Seathwaite Fell and Pillar

Thursday 5th September 2013

After the tremendous weather on the day before this walk, it was disappointing to now have weather that was very poor. It hadn’t started too badly as I walked towards the small farm of Seathwaite, a gateway from Borrowdale onto the glorious fells that culminate in the highest of them all: Scafell Pike. Beyond Seathwaite I continued along the heavily manufactured bridlepath to Sty Head even though I rarely go this way as my preferred path is the much rougher route on the opposite side of Taylorgill Force. On the few occasions that I have used the bridlepath it has always been in descent, the last time being the reverse of the climb I was about to do. On New Year’s Eve 2008, after a fantastic walk above a temperature inversion, I descended into the cold valley from Seathwaite Fell, and now I reversed my steps of that walk to climb Seathwaite Fell, for the first time. Seathwaite Fell dominates the view from the valley below even though it is tiny compared with the greater fells beyond like Great End and Great Gable.

Wainwright describes two routes up Seathwaite Fell, straight up the northern face or further round the western side of the fell. Previously I used the latter, easier route for my descent and had planned to take the former, steeper route in ascent, but with the clouds dropping in worsening weather conditions I chickened out and stayed on the main path until the gradient levelled out before striking out up pathless grassy slopes following a stream up the steep fellside. By the time I reached the felltop the clouds had inevitably encompassed me, but a fleeting glimpse of the summit before clouds smothered the view was sufficient to enable me to find my way to the cairn at the top of the fell. Low clouds are not an uncommon occurrence in the Lakes so you do have to be able to cope with it. It wasn’t easy to get across the small fell onto the busy bridlepath that marks the southern edge as there are no clear paths. I had to make a bearing and follow that direction across the undulating fell until I reached the unmistakable Sprinkling Tarn and the clear path beyond that I had walked along only the day before, but in better weather.

As then, I walked down the path to Sty Head and this time turned right towards Sty Head Tarn. Rain started to fall before I reached the foot of Aaron Slack, but stopped soon after I started the excruciatingly long climb. It’s a long time since I was last on the Aaron Slack and I had forgotten how long it takes to reach Windy Gap at the top. The clouds prevented me from seeing how far I had to go as I climbed up, first on stone pitching, then on loose stones, then back onto stone pitching until finally back onto loose stones for a long, long haul up to the top. I was relieved to finally reach Windy Gap where at this point I wanted to take a thin path that runs along the foot of Gable Crag, which is the North Traverse of Great Gable, the smaller cousin of the South Traverse that I had taken the day before. I had never been on it before, but wasn’t really able to appreciate it now as I wasn’t seeing it at its best, nevertheless it was a great little path and tricky, especially as the ground was quite wet due to the recent rain.

Before too long the traverse joined the path that comes off the top of Great Gable and down scree to Beck Head where I had contemplated continuing up and over Kirk Fell, but eventually due to the poor weather I decided to take the traverse route around the northern slopes of the fell. I have taken this path several times in the past most often on my way to Black Sail Youth Hostel, and always remember the route with affection. It is a great little path that I probably used several times on my first couple of visits to the Lakes, but never since. After a dramatic crossing of Sail Beck, I climbed up to the top of Black Sail Pass and was met by a parting of the clouds and a glimpse into Mosedale. I was hopeful for better weather in the afternoon so I stopped there for lunch, but by the time I’d sat down the clouds had already descended again. After resuming my walk along the path I came to the junction with the High Level Route, a terrace path across the steep slopes of Pillar to Robinson’s Cairn that I have harboured a desire to do for many years and been unable due to bad weather so I felt frustrated that I to be thwarted once again.

When I reached the junction I did obstinately turn onto the High Level Route, despite the poor weather and maybe hoping for better, but immediately found problems. Wainwright describes the start as originally being awkward, but that a new variation avoids the difficulty. From what I saw, the new variation is now just as awkward (although I may have missed the new variation) as I struggled to get down a steep, slippery, muddy gully onto the path, and it didn’t improve. The path had been poor in 2006 when I did the route from the other direction and eventually the wet, slippery path finally convinced me to turn back and climb back up to the top of the ridge. I am still eager to do the High Level Route, but this tricky path is going to need to be done in good weather. The zigzags above the junction were an interesting diversion from my disappointment before continuing along easier grassier slopes as I slowly made my way up to the top of Pillar while the clouds briefly broke to let the sun to come out. A joyous view, pictured below, into Mosedale was unfortunately just as fleeting as before and the clouds descended once more.

I had an enjoyable walk up to the top of Pillar despite the clouds refusing to part again and I had forgotten how good this eastern ridge of Pillar is, possibly because it might be a long time since I was last on the ridge. From the top of Pillar I headed down a stony path to the narrow Wind Gap before climbing up to the top of the tragically ignored top of Black Crag. After a bit of confusion coming off Black Crag I made my way up to the top of Scoat Fell and eventually found the bizarre summit cairn that is carefully balanced on top of the dry stone wall that runs over the fell. While coming down the southern slopes I was astonished to find the clouds finally lifting and Red Pike was revealed before me. I visited this fell in 2011, but had failed to locate the famous cairn known as the Chair, so this time I made an effort to find it, aided by the lifting clouds. It was great to sit on the Chair and look across the brightening lands all the way to the sea in the distance and to the still gloomy fells behind me. Despite poor weather this was a fun, challenging walk that finally ended with a long, glorious walk down the grassy, southern slopes of Red Pike in good weather all the way down to Over Beck and the road.

Bow Fell and Great Gable

Wednesday 4th September 2013

On this fabulous day in the Lakes I left the Elterwater Youth Hostel first thing in the morning under misty conditions that didn’t take long to clear and reveal a scorchingly sunny day. A brisk cold wind at the top of the fells kept the temperature agreeable and guaranteed perfect weather conditions in the best place in the world for a walk and I made full advantage of the weather to do a scintillating walk over some of the greatest fells in the Lake District. At the start of the day I simply walked along the length of Langdale from Elterwater back to Dungeon Ghyll along the same route that I had taken last year via Baysbrown, but different to the route that I’d taken the previous evening when I came to Elterwater via Chapel Stile. This is a nice varied route, parts of which provoked many memories of having taken this route numerous times over the years.

After crossing various sheep-filled fields I passed through Stool End Farm and began to climb the popular path that ascends the Band on my way to Bow Fell. The only time I had ever previously been on this route was over ten years ago when I came off Bow Fell along this ridge following a walk around Oxendale in very hot weather. I wasn’t impressed with the route now as the ridge is too wide to be exciting and the path is heavily manufactured to cope with the thousands of people who traipse along it every summer. The best way to do this path is in descent with the awesome views along the length of Langdale ahead of you all the way down. When the path started to veer left towards Three Tarns I came off the path to keep to the top of the ridge on a boggy path that went up towards the climber’s traverse. This fabulous terrace path traces a narrow route high above the valley floor of Mickledon and just below the awesome rocks of Flat Crags. This was my second ever visit to the excellent rock-scenery on this path and it was just as breath-taking now as in 2007.

I love terrace paths, perched high above the valley with a sheer drop on just one side and a towering cliff on the other. At the foot of Cambridge Crag I stopped for a couple of minutes to take in the awe-inspiring surroundings and then started to climb a river of boulders that lies along the south side of Cambridge Crag. This led me up to the summit of Bow Fell where I paused briefly before heading across the boulder strewn terrain past Easy Gully to the top of Bowfell Buttress. The views in the perfect weather were sensational and emphasised just how fortunate I was to be at the top of these fells on such a day as this. From this vantage point the true structure of Bow Fell could be seen, including the climber’s traverse that I’d just walked along. Following the top of the ridge, rather than the path, I made my way across to Ore Gap and then up to the top of Esk Pike where I had my lunch sheltered from the cold winds by the summit rock.

Esk Pike tends to be ignored by fellwalkers due to its illustrious company, but I love it as it doesn’t shout about itself and quietly sits in the centre of the best fells in the Lakes, which affords it with stunning views of all of them. Making my way along a fabulous little terrace path, I made my way down to Esk Hause and thence down to Sty Head along familiar paths that seemed more pleasant to walk along than I’d remembered. After passing Sty Head I made my way onto another climber’s traverse: the South Traverse of Great Gable. After negotiating rocks and crossing scree slopes with tremendous views down Wasdale, I reached the awesome crags of the Great Napes. These crags are very popular with rock climbers with notable attention paid to the Napes Needle, including some climbers who were on the pinnacle while I passed far below. I was happy with my distant vantage point as rock climbing is not something that I am remotely interested in doing.

Just after passing the peculiarly shaped Sphinx Rock I reached Little Hell Gate, a stone chute that I hoped would provide me with a route up to the top of Great Gable. Keeping to the side of the loose, slippery stones that fill the steep gully, I slowly climbed Little Hell Gate and eventually, after much effort, reached the top of Great Napes. This is an incredible place to stand, usually the preserve of rock climbers, that affords one with great views of the surrounding crags and where a short, narrow ridge links to the main bulk of Great Gable and a delicious path that leads around the Westmorland Crag to the top of the fell. In 2004 I did the whole south traverse without climbing Great Gable, while in 2006 I walked along the traverse in the opposite direction before climbing White Napes on the opposite side of Little Hell Gate. Now that I was up close with Great Napes I completed the climb of Great Gable in awe of the towering pinnacles and enormous crags.

From the top of Great Gable I made my way across horrible shifting stones down to the Windy Gap and from there up to Green Gable, which I’d visited just last Easter when it was still covered in winter snow. My planned route of descent was over Base Brown, but that was the route I had used in 2006 after climbing Great Gable via White Napes, so I felt compelled to do something different now. While planning I’d contemplated a route of ascent over Grey Knotts, and now I suddenly thought about using it in descent where it would be more appreciated.  I was concerned that this route would take too long so I rushed across Gillercombe Head and up to Brandreth, and from there across to Grey Knotts. I had a thoroughly exciting descent from Grey Knotts along a pathless, grassy ridge that took me all the way down to Borrowdale as I took every advantage of the good weather. This was a perfect day in the Lakes over great mountains; it is the memory of days like this that keep you coming back to the Lakes.