Wansfell and Troutbeck Tongue

Thursday 22nd December 2022 (and Friday 23rd December 2022)

The weather forecast for this day was relatively good with hardly any wind, which was a welcome change after the brisk, cold winds that had affected me on my previous two days in the Lake District. However, it was still grey and misty with clouds everywhere and it was very wet as I left the Ambleside Youth Hostel, so I was unsure where I would be walking. My plan seemed to be overambitious for the weather, but in the end I decided to start my planned walk and see how far I went. From the shore of Windermere I took a path that climbed steeply up the hillside and into Skelghyll Wood, which seemed very atmospheric in the misty conditions. After negotiating a network of paths through the wood, I came across a National Trust sign that proclaimed “Kelsick Scar”, and pointed to a footpath up Wansfell, which led me steeply through the trees and out of the wood not far from a substantial aqueduct observatory station. I didn’t become aware of this path until it appeared in the latest version of Wainwright’s guides, the Walker’s Edition, and took it as a descent in 2016 in diminishing light, so now I wanted to take it in ascent, but I had no views and soon I disappeared into the clouds. Although relatively new, the path is already clear underfoot and the small posts that mark the route were no longer necessary. With no view to be seen it was difficult for me to know how much further I had to go and the path seemed to go on for much longer than I would expect until eventually I reached Wansfell Pike.

This is a prominent outcrop on the western edge of the fell, but is not the highest point, so I made my way beside the wall along the summit ridge and considered my options. In these misty conditions I wasn’t getting much enjoyment out of the walk. The views were non-existent and there was little undulation in the ridge which my intended route laid along, down to Woundale Raise and up to St Raven’s Edge. With no incentive to keep going I decided to abandon my original plan, but not until I had reached the cairn that marks Wainwright’s summit for Wansfell, however the Ordnance Survey claim there is a higher point just over a nearby wall, but when I made my way across I could not find anything worthy of being the top. After returning to Wainwright’s more prominent top, which is a better place to aim for, I made my way south down the clear path, but it was very, very wet and soon I slipped over and got soaked. The ground was just too wet and muddy to do any meaningful walking on so I was happy to be coming down and eventually the waterlogged path came alongside a wall, which I crossed onto an enclosed lane. I have horrible memories of walking down this muddy lane in 2010 so I was pleasantly surprised to find a good, stony track, but my memory had not failed me and soon the stones were replaced by thick mud that left my boots completely covered in mud by the time I reached the direct path to Wansfell Pike.

Thankfully, from there, down Nanny Lane into Troutbeck, the track is much better and I slowly descended into the Troutbeck valley where the clouds lay thick on either side. On reaching the road in the village of Troutbeck, I took a footpath down to the bottom of the valley and up towards Troutbeck Tongue. For some reason I was feeling very tired at this point in the walk, so I slowed right down and carefully made my way through the beautiful valley, initially on a delightfully narrow enclosed path, but soon widened onto the farmer’s road of Ing Lane. After passing over Ing Bridge and Hagg Bridge I decided to stop and have my lunch in the hope that this would help me get some energy. I had considered approaching the top of Troutbeck Tongue from the north, but eventually I decided that I should take the usual route up, from the south, as I did in 2010, so I took the path to Hagg Gill before turning off to climb the prominent rock rib up to the summit. It is always best to climb steeply and descent slowly, though the best views were behind me down the length of the Troutbeck valley. My lunch and the great views gave me the strength to make the ascent up a fabulous, craggy ridge until eventually I plunged into the clouds and reached the cairn that marks the summit of the Tongue in Troutbeck Park.

A long grassy ridge took me north from the top and soon I came out of the clouds again to reveal views of the upper valley, but the low cloud cover meant they were not great. The weather was not helping this walk, though I no longer had the light rain that I had encountered on Wansfell. Towards the end of the ridge a track materialised that curved sharply round into the valley to my right descending to the Hagg Gill and this I followed back down the side of Troutbeck Tongue. At a junction I branched left and followed the bridleway down the eastern side of the Troutbeck valley for a long, easy and relaxing walk down the valley, which was just what I needed, eventually taking a path through Limefitt Holiday Park and across the valley back into village of Troutbeck where I joined Robin Lane around the southern slopes of Wansfell. On this walk I encountered several of these fabulous enclosed lanes that the Lake District abounds in and are a joy to walk along. Nanny Lane took me off Wansfell, Ing Lane took me up the Troutbeck valley, Longmire Road took me back down the valley and now Robin Lane set me off back towards Skelghyll Wood and Ambleside. This was a curious walk with very wet conditions on Wansfell that left my map soaked and a fatigue that plagued much of the walk, but the ascent of Troutbeck Tongue did much to revive my spirits.

Heavy rain was forecast the next day from about midday so I decided not to do much walking, which was fortunate as I didn’t have anything planned. The only thing I could think of was a path that climbs from Clappersgate to Todd Crag on the south-eastern tip of Loughrigg Fell that I have previously only ever taken in descent in diminishing light so I was keen to do that as an ascent in better light. Leaving the youth hostel at Waterhead I made my way around the lake to Clappersgate and started the steep ascent up a fabulous path that was short, sharp and always delightful, ingeniously designed up rock and through bracken with tremendous views over Windermere. This path is everything I love about the Lake District, so it was a shame when it was soon over and I reached Todd Crag where I not only had great views over Windermere but towards the encircling fells, currently clear of clouds, with the Fairfield Horseshoe looking particularly striking. I didn’t linger too long on the fell, so after passing Lily Tarn I took the path that descends straight down to Miller Brow and back into Ambleside. Rather than catching a bus to the railway station I thought I’d try walking beside the road all the way to Windermere while the rain held off and save myself the bus fare. It was curious to walk a route that I have taken many times before on a bus and it surprised me how quickly I was able to do it. Whatever the weather, it is always great being in the Lake District.

 

Little Langdale and Loughrigg Tarn

Wednesday 21st December 2022

On my second walk in the Lake District at Christmas I was traveling from the Holly How Youth Hostel in Coniston to the Ambleside Youth Hostel in Waterhead, at the northern end of Windermere, which is not a huge distance as according to Google Maps it should take two and a half hours to walk it. So, to extend the route into a full day I poured over maps trying to come up with a good walk, however the start was dictated by my need to initially head back into the village of Coniston to get something for my lunch. From there I joined the route of the Cumbria Way over Shepherd Bridge and into the Monk Coniston estate, now owned by the National Trust. A fabulous path took me through lovely parkland slowly climbing with a view behind me towards Coniston Water until after passing over the top of the low hill I beheld picturesque views north across the estate as I descended to a bridge over the Yewdale Beck. The weather was poor with thick, grey, overcast skies overhead, which marred the view towards Holme Fell and Tom Heights, but at least it wasn’t raining. At the bridge beside Low Yewdale I left the Cumbria Way and crossed the valley to the path that runs alongside the main road. I previously walked along this path in 2008 and in 2018, which are also the only previous times that I have stayed at the Holly How Youth Hostel. It is a lovely path through woodland at the foot of the steep slopes up to the Yewdale Fells and is particularly delightful in spring when it is decorated with many wildflowers including bluebells and wild garlic.

Keeping to my 2018 route I turned left onto the road that climbs above the Yewdale Beck and branched off onto a very wet path that contoured around the hillside to the disused quarries south of Tilberthwaite Gill. Before I reached there, however, on a whim I turned left onto a path that is marked as a right-of-way on maps and climbs steeply around Goat’s Crag into the Yewdale Fells. I hadn’t planned on doing this and I made the turning without really even thinking about it, my legs just took over, unable to resist the temptation of a good path that climbs steeply into the hills. I guess my main motivation was the fact that I had never been that way before, which had also been my motivation to take the Cumbria Way out of Coniston. Unfortunately this path soon dwindled into the complex undulating terrain of the Yewdale Fells which has little of interest but boggy ground. Therefore after wandering around for a while I found a clear path that took me north to Tilberthwaite Gill where a line of hills ahead of me was a barrier that had to be crossed. Rather than climbing straight up from this point I decided to turn right onto the fabulous path that descends across the gloriously craggy terrain above the awesome ravine of Tilberthwaite Gill. I had planned on crossing the stream over the bridge at the foot of the ravine but signs warned me that the bridge was damaged and therefore closed so I kept to the path past old quarry workings and down to the road and car park.

After a short walk along the road I climbed up past some cottages and onto an old quarry road. Rather than going all the way around the hills, I thought I’d take the right-of-way that climbs up over the hills from this point but when I checked my location I realised that I was not the path I wanted to be on but still on the quarry road that climbs up to Betsy Crag. When I reached a wall I turned left along a good path that follows the wall and brought me to the right of way that I’d intended on taking where there seemed to be little trace of an actual path on the ground. The terrain in this area was interesting in its complexity and I noticed that attempts had been made to prevent drainage by erecting small dams in the streams. I remember walking through this area in 2012 past Betsy Crag and up over Birk Fell, but now I passed quickly over the ridge and down the steep, grassy hill into the Greenburn valley while ahead of me were views all the way to the Langdale Pikes with Pike o’ Blisco to my left, but it was all very grey and miserable. Once in the valley I turned right to walk along the path into Little Langdale while rain fell briefly. On passing the beautiful, yet simple, Slater Bridge, I was reminded of a walk through this area in 2002 on my first ever visit to the Lake District when I discovered a large cathedral-like cave, but when I returned in 2012 I was unable to locate it, so now I was determined to find it.

At a sign for Little Langdale Quarries I turned up the path and found a board that proudly proclaimed, and warned about, Cathedral Cave with a small opening to the right. The geology in the Lake District doesn’t produce natural caves so this is actually the result of mining and after passing through a dark passage I emerged into a vast area with an opening in the roof that let the light in. Clapping my hands produced a mesmerising and long-lasting echo so I did this often as I wandered around the old quarry exploring wherever it was safe to do so. Eventually I emerged from the mouth of the cave, happy to have found this awe-inspiring place and mystified that I had failed to find it ten years ago. Back on the track I followed it through Little Langdale, eventually rejoining the route of the Cumbria Way and the walk that I did through this area in 2012, though this time I ignored the lure of Colwith Force and when I reached Skelwith Bridge I also ignored Skelwith Force. The Cumbria Way turns to head up Great Langdale at this point but I crossed the main road up a narrow lane. I could have followed the main road into Ambleside, but a much better route passes over the southern shoulder of Loughrigg Fell, however before then I wanted to visit the rarely seen Loughrigg Tarn. So, I kept to the road until I had passed by the lake and then took the path that passes by the shores of the lake where the Langdale Pikes were visible far in the misty distance.

From Loughrigg Tarn I took a stony lane such as the Lake District rejoices in around the edge of Loughrigg Fell and across the southern shoulder. Previous times that I have taken this path I have not resisted the temptation to branch right to Todd Crag, but this time I managed to keep to the bridleway over the top and down into Ambleside. Even though this walk didn’t reach the top of any fell it was still a fabulous walk that even light showers failed to ruin. It was a very enjoyable walk through stunning, complex Lakeland scenery.