Knott Rigg

Saturday 6th April 2013

Before describing my recent holiday in Scotland I have one day left of my holiday at Easter in the Lake District. This was a short walk because of the need to get to Penrith railway station by three o’clock, and consequently Keswick bus station by quarter past one. This is not the first time I’ve had this sort of problem from Buttermere. Just after spending the New Year in 2010 in Buttermere I also had to quickly get back to Keswick, so I had walked up to Newlands Hause and over Knott Rigg and Ard Crags. I thought I’d do something similar this time because, despite being a quick route into the Newlands Valley, it still involves going to the top of a hill, unlike other routes nearby. In 2010, due to the severity of the snow at that time, the Newlands pass was completely blocked to traffic which left me with a wonderful, undisturbed walk to the top of the pass. This time I did not have that benefit so I turned off the road as soon as possible onto the grassy slopes above Sail Beck and below the road.

This path is not marked on maps but is clear on the ground up to Swinside Gill where, after crossing the stream, Knott Rigg can be climbed direct up a steep grassy slope. This is still not a very good route up and is no better than the usual route from the top of the pass. The weather, though, was ample compensation as there was hardly a cloud in the sky throughout the walk up to the long ridge that lies along the top of the fell and provided me with a pleasurable stroll to the summit. In 2010 I had continued along the ridge to Ard Crags but now in order to explore a different path I veered right onto a side ridge that gradually descends on a gloriously narrowing path all the way down to Keskadale Farm. My onward route was now across farmland, but I’m not too keen on walking through farmland, because since it’s not access land you have to be careful to follow a footpath that is often hard to find and poorly marked. I always feel as if I’m intruding on someone’s workplace, which in fact I am, and on occasions I have found waterlogged fields and loads of sheep or cows.

With the northern ridges of Robinson and Hindscarth dominating my view I finally joined the farmer's track from Low High Snab that I had taken two years ago when also walking back to Keswick from Buttermere. On that occasion I’d had more time and used it to climb Robinson via Hassnesshow Beck before descending over High Snab Bank. With the farmland behind me I now had a lovely stroll through the beautiful Newlands Valley in gorgeous weather to the western banks of Cat Bells on a now familiar path that took me to an even more familiar path through Fawe Park and Portinscale to Keswick. The weather for this walk continued to be good as it had for most the week. It never rained all week, which is not something that can usually be said of the Lake District and I always had a view from the top of every fell that I climbed. Considering this I really shouldn’t complain about the weather.

But I’m British so I will! It was very cold and there was a lot of winter snow still on the high fells which kept me off the very fells that I’d come to the Lake District to climb. I can’t help but be disappointed and frustrated by this holiday despite being in the Lake District in gorgeous weather when the fells are looking particularly picturesque. On the high fells there was a strong, very cold easterly wind that acted as a deterrent to anyone trying to venture up high despite the snow, but in the valleys it has been fantastic, like a warm spring day. The valleys may have been better than being at the top of the fells, but the tops are where my heart yearns to be. I’m sure it won’t be too long before that is where I am.