S
Sandy Saunders
Guest
Yes, finally updated my website with last weeks Lakes walks
plus photos.
Excellent weeks walking, except for Wednesday when the
weather was really foul, persistent rain all day .... Clare
and I had a visit to the Reghed Centre, followed by a touch
of retail-therapy in Keswick ... Needlesport and George
Fishers, followed by a couple of beers in the Dog and Gun.
The walking .... mixed bag really. Started the week off on
Saturday with a gentle hike up to Walla Crag from Great Wood
car park, returned via Ashness Bridge. (Friends from
Boroughbridge in Yorkshire joined Clare and I for the
weekend.) Great weather provided us with excellent views of
surrounding Fells, and a little snow on the way up. Sunday
was another 'gentle day', walking from Stonethwaite up to a
frozen Dock Tarn, then across to Watendlath Tarn for lunch.
Plenty of ice and snow about, but sitting on the foreshore
for lunch was brilliant. No wind and very pleasant in the
afternoon sun. We descended down to above Rosthwaite then
followed the Cumbria Way back to Stonethwaite.
I ventured off alone on Monday on a linear walk from Stybeck
Farm near Thirlmere up to Sticks pass then on to Helvellyn.
Stiff climb to start, once the height was gained it was a
good walk over Raise and Whiteside before getting up to
Helvellyn summit. Some snow about, with ice in odd places,
but nothing to slow the progress. Lunch on Helvellyn was
relaxing, then it was on crampons for the descent of Swirral
Edge. Wasn't too bad, but the crampons proved useful. A walk
along a frozen Red Tarn for some photos, then down to
Glenridding via Greenside and Mires Beck to an awaiting
Clare (good girl, she is).
Tuesday, Clare and I were back in the Ullswater area for a
circular walk from just west of Dockray. The route took us
into Dockray, then close to Watermillock Common and around
Glencoynedale to the col below Sheffield Pike, then up to
Green Side. Next stop was Stybarrow Dodd for lunch. Very
windy with snow and ice in many places. Intention was for us
to return via Watson's Dodd and Great Dodd, but Clare's
hands suffered from cold during our lunch-stop (Clare has
major problems with cold fingers, would have been OK if we
had kept going). Anyway, we contoured around the eastern
side of Great Dodd and Rannerdale then over Matterdale
Common to the car. Although we didn't fulfil the days
intentions, it was still a good 10 mile hike. Will complete
the circuit on our next visit.
Wednesday's walk was up Catbells from Hawes End and over
Maidenmoor to High Spy. Scattered low cloud on the
surrounding hills made for some good photos. Weather was
reasonable, with no strong winds like our last outing on
Tuesday. Had lunch just before Dalehead Tarn, then dropped
down past the old mine workings into Borrowdale to follow
the Allerdale Ramble back to Grange. Little road walk from
there to pick up the path along the western shore of Derwent
Water, which brought us back through Hawes End to the car.
Another fine 10 mile circuit.
For the last day, we opted for a visit to Scafell Pike via
the Corridor Route. Done it a few times, but we do enjoy the
route. Very overcast sky but no wind. Quiet at Seathwaite
Farm, only about 10 cars when we set out at 1000. We were
soon at Styhead Tarn and starting out on the Corridor Route
.... and into the hill fog. Reached the snow and ice just
below Round How, although it wasn't any problem. Some
sections of the path was iced over, but plenty of room to
pass around. Little more of a problem at the head of Piers
Gill. The path was covered in snow on ice, so a little
uphill work on exposed rocks through the ice was needed to
circumvent the area. We soon on our way up from Lingmell Col
to the summit of Scafell Pike. Plenty of snow on the way up,
but slushy underfoot. An opening in the clouds appeared as
we reached the summit, couldn't see much, but the sun was
warm in the snow. A steady descent over more soft snow to
Esk Hause left us with a long downhill slog back to
Seathwaite. Brilliant finish to a great week in the Lakes.
Final meal that evening in the Coledale Inn (we were
staying in Braithwaite) before packing for the long drive
south on the Saturday. Excellent Cumberland sausages with a
couple of pints of Theakstons Black Bull bitter in front of
a roaring coal fire. Fine way to end the day .... and a
good weeks waking.
Photos from the week on my website (Lakeland link) at the
address below.
--
Sandy Saunders @ www.thewalkzone.co.uk
'Mountains or Mole Hills ... summiting still brings
the same excitement'
plus photos.
Excellent weeks walking, except for Wednesday when the
weather was really foul, persistent rain all day .... Clare
and I had a visit to the Reghed Centre, followed by a touch
of retail-therapy in Keswick ... Needlesport and George
Fishers, followed by a couple of beers in the Dog and Gun.
The walking .... mixed bag really. Started the week off on
Saturday with a gentle hike up to Walla Crag from Great Wood
car park, returned via Ashness Bridge. (Friends from
Boroughbridge in Yorkshire joined Clare and I for the
weekend.) Great weather provided us with excellent views of
surrounding Fells, and a little snow on the way up. Sunday
was another 'gentle day', walking from Stonethwaite up to a
frozen Dock Tarn, then across to Watendlath Tarn for lunch.
Plenty of ice and snow about, but sitting on the foreshore
for lunch was brilliant. No wind and very pleasant in the
afternoon sun. We descended down to above Rosthwaite then
followed the Cumbria Way back to Stonethwaite.
I ventured off alone on Monday on a linear walk from Stybeck
Farm near Thirlmere up to Sticks pass then on to Helvellyn.
Stiff climb to start, once the height was gained it was a
good walk over Raise and Whiteside before getting up to
Helvellyn summit. Some snow about, with ice in odd places,
but nothing to slow the progress. Lunch on Helvellyn was
relaxing, then it was on crampons for the descent of Swirral
Edge. Wasn't too bad, but the crampons proved useful. A walk
along a frozen Red Tarn for some photos, then down to
Glenridding via Greenside and Mires Beck to an awaiting
Clare (good girl, she is).
Tuesday, Clare and I were back in the Ullswater area for a
circular walk from just west of Dockray. The route took us
into Dockray, then close to Watermillock Common and around
Glencoynedale to the col below Sheffield Pike, then up to
Green Side. Next stop was Stybarrow Dodd for lunch. Very
windy with snow and ice in many places. Intention was for us
to return via Watson's Dodd and Great Dodd, but Clare's
hands suffered from cold during our lunch-stop (Clare has
major problems with cold fingers, would have been OK if we
had kept going). Anyway, we contoured around the eastern
side of Great Dodd and Rannerdale then over Matterdale
Common to the car. Although we didn't fulfil the days
intentions, it was still a good 10 mile hike. Will complete
the circuit on our next visit.
Wednesday's walk was up Catbells from Hawes End and over
Maidenmoor to High Spy. Scattered low cloud on the
surrounding hills made for some good photos. Weather was
reasonable, with no strong winds like our last outing on
Tuesday. Had lunch just before Dalehead Tarn, then dropped
down past the old mine workings into Borrowdale to follow
the Allerdale Ramble back to Grange. Little road walk from
there to pick up the path along the western shore of Derwent
Water, which brought us back through Hawes End to the car.
Another fine 10 mile circuit.
For the last day, we opted for a visit to Scafell Pike via
the Corridor Route. Done it a few times, but we do enjoy the
route. Very overcast sky but no wind. Quiet at Seathwaite
Farm, only about 10 cars when we set out at 1000. We were
soon at Styhead Tarn and starting out on the Corridor Route
.... and into the hill fog. Reached the snow and ice just
below Round How, although it wasn't any problem. Some
sections of the path was iced over, but plenty of room to
pass around. Little more of a problem at the head of Piers
Gill. The path was covered in snow on ice, so a little
uphill work on exposed rocks through the ice was needed to
circumvent the area. We soon on our way up from Lingmell Col
to the summit of Scafell Pike. Plenty of snow on the way up,
but slushy underfoot. An opening in the clouds appeared as
we reached the summit, couldn't see much, but the sun was
warm in the snow. A steady descent over more soft snow to
Esk Hause left us with a long downhill slog back to
Seathwaite. Brilliant finish to a great week in the Lakes.
Final meal that evening in the Coledale Inn (we were
staying in Braithwaite) before packing for the long drive
south on the Saturday. Excellent Cumberland sausages with a
couple of pints of Theakstons Black Bull bitter in front of
a roaring coal fire. Fine way to end the day .... and a
good weeks waking.
Photos from the week on my website (Lakeland link) at the
address below.
--
Sandy Saunders @ www.thewalkzone.co.uk
'Mountains or Mole Hills ... summiting still brings
the same excitement'