Place Fell

Sunday 8th April 2012

In wet, misty conditions I left the youth hostel in Glenridding and headed back up the valley even though I actually wanted to go in the opposite direction. I was climbing above the old mine buildings (all of which are now hostels and outdoor pursuits centres) in order to get to an old leat that used to carry water around the lower slopes of Birkhouse Moor. This provides an excellent level route that I’ve taken on many occasions before, and I never tire of the path, I absolutely love it. On the craggy line of the north-eastern ridge of Birkhouse Moor the remains of the water channel has disintegrated, which has made the path treacherous at this point. The Park Authority has put a low wall across the path to deter casual walkers from straying onto the eroded section, but I knew what was coming so confidently walked around the wall and proceeded to clamber over the rocks. The wet conditions made the small scramble a little trickier than normal, but that just added to my fun of this great little path.

Continuing over Mires Beck I climbed onto the lower slopes of the eastern ridge of Birkhouse Moor making my way past birds that were cheerfully singing in the woods that surround Lanty’s Tarn. At the lake I found a way up the small, nearby hill to the viewpoint of Keldas, the terminus of the eastern ridge that starts on Striding Edge and passes over Birkhouse Moor. Keldas is not a Wainwright, there isn’t even a public right-of-way (merely a permitted path to the top), and so I’d never been up it before. There are supposed to be good views from the top across Ullswater but in the damp, misty conditions that I had the view was rather spoilt. Returning back to the main path I passed Lanty’s Tarn and speculated on why the small lake never seems to have much water in it. A dam has been constructed at the southern end of the small natural pond, but these days the water never seems to reach it.

Dropping down into Grisedale I walked along a delightful path that passes through Glenamara Path on its way to Patterdale. This is another path that I have taken many times before while making my way to the Patterdale Youth Hostel. The alternatives are just not worth it. Before reaching the hostel I crossed the valley and took the higher path that traverses the lower slopes of Place Fell and overlooks Ullswater. I’ve only ever taken this highly recommended lakeshore path once before, and that was on my first visit to the Lake District. It was raining all day and since I was still a novice walker, especially in bad weather, I’d taken a walk around the lake. I think I may have taken the lower path on that occasion, but this higher path is much more rugged and interesting with the remains of quarrying giving an added dimension to the walk. Thanks to improving weather I really enjoyed this relaxing walk that eventually brought me to a junction where a less clear path climbs steeply up the side of Place Fell.

This is a fun, but exhausting path, off the tourist route and so much the better for it. After the botanist's dream on the thrilling steep slopes I was disappointed to find a broad grassy plain once the gradient finally eased. Sheep have grazed these tops bare and left little to see except a faint path that I followed across the slopes slowly climbing until eventually I reached the trig point at the top of Place Fell. This is a vast fell where one can easily get away from the crowds that stay on the main paths and quickly lose oneself among the crags. I visited Place Fell a couple of years ago, just after New Year, and I wasn’t impressed. When listing the best fells in the Lakes Wainwright gave Place Fell an honourable mention, and I’ve never been able to see why. The abominable path from Boredale Hause doesn’t help Place Fell’s cause, but the steep western slopes that I’d just climbed gives a hint to its appeal.

Once I reached the summit of Place Fell I turned around and set off to explore the vast fell and learn why Wainwright had so favoured the fell. Turning north, almost following my outward path, I made my way across the fell picking a route that took in all the crags around the western edge, including the Knight before I reached Birk Fell beyond the top of my outward path. Most of the top of Place Fell is just grass, but the north-western corner around Birk Fell is craggier with more interesting terrain underfoot. Taking advantage of this I darted around the various tops including Bleaberry Knott while Ullswater could always be seen at the bottom of the steep slopes of Birkfell Earth far below me. Making my way steeply down to Low Birk Fell, an excellent viewpoint for Ullswater, I took an even steeper and thrilling descent all the way down to the lakeshore path.

After all the fun that I’d had making my own routes around the edge of Place Fell it was shock to find so many people on the shore path so I quickly set off for Sandwick, crossed Boredale Beck, and headed up to Beda Fell. I’d only once previously been up Beda Fell, and that was in very poor weather that quickly improved as I dropped down towards Ullswater. On this occasion I was going in the opposite direction, but I still had rain and strong winds for my ascent as the weather turned more unpleasant. Beda Fell is a lovely ridge that gently undulates as it slowly falls into Martindale. After the rain eased I was able to enjoy my walk over the summit, Beda Head, and on towards the Angletarn Pikes. On my previous visit to Beda Fell I’d climbed along the bridlepath from Boredale Hause so for a change I decided to stay on the ridge as it climbs up to Heckbeck Head.

When I reached Heckbeck Head I had views across Angle Tarn, but with a strong wind I decided that it wasn’t worth visiting the tops that encircle the lake (and also since I’d done them not too long ago in much better weather). It was time to go so I dropped down the broad grassy slopes along a faint path that took me all the way down to Boredale Hause whereupon I picked one of the two paths that drop down into Patterdale. This was a great walk where I was really quite lucky with the weather as it could have been a lot worse. I had originally planned to go up other fells, but I left them out when I realised I had been wildly optimistic. This was a fabulous walk that would have been ruined if I’d pushed myself to climb more fells. It is more important to have an enjoyable walk than to accomplish a punishing schedule.

Fisher’s Wife Rake

Saturday 7th April 2012

After the tremendous time I spent in the Lake District last Easter it was an easy decision to return this Easter. The weather last year was stunning with virtually no rain all week; unfortunately I was not so lucky this year. After travelling to the Lakes Saturday morning I got off the bus in the village of Threlkeld and headed across the River Glenderamackin onto the open fells over Threlkeld Knotts. Following the fell wall I passed the remains of an ancient settlement (and there’s not much of that left, if the map hadn’t said there used to be a settlement there I wouldn’t have known that the stones and mounds dotted around had once been where people lived). I followed an old quarry track around Threlkeld Knotts while enjoying glorious views of the various Lakeland Fells before me, and actually ended up higher than I wanted to go. When I crossed a path that climbs Wanthwaite Bank (which looked like a good path that would have been tempting if I didn’t have my sights elsewhere) I realised my mistake and dropped steeply below Wanthwaite Crags to the foot of Fisher’s Wife Rake.

Coming to the foot of the rake I climbed the very steeply up the centre of the rake on Wainwright’s original route. Chris Jesty’s revision suggests turning left after passing a rowan tree which would have taken me up a much nicer slanting route along the foot of the crags. As it was I struggled up the crumbly rake to the start of clearly defined zigzags that took me onto the broad grassy slopes of Clough Head. Fisher’s Wife Rake is a climb I’ve wanted to do for years but never been able to fit it in, and even on this walk it was a stretch. This was a fabulous climb, but all I was left feeling at the top of it was that now I wanted to do it again, but along Jesty’s revised route. Once I reached the top of the zigzags I was exhausted but still a long way from the top of Clough Head. I had expended all my energy getting to the top of the rake so I had nothing left for the remainder of the fell. Lunch helped only slightly as I wearily dragging myself up the dreary, grassy slopes to the trig point at the top of Clough Head. Is it possible that I had lost my hill-walking fitness, that my winter fat that was slowing me down?

After all the heat that had poured off me following my climb up Fisher’s Wife Rake it was a surprise as I set off from Clough Head to find a cold breeze that prompted me to wrap up. Putting my gloves on I set a steady pace along the ridge-top by-passing Calfhow Pike, Great Dodd, Watson’s Dodd and Stybarrow Dodd along the way. I had no inclination to visit the tops of these grass-covered Dodds and in fact I found that by not visiting them I gained good views of the valleys that radiate west from the ridge. Beyond Stick’s Pass the terrain improves considerably with rock becoming much more prevalent so the fine cairn at the top of Raise was not bypassed even though clouds had now descended onto the highest peaks. Beyond Whiteside I dropped down ridiculously steep slopes into Brown Cove. This is not an orthodox route but I wanted to come down somewhere new so I thought I’d explore the disused mines in Brown and Keppel Coves. Actually there’s not much left except the remains of the dams and leats that used to drive waterwheels to provide power for the mines. After looking at the dam in Brown Cove I wandered along old miner’s tracks to Keppel Cove and passed the concrete dam that burst in 1931 and is still there with a breach in the wall more than eighty years later. You used to be able to walk over the dam, but the National Park Authorities have now fenced off the top of the dam.

This was a bit of a mixed day. I was very tired before the walk due to lack of sleep and my agony while climbing Clough Head from the top of the rake is best not remembered. But Fisher’s Wife Rake was a fun climb even if it was steep, and it was good to be walking in Brown Cove where few people tread. Apart from the dreary walk along the top of the Dodds this was really not a bad walk, and after all it’s always nice to be back in the Lake District. It was good to be climbing mountains again.

The Lakes, day 2 – Wetherlam

Tuesday 16th July 2002

Before setting off for a week long holiday in the Lake District I have just time to write an account of the second day I ever spent in the Lakes. On the first day I had arrived with no money and before too long no glasses. Despite this poor start I was eager for my first full day in the Lakes and my first big climb up a big Lakeland Fell, that of Wetherlam. Although this was a better day it was still not without incident as I forgot to collect my lunch from the Youth Hostel in Grasmere before I left. This is something that I’d done before when in the Brecon Beacons, but on this occasion it would have significant consequences. Following my omission I decided not to get a packed lunch during the rest of the holiday. I had a box of kendal mint cake that I’d just bought and I thought it would be sufficient for me to nibble on that at lunchtime. With hindsight this was not such a good idea as I lost quite a bit of weight during this holiday. When you are hillwalking lunch is a vitally important meal. The best time to replace the energy expended in walking is while you’re still walking. I never miss out on lunch now.

I left Grasmere before 9 am and headed up towards Silver How, but I didn't go to the top and simply climbed over the ridge, passing below the eastern crags of Silver How, before dropping steeply down into Great Langdale at Walthwaite. I quickly crossed the valley and passed over the eastern foothills of Lingmoor Fell through a green slate quarry to the more secluded and picturesque Little Langdale where the scenery was now both stunning and fascinating. There is a large disused quarry near Slater Bridge with a vast cathedral-like chamber inside. After gazing in awe at the surroundings I took a track past more quarries, both disused and active, to reach Tilberthwaite Gill at the foot of Wetherlam. It was now about lunch time so after a rest and a nibble of mint cake I was ready to start the long slog up Wetherlam.

The weather was blisteringly hot and this was probably the toughest climb I’d ever done before especially on the last scramble to the top up Wetherlam Edge. I thought I would never reach the top but somehow eventually did manage to get to the summit, my first big Lakeland peak (Loughrigg is tiny at only 335m). I remember being awed by the far reaching views from the top of Wetherlam that stretch over Windermere, Coniston, Ambleside, and towards Helvellyn. For the first time in the Lake District I was above two thousand feet and thanks to the good weather I was being afforded with what I still believe is one of the best views in the Lake District. I have not seen this view again since this second day as I have been up Wetherlam only once since (at the time of writing) and the weather on that occasion was poor affording me no view. I am surprised the view from Wetherlam is not more greatly extolled since as far as I can remember it has few competitors.

From the top of Wetherlam I walked along the western ridge down to Swirl Hawse and up another scramble along Prison Band to Swirl How. By the time I reached the top of Swirl How the temperature had dropped with mist covering the summit. After walking across to Great Carrs in the clouds simply to ‘bag it’, I turned around and came back round, crossing the western slopes of Swirl How and down Swirl Band to Levers Hawse. From there I took a steep, tricky path down loose scree to Levers Water and from there into the Coppermines Valley and the Youth Hostel at Coniston Coppermines.

This is a nice, small hostel with a pleasant, lively crowd, which was a welcome relief after the large hostel in Grasmere that was dominated by school parties. I spent some of the evening reading the Bibles on the hostel bookshelf and getting some interesting comments from the other people in the room. Some of them seemed to consider Christianity all but dead in Britain with a mere handful of people these days going to church. This is most definitely not the case as a lot of churches are full with people with all sorts of ages and colours attending. It is sad that there are people in Britain who don’t see a future in the church; how things have changed.

This was a great walk with two widely varying stages. The first stage, walking from Grasmere to the Coniston Fells, was low-key but promised much with some memorable points like standing on the Langdale edge of the Silver How ridge at the top of Megs Gill and looking steeply down into Langdale and across to the Coniston Fells. The second half of the walk, though, would change my life. The climb up Wetherlam showed off the very best that the Lake District has to offer: great paths, stunning scenery, and rugged terrain. I was smitten. Wainwright described the terrain between Tilberthwaite Gill and the Brathay as one of the loveliest square miles in Lakeland (he considered the Jaws of Borrowdale the loveliest). Since this walk I have never been back to the area and I didn’t stray from the path on this walk, but next week I plan to return to the eastern slopes of Wetherlam and relive my second day in the Lakes.