Stony Cove Pike and Red Screes

Thursday 31st August 2023

Unfortunately I had to end my holiday in the Lake District two days early due to train strikes and tragically, after the wet start to the holiday, the weather was now fantastic so I was going miss out on two good days, but the Lake District will still be there for the next time. Before I left I had time for one last walk, if only to get me from Patterdale to the train station. When my plan for this day had been to get to my next overnight accommodation in Coniston, I was going to climb Red Screes via Middle Dodd, but with this being my last day in the Lake District, and with good weather, I wanted to prolong the walking for as long as possible, so the previous evening I poured over maps of the Lake District and considered my options, until eventually I decided to go over Caudale Moor, whose summit is known as Stony Cove Pike, before climbing Red Screes. So, in gorgeous weather, I left the Patterdale Youth Hostel and followed the path down the eastern side of the valley, which provided me with a relaxing walk in the morning sunshine that eventually brought me to the village of Hartsop where I didn’t have good memories. Two years ago, I did an unnecessary descent to the village at the start of my holiday followed by a gut-destroying ascent up Hartsop Dodd and onward to Caudale Moor, however, after almost two weeks of fabulous walking in the Lake District, my negative memories from that holiday have almost been expunged so I was not too glum to be back in Hartsop.

After that walk in 2021, I had camped on Caudale Moor and when I woke the following morning the weather was poor, so I came straight back down via Threshwaite Mouth and through the glen. I have fond memories of a descent that took me through somewhere I’d never been before, so I was keen to see it in better weather. A steady climb took me through Threshwaite Glen, past grass-covered glacial mounds and through a boulder-field into Threshwaite Cove before an exhausting climb brought me to the top of the pass at Threshwaite Mouth where I turned right to begin a glorious scramble up to Stony Cove Pike. As I approached the summit, clouds came over and smothered all the views, which was a shock after the sunny start to the day but the cloud soon cleared. After traversing the summit plateau, a wall provided me with a clear guide that was unnecessary in the clearing weather and with a good path underfoot gave me a gentle descent to the head of Woundale before a short climb brought me to St Raven’s Edge where I had great views down the valley of Stock Ghyll to Ambleside and the northern tip of Windermere. A steep descent brought me down to the Kirkstone Pass and after passing the Inn and over the road, I started to climb Red Screes on an ascent that I have taken twice before, but since the last time was in 2009 I thought it would be a good idea to take it again.

It wasn’t long before this steep ascent had worn me out and I had to stop and rest. This climb is unrelentingly steep and I remember previously struggling on it, though the path is excellent and passes through some great mountain scenery. Eventually I gave up on the struggle and stopped for a prolonged rest while I had my lunch, though I later discovered that I was now not far from the summit and after a short, steep scramble I finally reached the Ordnance Survey column that marks the top of Red Screes, Exhausted from the strenuous climb, I clung to the trig point for support and to try and catch my breath. It wasn’t until I had my breath back that I was able to take in the tremendous views all around me that included those over Middle Dodd down to Brothers Water and Patterdale, but of course the most arresting view was towards Fairfield and the Helvellyn range. Everywhere was looking glorious, but I was gutted that this was the last fell of my holiday and I was going home. Eventually I turned my face away from the fabulous views and the summit and headed down the grassy south ridge towards Ambleside on a path that I had previously taken in 2005 in poor weather when I wouldn’t have been able to see anything, though a path like this is always best in descent.

With hazy views ahead of me towards Windermere and dark clouds coming over the Coniston Fells I descended the gentle slopes of the grassy ridge keeping my pace up to ensure I caught the bus I wanted. The path eventually brought me onto the Kirkstone Road still some distance above Ambleside so my descent continued along the road until I was back in Ambleside and able to catch a bus to the railway station and begin my journey home. I was very tired by the end of this walk, so maybe it was good that I was going home, but maybe part of the problem was the heat that had developed during the week, which hadn’t been a problem earlier in the holiday when it had been cold and wet but the heat had begun to make the walking very draining and tiring. Overall, this was a fabulous holiday as is any in the Lake District. At the start I was feeling very stressed and needed some rest and recuperation and the Lake District definitely gave me that, refreshing me in both mind and body.