A Kirkstone Round

Saturday 25th July 2009

A Saturday when I wasn't working happened to coincide with good weather this summer so I got up extra early and drove to the Lake District. It is always a thrill to walk in the Lake District but this time I was walking through some stunning scenery in glorious weather over no less than ten Wainwright fells. I had parked at the car park near Brothers Water, in the valley on the northern side of the Kirkstone Pass, the highest road pass in the Lake District, and started walking through the village of Hartsop, and up the picturesque valley to the Hayeswater Reservoir. I had never been up that path before and it was a pleasant walk through a narrow valley with pretty cascades on a wide, easy track that soon ends at the bland surroundings at the mouth of the lake. The views back down the valley compensated for the bare slopes encircling the reservoir. From the dam I climbed the tedious, steep, grassy slopes of Gray Crag to the northern end of the ridge and proceeded along the top of the nicely rock-featured ridge to the summit of Gray Crag, my first Wainwright of the day.

From the top I crossed the broad ridge and up to the top of Thornthwaite Crag where the beautifully made and distinctive beacon, a tall column of stones, stands sentinel over an awesome view down to Windermere and the southern half of the Lake District. From the summit of my second Wainwright I followed the wall down the steep scree slope to Threshthwaite Mouth and climbed the fabulous rocky terrain opposite. This brilliant climb brought me up to Caudale Moor where I visited the summit at Stony Cove Pike (my third Wainwright of the day), before having a look at the stunning views towards Patterdale from the top of Caudale Head. After paying a visit to the Atkinson Memorial I resumed my walk along the top of the ridge following it all the way down the sadly dull terrain to the inn at the top of the Kirkstone Pass. I was dumfounded by the sight of helicopter bags of stones on the ridge-top path, a sure sign that the path is going to be ‘repaired’ in the near future, but I couldn’t see any reason why it needed to be. The path did seem to be a little boggy, but that was easily solved by walking on the other side of the wall, as I was.

After crossing the road I began a fabulous climb up to the top of Red Screes. This is an awesome route that snakes up the steep rocky terrain along glorious ledges, but was really tiring. Exhausted I finally reached the summit where I collapsed and had my lunch. The only other time I’d climbed Red Screes from the Kirkstone Pass was in 2006 when I did an epic walk over many fells. By the time I’d reached the top of Red Screes on that occasion I was already exhausted, but I still had a long way to go, eventually reaching the hostel in the dark. Fortunately during this walk I was refreshed after eating so with some vigour I set off down the ridge of Smallthwaite Band to Middle Dodd, my fifth Wainwright of the day. Unfortunately, there I abandoned all common sense and wore myself out by crossing the steep, craggy and boggy slopes of Red Screes to the Scandale Pass before crossing the steep grassy slopes of Little Hart Crag to my next Wainwright, the insignificant High Hartsop Dodd.

This pointless exertion was all for the benefit of bagging two more Wanwrights for the first time. As I learnt on this walk, it is never a good idea to go out of your way to ‘bag’ a summit. If you want to visit the top of a hill it is much better to devise a logical route that incorporates that summit. Having successfully and completely worn myself out I then climbed back up the ridge to the top of Little Hart Crag before crossing the dreary landscape of Bakestones Moss to Dove Crag. Slowly I dragged myself up to the top of the popular fell where Fairfield Horseshoe walkers were common place. Following the crowds I crossed over to Hart Crag before leaving most of the crowds behind and ventured down the deliciously steep, rocky fell onto the Hartsop Above How ridge. Although I had been down the rocky fellside before I had never been along the Hartsop Above How ridge before this walk, but by now I was feeling so tired I fear I was unable to really appreciate it. Following the ridge I passed over the top of my tenth Wainwright of the day gradually descending as I made my way along the top of the ridge. At a stile I came off the ridge and walked through bracken and later steeply down through woodland back to the car park. This was a fabulous walk in good weather but it was awfully tiring. There were some fabulous moments, most notably the steep, rocky climbs up to Caudale Moor and up to Red Screes, but the diversions to bag Middle Dodd and High Hartsop Dodd were unnecessary and a waste of energy. If I had left these two to be done as a separate walk then I could have maintained a straight course over the Scandale Pass, but after bagging these two Wainwrights I can now say that I have visited all the Wainwrights in the Eastern Fells and so I have now bagged all the fells in three of the seven areas of the Lake District. How sad am I?!

Beinn Liath Mhor

Friday 12th June 2009

This was my last walk in Scotland for this year and I had to go from Torridon all the way to Achnashellach station through the Coulin deer forest just so I could catch a train to Inverness. On the way I passed through some fabulous scenery and climbed over a Munro, Beinn Liath Mhor, all in amazingly good weather. I left Torridon early and walked across the foot of Glen Torridon to the village of Annat where I took an excellent stalker's path that slowly climbed across the hillside moving away from the gorgeous mountains of Liathach and Beinn Eighe. Despite the magnificence of the Torridon Mountains, part of me was relieved to be leaving the area as I had been repeatedly bitten by the multitudinous midges that plague the area. After a while I rounded Loch an Eion and reached Bealach na Lice at the head of Coire Fionnaraich which is overlooked by the Munro Maol Chean-dearg. I was now not far from the mountain that I’d climbed the day before, Beinn Damh, which was now much clearer than it had been when I’d climbed it. At the top of the pass I took a path that crossed high up the side of the corrie and over Bealach Bàn into Coire Grannda.

Even though I still hadn’t climbed to the top of a mountain I was thoroughly enjoying this walk as the scenery was superb with clear views, but more importantly I had a good path. Even though the path was manufactured it was built in a very minimalistic way so it didn’t leave too much of a scar on the landscape. A good path makes walking easier and when it’s not at the top of a mountain like this path it’s greatly appreciated, the alternative being a boggy tramp. Rather than straining myself I was able to enjoy the sunshine and the views as I strolled along the narrow path as it weaved around the hills without demolishing its way through them. Stalker's paths in Scotland are often very good but these are some of the best I’ve found in Scotland and are quite extensive. One characteristic of good mountains is good paths leading up to them, and these mountains in the Coulin deer forest seem to fulfil that requirement nicely despite the bleakness of the terrain.

From Coire Grannda I had sumptuous views of Liathach and Beinn Eighe basking in the bright sunshine, but also ahead of me were the Munros of Beinn Liath Mhor and Sgorr Ruadh at the head of Coire Lair. I had originally intended on going over Sgorr Ruadh, but as I climbed up to the bealach I changed my mind and decided to go over the other Munro as it had better views and a narrow ridge. On reaching the top of the pass I turned left and climbed the stony hillside up to the top of the Munro of Beinn Liath Mhor where I had my lunch. I sat against the summit cairn in the gorgeous weather in awe as I gazed across the wild, empty landscape of the deer forest to the giants of Liathach and Beinn Eighe, with many more mountains as far as the eye could see. The views were so perfect I just didn’t want to leave, but I had a train to catch. After lunch I walked along the narrow stony ridge while still attracted by the views of the Torridon Mountains behind me as I passed over several tops until finally I reluctantly had to say goodbye to the Torridon Mountains and drop down the steep slope at the end of the ridge. A simple walk along a rather over-manufactured path brought me down to the bottom of the valley and through a rhododendron-laden wood to the railway station. This was a fantastic walk through wonderful scenery in gorgeous weather, and was a fitting end to my fortnight’s holiday in Scotland. It is a pity I was unable to walk over both of the Munros in Coire Lair but a return trip would be richly rewarding. Although I have left Scotland for this year, but I am already planning next year’s trip.

Beinn Damh

Thursday 11th June 2009

The bad weather of the previous day continued for this walk with sometimes quite heavy rain, but by the afternoon it had cleared, unfortunately just in time for me to come off the mountain. The natural mountain for me to have done on this day was Beinn Eighe, the third of the three giants of Torridon, but that is a little too far away from the Youth Hostel for me to walk there (and besides the weather was not really right for an ascent up such an expansive and complex mountain). Instead I went for a walk up Beinn Damh, a hill to the south of Torridon and separate from the giants which are all on the northern side of Glen Torridon.

Starting early once again I set off along the road over the river and through the village of Annat to the Torridon Inn. Near the inn I took a path that climbed through dense rhododendron bushes and up a steep wooded valley. Despite the intrusion of these foreign, invasive plants this was an entertaining climb along a good path that passes a spectacular, tall waterfall. Just after climbing steeply out of the woodland I took a left forking path across a burn, the Allt Coire Roill, and into the immense, boggy, heather-clad valley of Coire Roill. The path soon became faint and eventually I lost it as I climbed higher up the boggy valley into the hills. The sunny start had soon dissolved into a cold, cloudy and windy day and then it started raining heavily. Trudging ever higher into the corrie I eventually reached the top of the pass, Drochaid Coire Roill, where I crossed below a buttress and up the hillside into Coire an Laoigh. The climb up onto Stuc Toll nam Biast looked such a steep climb I was wondering how I would get up there, but a faint path up the steep hillside made the climb both much easier than had appeared at first and a pure delight.

On top I had to clamber across loose stones before scrambling up the ridge to the summit of Spidean Coire an Laoigh, a Corbett, which misses out on Munro status by 42 feet. While I had my lunch at the summit the clouds cleared nicely to reveal the stunning craggy mountains of the Coulin deer forest, but it wasn’t long before the summit was enveloped in cloud again and it started raining. After lunch I walked through the mist along the northern ridge, veering towards the 868m northern top but the ridge seemed to be just an interminable boulder field with nothing to see in the thick mist except boulders. Frustrated at the pointless effort I was wasting I eventually veered left before I reached the top and headed down to the continuation of the ridge on a wide grassy saddle. Beyond this col are two tops, the second of which has a trig point and, according to Ralph Storer, a stunning view. A steep climb brought me over the first top, Meall Gorm, and a little beyond onto the second, Sgurr na Bana Mhoraire. Just when I thought my efforts would be unrewarded the clouds parted to reveal picturesque views out to the sea across Loch Torridon.I took loads of pictures of this view, but frustratingly only one came out, fortunately it’s a good one. After returning to the bealach I took a badly eroded path down the hillside back into the valley and onto my onward route through the woodland and back along the road. Despite the bad weather I did actually quite enjoy this walk even though it was over a smaller hill than others that I had done during this holiday. The trudge through the valley wasn’t too bad, but the climb at the end onto the summit was fabulous with great views that I’m sure would have been even better in good weather. The boulder field on the northern ridge was annoying and frustrating, but I enjoyed going over to the viewpoint at the trig point even though it involved climbing up and down one hill and up another. The weather was varied for this walk with the worst I had experienced all holiday, but it ended with glorious sunshine and a lovely afternoon as I walked back to the Youth Hostel.