost!)

Sunday 27th March 2005

The weather for this walk was worse than it had been earlier in my holiday with it staying overcast all day and cloud covering all the tops higher than 2,000 feet. My plan had been to walk all the way around Ennerdale but as will be seen events conspired against me. Leaving the hostel I crossed the fields to the east of Ennerdale Water, passed over the Woundell Beck and climbed up a firebreak in the forest to Lingmell. This was a very steep and exhausting climb that seemed to take me forever, and it probably did. Heading east over Lingmell I crossed the Low Beck and started to climb the Long Crag ridge all the way up into the clouds, onto Steeple and beyond to the top of Scoat Fell. It took me so long to get onto Scoat Fell that I think this must be a major factor in my failing to achieve my original objective.

Heading east along the ridge I passed across the Wind Gap and ascended Pillar, which I was visiting for the second day running though this time in much less agreeable weather. Continuing eastwards I went down the hill, past Looking Stead to Black Sail Pass with Kirk Fell, which I had bypassed the day before, directly ahead of me. Taking a deep breath I tackled the precipitous Kirk Fell Crags trying to remember to follow the rusting boundary posts all the way up. That is without doubt the easiest way up but somehow I still managed to go the wrong way though I soon realised my mistake and returned to the posts. The wind and rain didn't make the scramble any easier though, but eventually I reached the top on my hands and knees. Totally exhausted I staggered up to the summit following the boundary posts all the way through the mist. (The above picture of Ennerdale was not taken during this walk. The weather was no where near this good! I didn't take a camera with me on this holiday so all the pictures illustrating these walks from 2005 are from later visits to the Lake District.)

After lunch I headed down to Beck Head and then followed the Moses' Trod path below the Gables until I hit the fence coming off Brandreth. You will notice that I’d already decided to miss out the Gables even though a true Ennerdale Round should include both Green and Great Gable. Turning left I followed the fence down the hill until it turned sharply left, where I crossed over and continued straight on towards the top of Warnscale Beck. When I reached the main path to Hay Stacks I turned left and headed over Wainwright's favourite hill. Despite it's diminutive stature this is indeed a magical place where the path ducks and weaves around the crags and tarns with stunning views below the clouds across Buttermere.

From the summit of Hay Stacks I descended to the Scarth Gap Pass and realised that it was already quarter past four and far too late for me to begin the High Style ridge. My slow ascent in the morning and the inclement weather had conspired together so that the High Style ridge would have to wait for another year (I wasn't too disappointed, I had been over the ridge before). So I descended into Ennerdale and walked the four miles along the forest road all the way back to the youth hostel.

Fleetwith Pike, Great Gable & Pillar

This continues the account of my walking holiday in the Lake District at Easter 2005:

Saturday 26th March 2005

I felt rather tired and weak during this walk; I didn't feel like I had the energy for a full Lakeland walk, but somehow I still managed to do a fairly strenuous walk even though I might have enjoyed it more in better circumstances. The walk started with a pleasurable stroll along the shore of Buttermere before beginning the seemingly unending ascent of Fleetwith Pike. There were tremendous views behind me over the lake as I undertook the great climb with good weather following me up that unfortunately wasn't to last. From the summit I headed past the quarry to the Drum House on the dismantled tramway and up the path opposite heading across the western slopes of Grey Knotts. I crossed the fence near Brandreth, bypassing the top of the hill and followed the cairns to Green Gable where I had brilliant views across the Borrowdale Fells and all the way to the Langdale Pikes. I don't think I had ever been up there in such clear weather before, even Great Gable was clear, which I have never been on in clear weather. I was really looking forward to enjoying the extensive views from the top but my curse was soon to strike. As I ascended Great Gable the clouds swept in, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. What do I have to do to see anything from Great Gable? I was able to see the impressive views of Wasdale across Wastwater from the Westmorland Cairn below the summit but that did not make the descent to Beck Head any warmer or less windy. Bypassing Kirk Fell by the northern traverse I took a path from the Black Sail Pass up over Looking Stead. My goal, even though I was very tired by this point, was the Shamrock Traverse to the Pillar Rock, which I have planned to do many times before but never done. And I’ve still not done it. Before I got to the Robinson Cairn I lost the path and eventually ascended the hillside to the top of the ridge near Hinds Cove. When I realised my mistake it was too late to do something about it; I should have stayed on the level or even descended the hillside a little. I need to try the walk again some time (though not unfortunately during this trip).

Following the main path at the top of the ridge I climbed onto the top of Pillar and admired the view from the northern edge looking out over the Pillar Rock and into Ennerdale. I decided that it was now time to leave the top of the hills so I descended into the valley over White Pike (this is a steep stony descent, I don't want to ascend that way!). At the valley floor I was blocked by the wide River Liza with no bridge for miles, so instead of a long walk round I found a good spot and tried crossing the river. When my foot inevitably slipped into the water on the wet rocks I decided to dash across the river as fast as possible since I was already wet. My socks and trousers took hours to dry! Eventually I reached the Ennerdale Youth Hostel, which is a much more basic hostel than Buttermere and was much more to my liking.

Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head

As I haven’t done any hill walking since September I think it would be a good idea to post reports from my old blog written in 2005. They begin with my walking holiday of Easter 2005:

Friday 25th March 2005

Over Easter I spent over a week in that most gorgeous of places, the Lake District. I have been going there every year for four years and I enjoy the walking every time; this year was no exception and as always it was a pleasure to be there. There really is nowhere quite like the Lake District with its wide opportunities for great walking. Everywhere you turn there is a great walk to be had with absolutely stunning scenery. I always look forward to going there and this holiday was no exception as the Lake District is never disappointing.

The journey up took me rather longer than it needed to, a total of six hours, but that included ¾ hour in Nuneaton station, ½ hour in Crewe and an hour in Penrith. Everything in my travel arrangements for this trip seemed to conspire against me with the return journey being even worse. C'est la vie. Eventually I arrived in Braithwaite with the whole afternoon left for me to enjoy the hills so immediately I set off up into the hills at the western end of the village quickly gaining the top of the ridge. So began a slow climb over Sleet How and onto Grisedale Pike in near perfect weather with the warm sun alternating with a cooling wind when the sun went in. The views were, as ever, magnificent as I made my ascent with a gloriously rocky final section that was simply the icing on the cake to enjoy before I reached the summit. The climb up to the top of the first hill of the day is always a drag, especially if it's the first day of your holiday, but this one was as pleasurable as it could be. During lunch at the top of Grisedale Pike the clouds descended which put a cold spin on my remaining time in the hills. I proceeded along the ridge around Hobcarton Crag and arrived at Hopegill Head where I attempted the rocky descent north towards Ladyside Pike. This proved to be rather tricky in the damp, misty conditions that I found myself in, but soon I was down the steep rocky slope and heading on the path to Ladyside Pike, which rewarded me with glimpses of the scenery to the north through the clouds. Most importantly, however, I had the hill all to myself as the crowds on Grisedale Pike were left far behind. While making my return towards Hopegill Head I found the conditions less slippery than before and had great fun tackling the rocky scramble head on while keeping to the highest point on the ridge, but soon unfortunately I found myself back at the top of Hopegill Head.

Now my route was straight ahead of me: over Sand Hill, across Coledale Hause, between Grasmoor and Crag Hill, and over Whiteless Pike all the way down to my overnight in Buttermere. As I descended the clouds began to lift and the sun came out resulting in a pleasingly warm end to the afternoon. As a diversion in the glorious weather that I now found myself in I decided to end the walk by climbing over Low Bank and Rannerdale Knotts. These may be tiny hills compared with the giants that I had just visited but there was still a lot to keep my interest on a path that was full of adventure particularly during the steep descent to the road; I thoroughly recommend it. A bit of road walking through the village of Buttermere brought me to the Youth Hostel, which was rather crowded (well, it is Good Friday) and is a little too family-orientated for me as I prefer more basic hostels, which is what I stayed in during the rest of the holiday.