Seems like everyone had a good weather last weekend (11th/12th October). I had an excellent weekend,
but the weather could have been improved....
The forecast for the Lakes suggested there would be high cloud at first on Saturday, with
layers descending later in the afternoon. Fortified by that knowledge, I headed off from
Cambridge and had left the car at Wha House in Eskdale at about 0945, intending to do the
Eskdale Horseshoe anti-clockwise. There was fairly solid cloud cover as I walked along the road
to Brotherilkeld (I normally see this lovely road in the sun). My usual route for Eskdale
jaunts is to return over Lingcove Bridge and by the River Esk; it was good to reverse the route
after a period of heavy rain, when the Esk and its waterfalls were pretty well full. And very
impressive they looked, too.
Decided to head up Crinkle Crags from the path which leads from Eskdale into Mosedale. The
cloud was just brushing the top of Hard Knott, so was at about 1600 feet. I had thought about
trying the south ridge, but not in mist. So up alongside the electric fence to the right of
Swinsty Gill. Sheep (and I think other) tracks are developing alongside the fence, so its
presence will still be felt when it's gone in a few years' time. It's certainly a useful guide
to the top in this pathless terrain.
Saw a few runners as I approached the main path to the southern-most Crinkle, but didn't think
too much of it. I was intending to try to climb the Bad Step; as I approached, there was
clearly a fell race going on, and runners were pouring down the Step! I normally need to psych
myself up fractionally to take the Step (particularly with a backpacking rucksack), and I
realised that I would *not* be popular keeping the runners waiting while I climbed slowly;
indeed some of them were descending the Step in pairs! So I took the relatively easy path round
to the right, to meet a runner who'd seemed in trouble on the Step, saying he'd never do a race
like that again, and asking me the quick way down to Langdale. I didn't blame him; the rocks
around the Crinkles were quite greasy in the wet.
I have had the top of Crinkle Crags to myself once before, but *not* today, as it was a
runners' checkpoint. So I got myself a little off the path to be out of earshot of the summit;
to be fair, this only needed to be a little distance; much better than the usual din at the top
of Scafell Pike! Had lunch, and noted that my rucksack was rather wet. It certainly wasn't
raining heavily, but the mist was continuous and wet, and there were light showers.
On to Bowfell, which seemed an easy enough climb and was busy. No views, of course. I had hoped
to camp in Little Narrowcove, but was finding the walking rather harder than in better weather;
so I wasn't sure I'd make it. Anyway, on to Esk Pike, which I did have to myself. I had a
snack, but was getting a bit cold, so headed on down to Esk Hause. I normally loathe the excess
number of cairns on the path from Esk Hause towards Great End and the Pike; but in these
conditions they seemed like welcome friends. Fortunately the boulders on Ill Crag and Broad
Crag weren't greasy, or this would have been a trying route. I met a few parties of people
obviously coming off the Pike. I thought about heading for the Pike, but it was now about 1700,
so I thought I should head down Little Narrowcove and camp. I was glad I had actually made my
campsite on time.
The descent into Little Narrowcove I've done once before; it's surprisingly quick. Sadly, I
missed a good path to the right (in descent) of the boulder slope below the scree: the path
heads to the right, and there's a cairn of darkish rock which is easy to miss. So I ended up
gingerly picking my way through some boulders; no real difficulties here. The good wildcamping
Website (www.bassplace.freeserve.co.uk/wildcamp/) suggested camping at the confluence of two
streams (220 071 according to my GPS); and this is what I did. The ground was of course
waterlogged by now and not very even; but I really felt I needed to get the tent up rather than
search for a better site!
The pockets of my rucksack, and its base, were now full of water, but my trusty sack liner had
kept the important things dry, and it didn't take long before I was sitting warm and dry in my
sleeping bag in the tent. (I was trying the Paramo Viento kit for the first time, which I
thought was excellent; but it does have the disadvantage that when you take off your wetwear,
you also take off your warmwear; so into the sleeping bag it was!) I felt really comfortable
with a brew, a hot three-course meal, and some whiskey inside me, and slept very well.
Woke up about 0700 to find that the mist had lifted around the tent (but only briefly). AW has
a drawing of the view from Little Narrowcove towards the Pike; it's an impressive and wild
place, but there's no room for a large camp. I was keen to see if I could get the Pike to
myself, so left at about 0900; the climb out was surprisingly easy, and I was also aware of how
gentle the slopes up to the Pike were: of course I wasn't knackered, as I usually am, from
having to climb an additional 2200 feet first!
The top of the Pike was, of course, in mist, but I was the only one there; a wonderful
experience. Then down the Wasdale path, turning left at a small cairn for Mickledore. The
stronger wind was now blowing the mist away in places, and I could see Scafell Crag "tormented
by writhing mist" as AW puts it. As I headed down to Mickledore, the wind cleared the mist for
a few minutes, and Wasdale was sitting in the sun! I took the traversing path from the cairn at
the top of Mickledore down to the gully below Foxes Tarn. The gully was an easy climb, although
the stream in it was pretty full! There was a delightful "waterfall" on the right-hand wall:
various mosses turned this into almost a stream of watery pearls falling into the gully. There
was the outline of a tent at Foxes Tarn; someone had camped there recently. The path leading up
to the col is in poor shape; the made track seems to be disintegrating with the steepness and
the weather conditions. Had a snack at the top of Deep Gill; I couldn't see the buttresses
properly, but I knew they were there, and felt very happy. Then on to the summit to meet the
first walkers of the day. I pointed them in the direction of the Pike, and headed off towards
Slight Side.
This was a bit of a trying route in mist; I'm sure there were grassy areas which would enable
me to escape the boulders, but I couldn't find them in mist. It also seemed a rather long way
before I got to the col below Slight Side; here the wind was whipping the mist away, so I
could at least check my navigation was correct! The wind was now very gusty, and I didn't
clamber up to the top of Slight Side; it seemed rather risky. But I got out of the wind for
lunch, and then headed down towards the Terrace Route. At a cairn, this leaves the more
obvious path which seems to follow the right of way towards Stony Tarn. I almost missed the
Terrace Route, and only found it because the sun had finally come out, and the pools on the
Terrace Route were glinting!
Then a very happy but rather long walk on the gentle route down to the car at Wha House. I
don't think the Terrace Route is much used, which is a shame, as it is interesting, has fine
views and very gentle gradients. It should be more widely known.
Back to the car, and off home at just gone 1500. The cloud was *still* down over the
Eskdale tops, but both the Wasdale and Ennerdale tops seemed clear. Oh well! It had been a
good weekend.
Mark
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Mark Manning [email hidden]