Great Crag, Grange Fell and Walla Crag

Tuesday 29th December 2009

After fulfilling my obligations over Christmas I returned to the Lake District the day before this walk to find that the weather had not improved. In fact, the clear skies of Christmas Eve were a distant memory as it was now becoming rather windy. The walk I did on this date was originally planned for the final day of this holiday but a reassessment of my plans due to the snow brought it forward to the first day. After a visit to Friar's Crag I caught a bus to Rosthwaite where I started walking along the Greenup Edge path but veered left just after the turning to Stonethwaite on a path that climbs the steep tree-clad hillside on an excellent route. I'd never been on this path before, but I found it to be wonderful; a delightful path that snakes up the hillside through woodland on a brilliantly designed route with solid rock under foot. All these years I had missed a gem, I thoroughly enjoyed the walk up that path.
Eventually I emerged from under the trees onto the open fell and made my way across snow covered slopes along the narrow path to Dock Tarn. I visited this lake, and the nearby Great Crag, a couple of years ago, also under wintry conditions, but the snow was not as deep then and the lake wasn’t frozen solid as I found it on this walk. Leaving the path I waded through knee-deep snow to the summit of Great Crag and after a picture or two I returned to the path, which I followed down the hill and across snow-covered, frozen wetlands to the busy Watendlath to Rosthwaite bridlepath. Crossing the path I ventured once more through snow straight towards the summit of Grange Fell, known as Brund Fell. Having located the correct top (though I don’t think there is much difference between them) I descended a gully that I distinctly remembered as containing the path (and it clearly looked like it to me) but there were no footprints in it, so it seems no one else had discovered it.

Rather proud of my discovery I joined a trail of footprints as it skirted Jobblety How and started descending the eastern slope of Grange Fell. I had originally planned to walk along the north ridge over Ether Knott but the deep snow once again ruled out this plan. Following a wall all the way down the slope I eventually reached the small hamlet of Watendlath where I had my lunch while gazing over the lake and relishing the lack of people in this usually tourist heavy location. Before too long I set off along the bottom of the valley, beside the Watendlath Beck, on an interesting path that eventually leads into Ashness Wood and then onto the road. Since the road was closed due to the weather I had no trouble walking along it and soon reached a surprising view over Derwent Water. The trees parted to reveal an awe-inspiring panorama from the top of a high, sheer cliff that quite took my breath. I'd never been to Surprise View before but I wish I’d seen it long ago, and in better weather.
Reluctantly I left the viewpoint and returned to the road walking down to Ashness Bridge, which I had last visited in September 2008 with my parents. I had hurt my leg after a week in Scotland and my parents didn't want to go for a walk, so despite the excellent weather we just looked at the view. Leaving the road at the bridge I set off up the hillside through bracken on an increasingly icy path. It was quite a surprise for me to discover how slippery the path was over Walla Crag. When I’d decided I wouldn’t use crampons I had assumed a low hill like Walla Crag (only 379m) would be safe, but this turned out not to be the case. Walla Crag is a very popular hill with people staying in Keswick, so over Christmas it must have seen many people visit its stunning viewpoint. By the time I was walking up it the paths had been beaten hard and slippery which made the use of crampons quite advisable. I did actually see someone with crampons on while I was climbing towards the top, and I’m sure they are very helpful in these sorts of conditions, but I’m still reluctant to take the plunge. I was using two walking poles which I think were sufficient for me and throughout my holiday my poles prevented me from slipping over, but I never felt confident to go particularly high. Crampons would have given me that confidence.

Eventually I reached the summit of Walla Crag but by this time it was beginning to get dark and the wind was picking up. With the snow whipping into my face I made the arduous, slippery journey, thankfully safely, down into Keswick eventually reaching the town before it got too dark. This was a really enjoyable walk, even though towards the end it was in tricky conditions, but I believe I was adequately equipped for it. Throughout my holiday I made sure that I didn't do any walk which I couldn't handle, or wasn’t equipped for.

Crag Fell and Grike

Thursday 24th December 2009 

 

Last Christmas Eve I had intended on walking up Fellbarrow but soon after setting off from the village of Lorton I discovered that Lorton Bridge had been washed away in November’s floods. With no other way across the river I returned to my car and drove elsewhere to try a completely different walk. Later I discovered that the walk that I had intended on doing was not possible. The walk had been in the first edition of Wainwright’s guide to the Western Fells, but in the newly published revised edition this walk has been removed at the request of landowners and is described as ‘impracticable’, so it is maybe fortunate that fate intervened and forced me to do a walk elsewhere. The walk I actually did had originally been planned to be done at the beginning of the week, but bad weather had forced its abandonment. Fortunately it was now being given a reprieve, and produced a thoroughly enjoyable walk, apart from at one little point. 

 

I parked near Ennerdale Water at the end of a road through the tiny village of Ennerdale Bridge. The walk had originally been abandoned because I doubted I would be able to get my car along the icy country lanes to the start, but in the event a little thawing over the last day or two and very cautious driving on my behalf successfully got me to the admittedly well-used car park. My walk started beside Ennerdale Water which has a wonderful view across the lake towards the high fells in the valley. I'd never been to Ennerdale Water before so I was enjoying this chance to see it at close hand rather than from a distance, which was the best view I’d had before. After a short walk along the shore I took a branching path that climbs the heather clad hillside up to the top of the low promontory of Angler’s Crag. 

After another look at the stunning view towards Ennerdale, I started to climb the steep hillside opposite. With hindsight this wasn’t the right route to take up Crag Fell, especially with snow on the ground, and yet I made it even worse by not taking the route that I would have taken at any other time of the year. I should have taken a path “up the slope to a green rake that slants up to the right of some pinnacles (there is also an easier path below the pinnacles),” but instead I moved too far east and climbed a scree slope to the bottom of Revelin Crag. This was very steep and rocky underfoot that forced me to use mountain climbing methods in order to get up the snow slope. Once I had climbed up to the foot of the escarpment I was supposed to walk along the shelf until the escarpment ended, but I was too impatient to do that so I tried climbing Revelin Crag. In summer conditions this might have been an entertaining scramble but not under snow. Eventually I realised my error and slid back down to the shelf. 

 

Feeling frustrated with my futile attempts to climb the escarpment I eventually managed to get to the top only once I had reached the end of the escarpment after starting to go downhill for a while. Joining the main path that I probably should have been on, I climbed above the escarpment all the way to the summit of Crag Fell where I was greeted by tremendous views up Ennerdale thanks to the cloudless skies that I was once again enjoying on this holiday. After lunch I joyfully crossed the vast snow covered slopes to a fence which I followed, trudging through the ankle-deep, powdery snow all the way up to the top of Grike, a bland grass (well, in this case, snow) covered fell. I needed to be back home for Christmas so I quickly dropped down the wide northern slopes of Grike to the Ben Gill ravine where I picked up the main path from Crag Fell at the point where it crosses the stream. The path soon enters a wood along a wonderfully enjoyable terrace route that gradually drops down to the valley floor and the car park. I really enjoyed this walk, despite my mountaineering efforts trying to get up to the foot of the escarpment. I’m sure this was a lot better than any walk over Fellbarrow would have been. In future I resolved that I would use simpler routes to get to the top of snow-covered fells. I am not a fan of snow on hills as it robs me of the most enjoyable parts of hill walking, like scrambling up the escarpment in this walk. Spring can’t come soon enough.

The Loweswater Fells

Wednesday 23rd December 2009

The snow continued to be a major factor during this walk, but fortunately this time I enjoyed perfect weather with the sun shining all day, hardly a cloud in the sky and hardly a breath of wind. The snow meant I couldn't park where I'd planned (next to Maggie's Bridge, near Loweswater), so I parked on the main road at Lanthwaite below Grasmoor. This necessitated a long walk-in from my parking spot to Maggie’s Bridge and another long one at the end when I was tired. However, since this extension was along easy tracks and roads it wasn't too bad and actually I found it quite relaxing compared with the rest of the walk. Beyond Maggie’s Bridge I entered Holme Wood and began climbing the steep wooded slopes eventually reaching the edge of the wood to stunning views of Grasmoor and Whiteside.
Crossing into the open fell I climbed beside a stream, the Holme Beck, for a short distance until I reached a fence where I turned right and followed the fence steeply up the hillside. This was in fact the wrong way. I had misread Wainwright’s guide and therefore missed out on a vastly superior route that crosses the eastern slopes of the fell along an excellent terrace route that affords stunning views over Loweswater before climbing beside a wall to the top of the fell. Instead I had an exhausting climb while trying to drag myself up the steep slope in deep snow that didn't get any better even when the gradient levelled off. This was typical of the whole time I spent on the fells during this walk as I struggled through snow that was often knee deep, and was sometimes even deeper in drifts. It was an extremely tiring day as I had to lift my feet high with every step while wading through the snow, but eventually I managed to walk or sometimes crawl to the summit of Burnbank Fell.

After a short rest I set off beside a fence down the side of the fell and up to the top of Blake Fell, the highest of the Loweswater Fells. After all my effort I collapsed into the stone shelter at the summit and had my lunch. After eating I set off with a spring in my step down the wind-swept (i.e. shallow snow-covered) southern slopes until I reached deeper snow at the bottom, in Fothergill Head, where my trudge resumed and I climbed up to the top of Gavel Fell, my third new Wainwright of the day. My original plan for this wallk had been to go on beyond Gavel Fell to Hen Combe and Mellbreak but under these conditions it was obviously taking me a lot longer than normal to cover the distances. With the sun already beginning to set I headed down the steep north-westerly slope of Gavel Fell onto a broad ridge that had more of the same trudge through deep soft snow. I paused briefly for a last look at the stunning views in perfect weather conditions at a cairn on an unnamed 488m top before dropping steeply down around Black Crag.

With the snow already beginning to get a hard crust as the sun set I came off the fell and onto a bridlepath that took me through High Nook Farm and back to Maggie’s Bridge. A quick walk along the road and up through Lanthwaite Wood brought me back to my car. Although this was a really tiring walk I actually enjoyed it, mainly due to the stunning views that accompanied me all day, which more than compensated for the trudges through deep snow. In the summer this would have been a simple, if boggy, walk. Under these conditions, despite the clear, sunny weather, it was a gruelling challenge of stamina. It amazes me how a little snow turns even the easiest walk into a mountainous expedition and shows that walking under these sorts of conditions should never be taken lightly.

Holme Fell

Tuesday 22nd December 2009

I had planned to start this holiday the day before this, but bad weather forced me to cancel my overnight accommodation and stay at home slowly getting frustrated by my inaction. When I could not stand being cooped up at home any longer I set off up the M6 with rather poor road conditions and braved snow on the Lakeland roads. Because of the snow I decided that I would just do a small fell, but still a Wainwright that I'd never done before. Holme Fell is just over a thousand feet high and is the fell that I missed out on my way to Coniston in May 2008. Now I would be able to correct that in quite spectacular weather.

Parking near Yew Tree Farm I approached the National Trust farm taking a path nearby that climbs to the right of the farm and heads towards Harry Guards Wood. Walking through soft unmarked snow I followed a clear path (even in the snow) into the woodland. It was very tiring walking through snow that was so deep I had to lift my feet high taking every step carefully toe first making sure of my footing each time. As I approached the wood I saw prints in the snow that didn’t appear to be made by feet. On closer examination I decided they must have been made by cows, which indeed they proved to be as soon after I entered the wood I came across a small herd of long-haired cows. After a lovely walk through the snow-laden wood I came to the bottom of the key to my ascent at Holme Fell: the Uskdale Gap, which I climbed right up to the top of the fell where I was greeted by stunning views of the Langdale Pikes and Wetherlam. Unfortunately these views quickly disappeared in the mist as I made my way across the undulating top to the cairn at the top of Ivy Crag before proceeding to the summit. As mist enveloped around me it started snowing, almost creating potentially dangerous white out conditions, which forced me to stop and check the map reference before carefully, slowly making my way up to the summit where I had my lunch. By the time I had finished eating the mist had cleared and as I made my way back to the top of the Uskdale Gap the sun had briefly come out. Leaving the stunning views of the surrounding fells behind me, I quickly dropped down the hill beside the Uskdale stream back into the enchanting woodland following my own footprints through Harry Guards Wood back to my car as it started to snow once again.

The snow on this walk was a good couple of inches deep, but since it was nice and soft I don’t think crampons were ever necessary. I have decided that I’ll probably not get any crampons as I intend to stay away from terrain that requires them. I learnt last year when they were necessary and after giving it a lot of thought I’ve decided that I don’t want to go into full winter walking. Unfortunately when I booked this holiday in the Lake District I didn't know the weather would be this poor (it is unusual to have a lot of snow in the Lake District as early as this in the season). During my holiday I stayed on the lower grassier fells that fortunately I haven’t been up before. This walk was quite simple, a short up and back down the same way, but the snow and general poor weather added an enormous complication to the walk that made it quite difficult and challenging as I constantly took care with every step. Nevertheless I quite enjoyed it.