Lake District 2011: Day Four - Going Home

Sunday morning. It is another lovely day. Sheila Nicky and Katy decide to go swimming before breakfast. After a leisurely breakfast and get ready for departure. Our ferry leaves Holyhead at 5:15 pm so we have plenty of time.

Nice Morning for a Swim?
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Wastwater Swimmer
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"I'm not Swimming"
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Morning Day Four Uploaded by M+MD

The setting for the hostel is wonderful. The building itself is also very pretty dating back to the early 18th century. It's certainly worth thinking about again.

Just one last group photograph and we are on our way.
For the record and from the left, Martin, Mark, Barney, Eoghan, Sheila, Louie, Nikki, Katy and Senan.

Job Done - Ready for Home, Uploaded by M+MD.

Lake District 2011: Day Three - The Big One

Day Three The Big One

It was a beautiful morning and the forecast was good. Today's plan was simple. We intended to climb Scafell Pike, 3,200 feet. It is just a 3.5 mile hike up from Wasdale. The contingency plan was that if it was too much for us or the weather was bad we would do Lingmell which is beside Scafell Pike and is on the same route.

Lake District 2011, Uploaded by M+MD.

We drove to the other side of the lake and started up Brown Gill. This route had a number of options. We had a choice of two routes up Scafell Pike. It also allowed us a fall-back objective Lingmell, which is 2,700 feet if Scafell Pike proved too much. Brown Gill is probably the most direct route up Scafell Pike, It is just a 3.5 mile hike with a climb of about 3'000 feet.

We met a group of "3 Peakers" coming down the path we knew we were on the best route. They had climbed Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike, and were about to drive to Snowdon. It was only 10 in the morning so they had had an early start.

Steady Progress - Short Break
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There were lots of people on the path. We made good steady progress. The path had been paved with steps for much of the route. It was also one of those quick rising routes that a a little more difficult at the start - but very satisfying and also gave a good reward for effort.

After 2 steady hours walking with lots of short breaks it was clear that Scafell Pike was not going to be a problem for anyone in the group. As we reached the col between Lingmell and Scafell Pike it was only 12.15. It was time to make some choices. The first decision was that we would all go for Scafell Pike - the was still a good 700 feet of climb to go. But since we had already climbed about three times that we were fine.

So the contingency plan was unnecessary. However Lingmell was one of those Wainwright peaks I hadn’t bagged yet. So while Sheila, Louie and Senan waited on the col the rest of us took the 30 minute detour to climb Lingmell. It was worth it. The views were fantastic.

From Lingmell
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First Peak - Lingmell
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On Lingmell
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The Scafells from Lingmell
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Back with the main group at 12.45 we were ready for the last 600 feet to Scafell Pike. We were well ahead of schedule and I started to hatch another plan. We were on top by 1.30 along with about 300 other people!. We found a quite shelter and had lunch.

On Scafell Pike, Uploaded by M+MD.

Lake District 2011: Day Two - The Screes

Day Two it was lovely and bright in the morning. I was awake early and walked down to the lake for a quick sketch. The hostel was quite, we had a good fry-up for breakfast. Then the sandwich making team got into action. We were ready to leave at about 9.45. It was raining. Our route today starts and ends at the hostel.

Its Raining, Uploaded by M+MD.

We were walking from the hostel up to the ridge above the Wastwater screes and then walking back along the bottom of the screes. First we had to walk through the woods. It was raining pretty hard. It eased off a little as we started to climb, but as we got up to the ridge it stopped.

Through the Woods
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Rain is Clearing
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When we got to the top of Whin Rigg it was clear. We could see right down to the hostel. You could see Sellafield and the Irish Sea appearing from under the raincloud.

Sellafield from Whin Rigg
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Hostel from Whin Rigg
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We then had an easy ridge walk to the next top. We were at 2,000 feet. There was a centre path through the open moor. But over to the side there was a path along the edge with fantastic views down to the lake and the screes – you could call it vertigo ridge. The views down the scree cliffs were fantastic.

Open Moor
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Vertigo Ridge
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Vertigo Ridge
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Vertigo Ridge
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We had lunch on the next top (Illgill Crag). Then we took the long walk down to get to the start of the screes.

Lunch Time
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Down to Wasdale Head
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The screes path is about 3 and a half miles long. It starts off nice and easy through ferns and bracken above the lake.

Through the Ferns
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Yewbarrow from the Scree path
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After about a mile we came to the first scree. The scree was small and these was a nice easy level path along the screes. After than we had more bracken, then some more easy screes. Then we came to some small but slippery boulders. Then we came to what could only be called a boulder field. It was about 500 yards across and the scree was large rocks. Some were unstable and some moved under your feet. I suddenly remembered why I had only done this once before! It was a very challenging and slow scramble across.

Boulder Field from Above, Uploaded by M+MD.

We were running well behind schedule. Barney and I had planned to meet Katy and Mark at Windermere railway station at 6pm. It was clear we were never going to make that. Barney speeded up, as he wanted to have a shower before we went to collect them. I found the big boulder field very difficult. The path was hard to follow. I went too high above the path. and although I was a long way ahead of the others when we started across the boulder field, they were within talking distance by the time I was finished. I speeded up after that but I was nearly an hour behind Barney. We managed to contact Mark and Katy and told them we would be about an hour late. We still had an hour drive to Windermere.

The others were a long way behinds us. They made it safely off the screes. Sheila took a tumble on the easy path. When they got to the hostel Sheila and Nicky went swimming. We met them later at the pub for dinner. It had been a very pleasant morning and a very difficult afternoon.

Ill Gill Head
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Whin Rigg
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Note to Self. Twice is more than enough times to walk the bottom of the screes. It is very pretty - but the boulder field is very difficult. Once you are half way across it feels like you are trapped. The only way to escape is to continue.

The forecast for to-morrow is good. Scafell Pike is the plan - we will see!

Lake District 2011: Day One - Yewbarrow

The ferry left Dublin on time at 8.45. We were in Holyhead at 10.45 and on the road just after 11.00. It is a four hour drive from Holyhead. We stopped at a service station just below Preston to have a cup of coffee. Just as we were leaving I heard a familiar voice behind us - Sheila, on her way from London had stopped at the same services. Its a small world!
The drive from Holyhead is dual carraigeway and motorway for 3 hours. It was a tough final hour as we drove up the Duddon valley and turning left at Ulpha. It was not as bad as the year we went over Wrynose and Hard Knott - but it was slow and winding for the last 45 minutes.

Our plan was to meet at the car park at the foot of Yewbarrow. It was raining as we drove into the valley and alongside the lake. Yewbarrow is often photographed because of its position halfway up the Wasdale valley. More than any mountain it looks like an upturn boat. It is one of the two Wainwrights I am planning to add on this trip. As we parked I thought that we may have to cancel due to the weather. Sheila had arrived five minutes before us. As we were consulting and considering, it stopped raining.
So we set off at 4pm. It is a serious first walk – 2,200 feet. It is a no nonsense climb as the path rises directly from the lake.

Wastwater Uploaded by M+MD

We puffed and panted as we started to get our "mountain legs" but we were encouraged by the sight of the lake getting smaller below us. We started up the spine of hill along a wall. Once we were over the wall the path moved across the hill and towards a gully. We scrambled up the gully, the lake still receeding. After about an hour we reached the first top of the gully. At first we were disappointed because we could see there was still quite a bit of a ridge walk to get to the top. But then as we got to the top of the ridge, suddenly, there was the view. It was breath-taking. The lake was now below us, down a vertical gully. The sky was clear and we could see Great Gable; Scafell Pike, Scafell and all the mountains around.

Up the Gully Uploaded by M+MD

Gaining Height Uploaded by M+MD

Yewbarrow Ridge Uploaded by M+MD

Louie Uploaded by M+MD

As we continued on the ridge the views were amazing. We had a clear view to the top of Scafell Pike, a rare sight. Finally we reached what looked like the top. Then we saw that the real peak was about 500 metres away - though not much higher. Finally, we made it. After a rest and some chocolate we continued down towards the col with Red Pike. We cut down an a path before the col - it was a little rough and a little steep but we made it down to the valley. After ten minutes on an ill-defined path beside a stream we joined the main path down the valley. The rest was easy.

Yewbarrow Summit, Uploaded by M+MD.

Wastwater Youth Hostel
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We did the walk in just over 3 hours. We headed back to the hostel and checked in. We were all in one big dormatory with the boys on one side and the girls on the other side of an internal partition. It was perfect. By the time we had got ourselves together it was just nine o'clock. We rang the local pub to see if we were too late for dinner – we were! But they took our order on the phone and ten minutes later we were tucking into steak/salmon and chips and pints. A successful first day behind us, a Wainwright bagged and mountain legs getting into shape.

Lake District 2011

We are planning another Lake District trip. This year there are nine of us.
Some newcomers: Barney, Eoghan, Louie and Nicky,
a couple of sometimers: Mark and Katy
and some all-timers: Sheila, Senan and Martin.

It is the usual 3 day format.
Arrive on Thursday around 3.30, get a quick warm up walk.
Friday a full day walk getting ready for
The Big One - on Saturday.

This year we will base ourselves in Wastwater youth hostel. It is a lovly early 19th century house on the shores of the lake - the lake is just at the bottom of the garden.

Bagging Wainwrights

There are 214 hills in the 7 Wainwrights pictorial guides to the Lake District. They are not exactly all the biggest hills - though they are pretty close. Lots of people (mainly from the North of England) make it there ambition to climb each of these hills. I have done about 67 of them - though I am not certain of some of the early adventures. A couple of days on the walk I did in 1981 are a bit vague - especially the first day when I climbed Grasmoor above Buttermere and the last day when I climbed High Street.

There are now lots of resources on the internet for walkers and climbers. This site allows you to mark each hill you've climbed - pretty cool. My Wainwrights

This weekend I hope to add another five to this list. Watch this space.

Seany's Top Six from the Lakes

Top six moments that made us all laugh over the few days:

Seany, Helm Crag
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1. Christopher in his role of Director of Sweets alias "DOS"
2. Lisa managing to flip all four beer mats immediatly after the Da had romped home, Seany pig headedly sticking with it until the end.
3. Sheila controlling her urge to direct the 30 twelve year olds through the breakfast area.
4. Martin taking map reading instruction from Seany without pointing to the map.
5. Senan being first up on last morning to everyone's surprise.
6. The Carol singers singing Welcome Welcome as we applauded half way up the mountain.

Day Three - Monday 22 June 2009 Striding and Swiral: Up and Down Helvellyn

Day Three Walk
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We awoke at 7 as before and it didn't take us too long to get down for breakfast. Senan was a little slower than the rest of us and there wasn't much breakfast left for him. It was Monday morning and the hostel was noticeably quite. We prepared our lunch as before. The good news about today's walk was that we were starting at about 900 ft instead of the usual 300-400 feet because the hostel is right on the path to Helvellyn. My plan was to go up to Red Tarn and then up Swirral Edge and back down Striding Edge. Talking to two walkers in the hostel I decided we should reverse the order - up Striding Edge and down Swirral Edge - safer and better was the advice. The weather forecast was for clouds at the top - otherwise pretty good. As we climbed out of the valley we could feel the heat and although Helvellyn was hidden from view in the early stages of the walk - Catstycam was clear. It was a steep climb out of the valley - but we made good ground. We had a number of stops - but they were beginning to find their mountain legs!

Red Tarn in the Mist
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As the ground flattened out and we approached Red Tarn the mist came down. It looked that it might be down for the day. The Tarn looked dark and menacing and we couldn't see to the far side. We contoured back in the mist to "the hole in the wall" which is the top of the ridge a little below the start of Striding Edge. There we met lots of walkers. Helvellyn is the most often climbed mountain in England. The light down into the valley below was magical. Peering through the mist to the sunlight aging on the green valley below was like something out of Lord of the Rings.

Sunlight and Mist, Uploaded by M+MD.

We were resigning ourselves to just the odd glimpse down from Striding Edge as we move on the the start of the famous ridge walk. Then suddenly the mist cleared and the sun shone brightly. The sky was very very blue. We had a clear view across the start of Striding Edge; over to Helvellyn; across to Swirral Edge and down to Red Tarn now bright and clear below us. The perfect conditions for the splendid walk ahead.

The mist is lifting, Uploaded by M+MD.

Striding Edge has two paths. The first is a real path which winds either side of the rocky ridge. This path is generally just 3 or 4 metres below the ridge. It offers great views down both sides of the ridge. The second path is not really a path but a well worn set of boot marks all along the very top of the ridge. It's the nutters route across Striding Edge and is truly a great walk.

The Path Above
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The Path Below
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Striding Edge
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Striding Edge
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Vertigo
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Striding Edge
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The first point is that vertigo sufferers must turn back now! It takes just a little courage to step out on the first broad crag that is the start of Striding Edge. Its wide and pretty flat and the path is just two metres below. But you are on Top of the World; the King of the Castle with the magic of the Lake District stretching out below you. From there all across the too of the ridge it is just like scrambling over the rocks at the end of Tara Cove taking the cliff path to Ballymoney. Sometimes you have to return to the path to get to the next crag. The others joined me for some of this and then towards the end I advised them to go around for the last section. It was longer but much more difficult to get down from at the end. But slowly and carefully I lowered myself down and back to the path.

Up To Helvellyn
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Senan had raced on ahead on the path and was now waiting for us at the other side of Striding Edge. Now the last 500 feet of Helvellyn had to be tackled. It's a sharp pull up - some of it at the start of the climb over loose scree. But each step was a couple of feet up and that's always encouraging. I found a path to the side. The mist was settling back over the mountain, but there was no doubting our direction - the only way was up! After about 20 minutes I was at the shelter. Its just off the top. The mist was now down, but the place was busy with walkers eating there lunch. After about 10 minutes the others arrived - I had definitely found the shortest route. Lunch was eaten in the mist and was very welcome. Senan managed to attract a pair of sheep - they seemed to be quite interested in our lunch.

Lunchtime
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Stretching
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Helvellyn Summit
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Eating
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Coming down Swirral Edge
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Well fed and rested we headed along the top of Helvellyn in the mist. We needed to be careful to find the correct exit. We came to a cairn and a turn in the ridge - that looked like the way down - though it looked difficult and challenging in the mist. There was a group in front of us - they were very slow and tentative. Senan started down first - but wasn't that happy and came back. "Is there no other way?"; Well there was another way - but it was a much longer walk. I nearly gave in, but Seany said we should give it a try and I went on to see what could be seen. The first part of the path was a scramble over rocks. Keeping your bum close to the ground was the key to success. Once we got past that initial buttress it was a simple path all the way down.

Catstycam
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Ullswater From Catstycam
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Hellvellyn from Catstycam, Uploaded by M+MD.

Catstycam from Glenridding
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The path down to Red Tarn was easy to follow. But for some of us the small drag up to Catstycam (2950 ft) was too tempting to ignore. It one of the higher hills to escape my attention over the last 35 years probably because I never took the Swirral Edge route before. Catstycam was certainly an easy addition. We had a brief rest at the top before setting off down to rejoin Seany and Sheila. Soon we were back on the route down from Red Tarn again retracing our steps from this morning. The sun had returned as we descented down Swirral Edge and now there was real heat in the day.

Aching Feet
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Foot Massage
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When we were most of the way down we stopped by a rushing stream and took a long leisurely break. Our work was done; all objectives met; it was a beautiful summer's day; the scenery was stunning. Sheila took off her boots and had a foot-massage in the mini waterfall in the stream. We all followed suit. It was soothing and refreshing.

We finished the walk back to the hostel and collected our togs and headed down to Ullswater for another swim. This time we agreed that we would all go in together. Senan had the camera ready and we all line up, ready, set, go. We all dived into the water. Christopher was ready and set but didn't go until later! But he did get in and swim.

Ready, Uploaded by M+MD.
Set, Uploaded by M+MD.
Go, Uploaded by M+MD.
Its not that cold - really, Uploaded by M+MD.

It was not as cold as yesterday - though it was still bracing!

Brotherswater Inn
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We dried off and headed to Brotherswater Inn again. This time we got a table by the huge picture windows. It was a beautiful evening and the sunsetting on the hills was very pretty. I could see Fairfield in the distance - but there were very dramatic views of Dove Crag and on to Red Pike both of which are still not on my list yet. There are a total of 214 "Wainwrights" ie summits covered in the seven Wainwright guides. I have completed over 70 of these hills - just one third of the way. I'm not sure that I would ever get them all done. There is a tendency to do the same peaks over and over.

Ideas for the Future
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There are favourites like Striding Edge and Helvellyn which are hard to ignore when you only get a couple of days a year to visit. But there are many ridges which just seem to escape all the time. Sergeant Man; Glaramara; Allen Crag for example always seem to be on the other side of the valley! There are also quite a few smaller hills that never seem to be quite worth the effort!
I always plan a few routes for next time each time I return from the lakes. I will try to get 4 or 5 new hills in next year. I will aim to get to 107 wainwrights anyway - at least more than half way!! Maybe I should also plan a longer walk which would attempt to fill in the gaps. If I could climb highest half of every book that would be a significant target.

White Lion Patterdale
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Travellers Rest, Glenridding
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We called into the Travellers Rest on the way home for just one more before getting home just before eleven.
To-morrow we will pack and leave pretty promptly. No sandwich making required!