A belated post up here given that this was the August bank holiday, but, better late than never!
The idea was to spend along weekend in the Lakes. Walk Saturday and Sunday and maybe squeeze some short walks into Friday afternoon / Monday morning as well. As it turned out I hardly hardly any of the planned walking! A tale of woe in many respects. However, it was still a good get away and change of scenery. Lets face it, you can't not spend time in the Lake District and not leave feeling happy!
So, what actually happened?
Friday:
Slow start - busy in work earlier in the week and not quite fully organised by Thursday evening. Traffic leading to a long journey didn't help the idea of a short Friday walk and, having got there, it was looking like it was about to lash it down with rain. Priority number one was grabbing a couple of things I realised I'd forgotten from Ambleside and then getting the tent pitched! After that I settled for a quiet dinner in the pub and got my head down. Only plus sides of the day - A1, A66 is prettier than the M6 and I was able to grab a photo of the Duke of Portland Boathouse.
Cloud over the Kirkstone Pass
Coud over Red Screes
Duke of Portland Boathouse
Saturday:
Woken up to a leaden sky. Very dull and overcast. supposed to pick up but not looking like it while having breakfast. Felt totally "Meh", no energy for some reason also. Eventually went round to Grasmere and had a wander around town in the mizzle. I put my feelings down to the weather as I felt better when it started to brighten and I thought I'd do he simple walk up onto Helm Crag and back. I did Bowfell a few months ago, so this should be easy enough shouldn't it...
As it turns out...No. The walk out of Grasmere to the base of Helm Crag was easy enough. However, my legs felt like lead as soon as the ascent started. Struggled up and very quickly started hearing a little voice in the back of my head saying that this wasn't a good idea today. Push on slowly for a bit - a bit beyond the top of the pitched path next to the wall for anyone who knows the walk. By this point the voice in the back of my head was shouting loudly. Something just didn't feel right and I decided it was safer to turn around and head back. By the time I was back to the car I felt totally shattered but couldn't work out why...
Anyway, by this time the sun was shining properly and after a very pleasant cafe lunch I took the car over to Conniston and had some fun taking photos by the lake and looking towards Langdale on the way over the pass.
Helm Crag
View from the highest point I got to
Helm Crag
Ecton Crag
A view of The Crinkles
A view to the Langdale Pikes
Looking up Conniston Water
Conniston Panorama
Sunday:
Woke feeling better in myself but the legs were still stiff and achey. Decided it was probably something viral by this point (I'd spent Saturday evening in the pub feeling really cold despite putting on layer after layer). Supposed to be meeting Rich and Dave for a Skiddaw walk. What to do?
Decided to drive and over to meet them and start the walk. If the legs weren't up to it then I'd let them go on and double back myself. Starting from Dodd Wood car park We set off along the forest paths towards the start of the Ullock Pike Ridge. Very pleasant walking in the cool of the woods with occasional views over Basenthwaite. After the woods the gentle ascent continues and rather than take the short cut we decided to heather bash our way over to The Watches.
I have to say that this is a wonderful view point and a very pleasant place to sit out and enjoy the view. Indeed, if time was short this would be a great destination it itself. This was also the decision point for me and I decided to let the others push on themselves. I probably could have made it up and over Ullock Pike, Longside to Carl Side, but, I don't think it would have been fun. Blazing hot by this point and the legs still felt far more tired than they should have. I bade Rich and Dave au revoir and and sat down to enjoy the view for a while. A pleasant walk back through the woods was followed by lunch in the old Sawmill Cafe while awaiting my friends return. This was quicker than expected as well - turns out they bailed from climbing Skiddaw as it was getting far too hot and the top was still covered by a cap of cloud. They even by passed Dodd itself on the way back it was so hot! Not just me struggling in the end...
View from the tent Sunday morning. That bit of cloud is just covering the top of Pike O'Blisco
The Watches up ahead
Ullock Pike
Cloud over Skiddaw
Monday:
Time to come home and I finally felt back to normal! C'est la vie. Still the mountains aren't going anywhere. I briefly toyed with the idea of going back to Helm Crag but decided to get everything packed and just head off home in the end. My suspicion of what the bank holiday traffic would be like turned out to be entirely correct! Still, I did grab some more photos in the sunshine before heading off the M6.
So, not what was planned. However, it was nice to get away and just take the chance to enjoy looking at the mountains without necessarily getting up onto them. Overall, still a lovely weekend getaway!
Due to not being able to go walking as much as I would like this year I’m taking the opportunity to transfer some older trip reports across to the blog. An archive for me and a chance for other people to read about the walks. This walk is from last year and my first trip walking in the Lake District. I’d been there previously and done the standard touristy stuff (and very nice that is too) but this was my first ever mountain walk…
I had come up to the Lake District to meet up with some of the people off the Walking Forum who were going to be there as well.
So, having arrived in the Lake District, I set up camp in the National Trust campsite in Great Langdale - highly recommended by the way. Good facilities, friendly staff, great views and the Old Dungeon Ghyll on your doorstep - what more could you ask for
View towards Crinkle Crags from by the campsite
The next day, despite a forecast of showers I set off from Ambleside towards Fairfield intending to do the horseshoe. Walking out of town I soon found the path which took me through Rydal Park to Rydal Hall. From here the path to Nab Scar climbs quickly but does give wonderful opportunities to look back at Windermere whilst you get your breath back stop to admire the view.
View back to Windermere
However, the summit of Heron Pike soon came into view:
Heron Pike
Also visible was Helm Crag to the left. This photo also gives you an idea of how low the cloud was getting as the showers came through.
Helm Crag
Continuing on the top of Fairfield was going in and out of the clouds but I continued as, so far, the rain had come in short showers and had blown through with the clouds clearing after each shower.
Fairfield going in and out of the clouds...
Fairfield - visible again!
Fairfield
However the clouds were building up again as could be seen both behind and to the west:
Looking towards the Central Fells
Before too long the rain started again and the clouds had come in. Indeed, just before getting to the top of Great Rigg I was actually in the clouds. Proper clag...Thinking it would clear again I continued to follow the path but it never cleared and when I got to the top I could see about 10-20 yards. Pretty sure it was the top; big Cairns, shelter and some other poor sod who said it it was the second time he had got up there and neither time had he been able to see anything!
Anyway, given the visibility, I decided to return to Ambleside by the route of ascent rather than trying to find my way to Hart Crag in such poor visibility. Wainwright said that the route wasn’t a great idea in mist and I decided that discretion was the better part of valour.
The Sun did come out again as I descended off Great Rigg, though it was a further half hour or so before the top of Fairfield had cleared. Did I regret turning round...No. It was the sensible decision at the time and the route will be there to do again in the future. But, now the sun was out properly I went from having winter gloves on to wishing I had sunscreen with me as I came back to the top of Nab Scar.
Windermere and Rydal Water from Nab Scar
Rydal Water and Grasmere from Nab Scar
So, while I didn't get the view off Fairfield, I did get some lovely views over Grasmere, Rydal Water and Windermere and my first 4 Wainwrights (even if I couldn't see anything from 2 of them!).
