Calf Crag and Steel Fell

Sunday 30th December 2012

On this day I had a bit of a rest from my northward trek towards Keswick and spent two nights in the popular tourist village of Grasmere. When I was coming off the fells the day before this walk I noticed particularly that there was hardly any snow, even on the highest fells, but when I got up for this walk I was surprised to discover that it had snowed during the night which had left an inch of snow on hills as low as four hundred metres high. My original plan for this day had been to climb High Raise, the highest fell in the Central Fells at two and a half thousand feet high, but in view of the snow I decided not to do that ascent. This is not the first time this has happened to me with High Raise; on my first ever holiday in the Lake District I climbed High Raise from the top of Far Easedale in bad weather and ever since I’ve wanted to retrace my steps. A couple of years ago, at Christmas, a plan to climb the fell from the top of Far Easedale was thwarted by snow, and last Easter an ascent from Tarn Crag was also stopped by snow. As disappointing as this might be I didn't need to worry as High Raise will still be there next time I want to explore the eastern slopes of the fell, and that time I might have the good weather that I’ll need in that complex area.

I had only one goal for this day and that was to go up Calf Crag, the highest fell on the Helm Crag ridge. On all the previous occasions that I have been to Calf Crag I have always walked onto the fell along a ridge from the neighbouring fells, Helm Crag and Gibson Knott. Now I wanted to climb Calf Crag from the valley to the top so that I could say that I have actually climbed the fell, and the route that I’d selected was that from the unfrequented valley of Greenburn. Once past the last house I found a wonderfully deserted, little valley with lovely, little waterfalls below the flat swamp of Greenburn Bottom. Despite being lashed by strong winds and hail I enjoyed the climb up this delightful valley along an excellent track that led me to the edge of Greenburn Bottom where it crosses the valley before starting to climb the valley walls. I followed an old path up onto the ridge just above the snowline, reaching it at the lowest point between Calf Crag and Gibson Knott. Despite the popularity of this ridge undisturbed snow lay all around me, even on the path, and it was tremendous fun walking through virgin snow and exploring the tops east of the summit including the cairn at the top of Rough Crag.

The weather was quieter at the top than I had endured in the valley with clear views all around me and not a soul in sight; it was a great moment to be on the fells. After a quick lunch I crossed the boggy ridge above Greenburn Bottom to Steel Fell, but it wasn’t cold enough to freeze the bogs on the ridge so it was still very wet underfoot, but my waterproof socks made light work of them. This ridge is rather too broad and boggy to be interesting so I was relieved when the ground finally started to rise along with the appearance of some outcrops that always make a walk more stimulating. As I approached the summit of Steel Fell the isolation that I had enjoyed on Calf Crag ended with the appearance of other walkers that prompted me to veer away from the path towards the top of Blakerigg Crag, high above Greenburn Bottom, before finally heading for the top when it was clear. The views from the eastern cairn were particularly good as they look down the length of Thirlmere Reservoir with the brooding giants of Skiddaw and Blencathra lurking in the misty distance.

From the top of Steel Fell I descended the southern ridge where fabulous views could be seen past Helm Crag towards Grasmere. I had tried climbing this ridge a few years ago just after the New Year when it was very windy, though probably not much more windy than it was for this walk. The lower slopes are particularly exposed, as I found now, so I’d decided to turn back. I guess I just didn’t feel like doing much walking that day. It was a pity though as there is a good path down the south ridge with some nice, tricky bits as it zigzags across the steep crags. Eventually I reached the bottom of Greenburn and since it was still quite early I decided that it would be an excellent idea to climb up Gibson Knott. I had though of the idea of walking up the right-of-way from Greenburn to Bracken Hause at the start of the walk while still walking towards Greenburn, but this route is not recommended by Wainwright and having now taken it I wouldn’t recommend it myself. Wainwright did recommend the route that I’d taken in the morning as a route for going up Gibson Knott, but I’d already done that. It didn't help that it started raining soon after I started the climb up muddy, grassy slopes and the zigzagging path was doing little to alleviate the tedium.

When I eventually reached the ridge between Helm Crag and Gibson Knott I found that the strong winds that had hit me in Greenburn and on the south ridge of Steel Fell were back in force on this extremely exposed ridge, so with my head down I battled against the wind walking along the ridge as far as the summit of Gibson Knott. As soon as I reached Gibson Knott I turned right around and headed back along the ridge trying to stay on the sheltered side of the ridge past Bracken Hause and up to the top of Helm Crag. It must be a few years since I was last up Helm Crag as I’d forgotten how good and craggy is that fell. I’d even forgotten how good the popular path up to Helm Crag is as I carefully made my way down the rugged, stony path in the rain. There is some stunning rock scenery alongside the path that really made up for the driving rain and high winds. This wasn’t a good end to the day, especially weather-wise as this rain gradually wiped out all the snow that I’d been enjoying. The best weather and most enjoyable part of the day was around noon while I was at the top of Calf Crag, and that made up for the rest of the day, but even when it is wet and windy it was still fabulous being in the Lake District.