Nab Scar and Fairfield

Wednesday 21st December 2016

At the start of this day the weather was terrible with rain that didn’t look like it was ever going to stop with low clouds and strong winds. There seemed to be no chance of improvement throughout the day so I was resigned to a short walk along the Coffin Route that lies between Ambleside and Grasmere. After a stroll along the main road out of the village, I turned onto the wide track that passes pleasantly through Rydal Park to Rydal Hall. Since it was still raining I wandered around the grounds exploring a place that usually I would rush past. Rydal Hall and the surrounding estate is owned by the Diocese of Carlisle and maintained as a conference, retreat and holiday centre. I had a look around the gardens and stopped off at the Grotto, which is an Eighteenth Century viewing station, a simple slate hut with a picturesque view through the window of a waterfall with a bridge in the background. For some reason people in those days preferred to view the outdoors from indoors, which is not my thing as I always prefer to be outdoors even if it’s raining.

Leaving the hall behind, I headed towards Nab Scar and as I started to climb the zigzags on the path it finally stopped raining. With better views behind me stretching out to Windermere than I’d had all week, I made my way up the steep, prolonged climb to the top of Nab Scar. I was unsure whether I had reached the top as likely candidates lacked a cairn while the only cairn that I saw, just after crossing a wall, seemed woefully inadequate with higher ground only a short distance away. However this cairn is actually the recognized summit, though even Wainwright acknowledges about the summit that “hereabouts the immediate surroundings are uninteresting, the redeeming feature being the fine view”. I was not in a mood to linger at the summit as I was being battered by severe winds and the conditions only became worse as I slowly made my way up the ridge towards Heron Crag. The year before I had climbed Heron Pike only to find strong winds so I was not keen on repeating the experience, therefore just before reaching Lord Crag I took the faint path that branches off the ridge and down to Alcock Tarn on a wet and slippery path.

Alcock Tarn is a small reservoir that Wainwright dismissively referred to as a “dreary sheet of water” and I can’t really say that I disagree with him, but the dam made a good place to sit while gazing at the scenery to the south. I was unsure what my next move should be as it was still only about noon and all my options, except back the way I had come, were to descend to Grasmere. While I sat there eating my lunch, gaps started appearing in the clouds revealing blue sky and before too long the sun finally made an appearance this week. After a short shower the clouds cleared once more and now the sun looked like it was going to stay. Since the weather was now looking really good, I decided that my only option was to risk heading back up to the top of the ridge and see if the wind had eased. Quickly I made my way along the path that I had recently descended back onto the ridge between Nab Scar and Heron Pike. It was still very windy, but as I made my way up the ridge towards Heron Pike the wind didn’t seem as bad as it had been earlier and so I began a fabulous walk along the ridge in glorious sunshine.

It was great walking over high fells in the Lakes with the sun beaming down on me and having great views of the awesome ridge ahead of me leading all the way up to Fairfield at the top of the horseshoe ridge. I was astounded at how fortunate I was to have such great weather in the Lake District, especially after the terrible weather that I had endured at the start of the day. On several occasions I actually laughed uncontrollably as I was just so overjoyed at the experience of walking in the Lake District in such fabulous weather. After passing over Heron Pike I had a glorious view of the ridge basking in the sunshine and while on a level stretch I realised that the weather was so good I could keep going all the way up to the top of Fairfield, which I would never dreamed of doing when I started the walk. Although the sun was shining, it was still bitterly cold and I had to wrap up snugly, but it wasn’t too windy, so I had a joyously lovely walk along the level ridge before the terrain steepened for the climb up to the top of Great Rigg.

The last time I was at Great Rigg was three years ago in poor weather, but now the sun was shining on me even though other parts of the Lake District were still shrouded in cloud. I realised that I’ve not walked the ridge between Great Rigg and Heron Pike since 2002 on my first ever visit to the Lake District. After pausing for a while at the top of Great Rigg to take some pictures of the snow-speckled Fairfield and the Helvellyn range behind looking gorgeous in the sunshine, I set off along the ridge. The icy plateau of Fairfield was very wintry with a strong, terribly cold wind blowing across its exposed top, so with the views now becoming duller I decided to quickly make my way down. I had considered copying my route of three years ago over Cofa Pike and down the path from Deepdale Hause to Grisedale Tarn, but in the end I decided to brave the screes to Grisedale Hause. A bitterly cold, harsh wind blew at me as I made my way down the awful screes that I have usually avoided ever since my first experience of them back in 2002. It was with enormous relief that I finally reached Grisedale Hause.

By now the sun was beginning to set and the bright sunshine that I had briefly enjoyed was fading, so it was definitely time for me to be making my way down. It was with great satisfaction that I slowly descended the path beside Tongue Gill all the way down to Grasmere. This was an awesome walk that I never thought, when I left Ambleside, would take me all the way up to Fairfield. I am so glad that I climbed back onto the ridge from Alcock Tarn when the sun came out. This was an amazing day that must rank as one of the most astonishing that I have ever had in the Lake District. Even though it was sunny on that ridge it was very cold, but I was nice and warm under my layers of clothing, which made the experience of walking along that ridge even more delicious. A poor start was transformed into an amazing walk in astonishing weather on a great ridge to the icy summit of Fairfield.