Deepdale and Seat Sandal

Monday 24th May 2021

After a wet night spent camped in Deepdale, I set off up the valley that I had previously visited at the end my holiday in 2018 when I had gone as far as Coldcove Gill before climbing the east ridge to St. Sunday Crag and I had enjoyed the views of the valley so was keen to return. A faint path through the grass that was sometimes difficult to follow led me up the valley with improving weather that included patches of sunlight but also the occasional shower. The crags at the head of the valley were impressive, and as I headed towards them, they brooded amongst the mist and grey clouds that lingered well into the morning. Below Mart Crag I thought the best route of ascent was to cross Deepdale Beck onto terrain that was less steep than the precipitous slopes that lie to the north of the stream, but a check of my Harvey Map revealed that the path climbs steeply above a deep ravine and spectacular waterfalls to reach a terrace. This is an amazing spot with the dark, brooding crags of Greenhow End looming above me, the deep ravine below, the long valley stretching behind and the high fells all around me. I reflected that you miss so much by keeping to the ridges and fail to see the awesome sights, such as I was seeing at this moment, in this rarely visited valley.

The terrain now eased into the bowl around Sleet Cove and there I lost the path as I tried to head up to Deepdale Hause. I could see a rake ahead of me that I thought was the route up, but eventually I came to my senses and realised it was far too steep, so I turned back and eventually found the annoyingly clear path that leads up to Deepdale Hause. By this time the weather had cleared and when I reached the top the sun had come out to light all the surroundings fells. Before me I eye was drawn to the dramatic Falcon Crag below Dollywagon Pike with the ridge that leads up to Helvellyn looking grand, while the top of Helvellyn itself still clung onto some cloud. Turning to my right, St. Sunday Crag was lit perfectly with blue sky behind it looking very tempting for an ascent, but I resisted that and all of these high fells since I had climbed them in 2018 and didn’t need to do them again. I wanted to concentrate on this holiday on the fells and paths that I had not been on recently, so instead I took to the path on the other side of the pass, to Grisedale Tarn, that I had taken only once before, in 2013, in poor, cloudy weather that I did not have now.

This path didn’t exist when Wainwright wrote his Pictorial Guide to the Eastern Fells, but he thought there was need of one and it wasn’t long before one was stamped out. It is rather steep and rough at first, but soon joins a clear path that doesn’t seem to have come from anywhere. I was tempted to explore it, but didn’t bother so headed along the path towards Grisedale Tarn before branching left onto a thin path that is little more than a sheep trod and keeps high above the lake until I reached Grisedale Hause. Ahead of me was Seat Sandal that I have only once climbed, in 2006, making it a perfect candidate for this holiday, so I climbed the steep, craggy path all the way up to the top. There were sensational views behind me over Grisedale Tarn with St. Sunday Crag still dominating my attention as it was continued to be lit by the sun while the rest of the fells sulked under clouds. Continuing beyond the top of Seat Sandal I passed another cairn where the views now opened out west across the Lake District before I veered south to take the wide grassy ridge down the same route that I had taken in 2006. On that occasion I was in a hurry to get down in time for my dinner at the youth hostel, but now I was able to take my time.

As I slowly descended I couldn’t imagine rushing down now, as my knees would not take kindly to a speedy descent and was forcing me to take this descent very slowly, though that gave me plenty of time to appreciate the stunning views over Grasmere. When I eventually reached the road I walked into Grasmere where I bought some food for the next few days before making my way over the ridge into Langdale. The usual route starts at Kelbarrow, but I thought I would take an alternative route that I had never taken before and ascends through Wyke Plantation on an interesting path that passes waterfalls and moss-rich woodland to reach the bracken-covered ridge below Silver How. I have spent many happy hours walking from Blea Rigg past Silver How on this ridge that is a maze of paths and part of the fun is finding your own unique way along it. The route beyond the trees, over the ridge, was not clear and not helped by the wet ground, but soon I came to the top of the path beside Spedding Crag that leads down into Langdale and had previously taken in 2012. When I reached Chapel Stile a short walk brought me to Baysbrown Farm Campsite where I would stay for the next few days.

Despite the good weather I had reached the campsite by mid-afternoon, but I appreciated the early finish to the walk as I wanted the time to settle in and dry out my tent. However, after dinner, with the good weather continuing, I took a walk through Baysbrown Wood where I found a generous covering of bluebells and after climbing to the disused Bank Quarry to get a mobile signal, I came back down the hill through Elterwater Quarry into Langdale. This was a lovely day that made up for the rain the day before that had ruined my plans for this holiday, but now I was in a fabulous location and I had good weather. I had enjoyed the walk out of Deepdale and over Seat Sandal, but it was the stroll in the evening that was the highlight of the day. Without the weight of a rucksack I felt tremendous relaxation and a release from all my problems as I walked past the delightful bluebells. I was no longer chasing unrealistic goals and targets trying to bag an arbitrary list of peaks, but had started walking for the sheer enjoyment of walking in the Lake District, and there is no better thing that you can do than that.

Angletarn Pikes and Ullswater lakeside path

Sunday 23rd May 2021

After a cold and wet night spent camped at the top of Caudale Moor I woke to find snow around my tent, although there was very little elsewhere. During a gap in the rain I had my breakfast and when the rain started up again I retreated to my tent to sit it out, until finally it stopped raining at a quarter to nine, when I broke camp and set off down to Threshwaite Mouth. My plan for this holiday had been to echo my 2018 holiday when I had set myself the challenge of visiting the top of all the high fells, those more than two and a half thousand feet high. For this holiday I was going to climb all the less high fells, those between two thousand and two and a half thousand feet high, but that plan was in ruins due to the weather. However, as I was descending to Threshwaite Mouth it wasn’t raining and there was hardly any wind (I was probably sheltered from the wind), so the thought occurred to me that I could continue with my plan even though that involved walking over High Street and High Raise to reach Wether Hill and Loadpot Hill. Fortunately this lunacy was prevented by the timely return of the rain just as I reached the bottom of the pass, so there I turned left to descend into Threshwaite Glen.

Wainwright recommended walking through Threshwaite Glen, but I had never been through this valley before and I liked what I saw as the weather slowly improved with the raining stopping and a little sunlight could be seen breaking through in the distance. A steep descent from Threshwaite Mouth brought me into Threshwaite Cove before another steep descent brought me into the Glen that is marked on Ordnance Survey maps as Pasture Bottom, until eventually I came into the village of Hartsop. While the bad weather held off, but with my plan in tatters, I decided to walk along Patterdale on a delightful path through woodland to Angletarn Beck before branching off towards Boredale Hause slowly climbing up to Angletarn Pikes. These are not less high fells so had not been on my plan for this holiday, but I had decided to climb them when I realised I had never climbed these fells before, from the valley, as all the previous times I had visited them had been on ridge routes, on my way down into Patterdale.

The relatively good weather that I had enjoyed in Threshwaite Glen and Patterdale was gone by the time I reached Boredale Hause as it started raining again and as I climbed towards Angletarn Pikes the wind picked up. Turning off the main path that crosses to the west of the Pikes I took to a groove in the grass that passes to the north of the Pikes, but I failed to break off from this path to reach the highest point and instead followed it to a grassy mound east of the Pikes. Frustrated that this was not the highest point I sought shelter from the wind behind the grassy mound and had my lunch before setting off through the strong winds to climb up to the highest point on the Angletarn Pikes where the winds were so ferociously strong I could barely stand. Quickly retreating back down the northern slopes I decided the fells were not a good place to be on this day and continued the descent down the northern, grassy slopes to reach Boredale Hause and continued the descent into Patterdale where the weather seemed benign. I now had a problem as it was only two o’clock and I had no idea what to do for the rest of the afternoon with the much better weather in the valley adding to my frustration.

Eventually I decided to head onto the path that follows the shore of Ullswater around the foot of Place Fell that Wainwright described as the most beautiful and rewarding walk in Lakeland, however, that is when doing it in the opposite direction. I took the higher and craggier of the two paths that go from Patterdale to Silver Bay where I had initially thought I would immediately return to Patterdale on the lower path, but when I got to the junction beside Silver Bay it seemed far too early for me to turn back, so I turned right and continued along the lakeside path thinking I could easily return through Boredale. Despite being a low level route, the lakeside path feels like a great mountain path, such as the Corridor Route on the Scafell Pikes, so I really enjoyed the undulating woodland path that I had last taken in 2016, going in the other, better direction. When I reached Sandwick I joined a narrow road just as the rain started to get heavy again while the wind that I had been sheltered from while on the lakeside path was now making its presence known as I slowly made my way along Boredale in the deteriorating weather.

I had never walked through Boredale before, but the weather was not helping and it seemed to take me forever to reach Boredale Head and beyond that I struggled up the track through the heavy rain and strong wind until eventually I reached Boredale Hause and descended once more into Patterdale. All afternoon I had had the fanciful idea of being able to camp at the Patterdale Youth Hostel and I had blissful visions of using their facilities so it would feel like old times when there were no restrictions. My daydream was shattered when I discovered what had always been inevitable that the youth hostel was closed, so I staggered down the road and into Deepdale until I was eventually out of sight of the last house in the valley, whereupon I put up my tent and never came out again. I wasn’t enjoying camping, especially in this weather, and I was really missing the many youth hostels that I usually stay at when I'm in the Lake District.

This day was completely ruined by the rain and all my plans were in the bin including the fells on the far eastern edge of the Lake District that I had planned to visit this day like Loadpot Hill, which I had previously visited just once before, in 2004, but this has such a broad grassy top it needs good weather, which I never had on this walk. Sitting in my tent that evening while the rain continued to fall, I decided that the less high fells challenge that I had set myself should be abandoned and instead I just wanted to do a good walk based on the weather, and when I thought about it I decided that I had just done a good walk. I enjoyed walking down Threshwaite Glen and along Patterdale, though the climb up to Angletarn Pikes was not enjoyable, but I did enjoy the walk beside Ullswater until it started raining and then the walk was ruined.

Ill Bell and Thornthwaite Crag

Saturday 22nd May 2021

In 2018 I spent two weeks in the Lake District attempting to visit all the high fells, those that are more than two and a half thousand feet high and I had so much fun doing it that I immediately started planning a return visit. This was planned to be done late summer 2020, but then Covid got in the way and I didn’t know how to make the trip work, so I went to Devon instead. The consequence of this was that I had not gone to the Lake District in 2020, so when things started opening again in 2021 I was keen to go to the Lake District again. Catching a train to Windermere, I set off up the path to Orrest Head on a lovely walk through woodland decorated with bluebells, wild garlic and many other delightful wildflowers. This path soon deposited me at the top of the hill where there is a great view along the length of Windermere and towards the Langdale Pikes and other Lakeland Fells, and is justifiably very popular. I first visited Orrest Head in 2006 and just as I had on that occasion, I now headed north through farmland, but soon I lost the path and when I reached a road realised that I wasn’t in the right place and had to walk beside a high wall on the other side from the road until I reached the gate where the path I should have been on reaches the road.

Turning onto Dubbs Road I walked along the stony track while rain fell that was so light as to be virtually unnoticeable as I ignored the stile onto Applethwaite Common that I had crossed in 2006. With the rain getting heavier I donned my waterproofs, but these proved to be not breathable as I became intolerably hot while the gradient steepened towards the top of Garburn Pass. I had found this before and meant to buy a new cagoule, but failed to do this resulting in my sweat soaking my base layer, which would be a problem for me throughout the rest of the day. My discomfort eased once I came off the Garburn Road onto the excellent path that heads towards the top of Yoke as my route of 2006 joined me again after wasting time on Applethwaite Common. Eventually the rain became so heavy I decided I had to put my waterproof trousers on, but, of course, the instant I did that it stopped raining and it never rained again for the rest of the day.

At the top of Yoke the terrain that had been grassy and boggy suddenly became craggy and very Lakeland with improving weather and great views along a ridge that I had not walked along since 2006. I was now thoroughly enjoying the walk as I made my way along the ridge to the top of Ill Bell and down a steep, gloriously craggy descent, whose every step was a delight, before climbing to the top of Froswick. On this holiday I had decided to echo my challenge of 2018, this time trying to bag all the less high fells, those between two thousand and two and a half thousand feet high, and I had just done three of those fells on the Ill Bell ridge. In order to make this challenge easier I had decided that any of the less high fells that I had done in 2018 or later would not need to be done again, so the five less high fells at the top of Longsleddale had been done at Christmas 2019. Therefore, after another steep descent, I ignored the fells to the east and made the long ascent up to the tall beacon at the top of Thornthwaite Crag even though that is too high to be a less high fell, but it lies in the way of my next target, which is at the end of the ridge beyond: Gray Crag.

My less high fell after that was a problem as this was Hartsop Dodd, which lies across the valley of Pasture Bottom. Before the holiday I had tried to calculate the easiest way to do both Gray Crag and Hartsop Dodd from Thornthwaite Crag, but as I walked towards Gray Crag I came up with another idea that was just as stupid as all the others. These all have the same flaw of requiring unnecessary ascents up many different fells for the same stupid reason of merely ticking summits on a list. A very steep descent led me down the ridge from Gray Crag onto increasingly boggy ground that was very slippery and resulted to my falling over several times, so that by the time I reached the track beside Hayeswater Gill I was very tired and exhausted. On my original plan for this holiday I would now head along Patterdale to the Youth Hostel, but that was now not possible, so I planned to wild camp and there is a very popular wild camping location not far from where I was, beside Angle Tarn. However, I was still attempting to do the less high fells, so when I crossed the river at the bottom of the valley I turned back up to climb Hartsop Dodd.

This was a very steep climb and every step of the way I was wondering why I was doing such a stupid waste of effort. I wished I didn’t have to do it, and I didn’t, as it was a challenge I had set myself that involves a lot of unnecessary ascents that were particularly tiring when carrying a heavy rucksack. It would have been much better for me to just plan a good walk rather than come up with these convoluted challenges. Although I had excellent views behind me down Patterdale and a good, though steep path, I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it. By the time I reached the top of Hartsop Dodd it was getting late in the day, so any other ideas I may have had were ignored as I continued along the grassy ridge slowly climbing towards Caudale Moor and the top of Stony Cove Pike. Needing some water I turned towards Threshwaite Mouth, but soon found a steady trickle of pure water beside the path and after bottling some pitched my tent at the nearest available point. This was a very tiring walk with weather that had gradually improved throughout the afternoon and into the evening, but my Less High Fells Challenge was proving to be a terrible plan and I didn’t want to do it.