Lake District August 2003

This was the time of the second heat wave of 2003 and unlike with the first, I decided quickly that I wanted to enjoy it up in Lakeland. I sometimes plan ahead i.e. think hmm where do I want to walk next time – and the answer here was Eskdale. It turned out to be the longest I have ever spent up there, eight days, and the first six were in the latter valley which I enjoyed very much. I arrived there quite late at about 3 or 4, but in the summer that gives you plenty of time for a good walk. If the sun doesn’t set before 9 or 10 pm, you can be romping about in the evening. It’s not a popular idea – people like to set off early and get back for a leisurely evening with a meal, but I quite like being in the hills at 7, 8 or 9 pm. It’s peaceful, and the photographic light is good. When I arrived at Cockley Bridge I stopped for this picture. One of the things I’ve discovered about mountain photography is that the dramatic, large scale vistas are not the only attraction. Sometimes the more quiet and easily-missed compositions are just as good, artistically/photographically speaking. It doesn’t have the power and drama of an immense view, but it’s still beautiful. Anyway I stopped for this:

And then over the other side stopped for this, the sign marking the beginning of my stay in Eskdale and beckoning me into it’s green and pretty valley:

I’d been up Harter Fell a few months ago and was quite excited by it, although the fun was substantially reduced because of poor weather/visibility. This time it was clear and sunny and I was looking forward to a this more favourable visit. In fact it didn’t have anything like the initial impact; I realised my initial delight was tied to the fact that it was new and therefore exploratory. I anticipated that it wouldn’t be quite as much as fun, but not to this extent. I enjoyed it, but not with any of the original exhilaration. The distant views over to the sea, Devoke Water and Coniston did not inspire me very much as before, but what I did enjoy is the more obvious attractions of the view across to the Scafells. You can look across to them in a variety of ways; some other viewpoints are vaguely similar because of the scale involved: you might be 20 or 30 miles from another viewpoint but the Scafell peaks are recognisably the same.

I had plenty of time so this was, like the first climb, a very leisurely romp. I took a lot of unhurried photographs. There’d been a lot of rain the previous two weeks so the tarns were full, there were wild flowers, and the waterfalls – as I was to discover – were crashing and burbling. Very nice.

I’d booked a B & B at a farmhouse which I’d previously viewed, but where I’d never stayed before. It turned out to be quite basic but perfectly acceptable and – importantly – quite good value.

Day 2

The principal walk for this trip: Scafell. The first section was familiar to me from two previous walks, but I’d never been up to Scafell and was looking forward to it. Looking forward to the first section also, the delightful valley up from Brotherilkeld Farm:

Then you reach the entrance to the Great Moss area and are greeted with this sight, which I find one of the most dramatic there is, the Scafells framed as the track narrows. I found it an amazing sight when I first saw it and didn’t know it was the Scafells (autumn 2002), and I still enjoy it:

Great Moss also impressed me the first time I saw it – a remote and peaceful plateau area which is probably unique in Lakeland. The second time I visited it lacked excitement; it is after all just a flat area, it’s just that it’s at a fairly high altitude. This third time I enjoyed it again, and was walking across it at a new trajectory giving me different viewpoints.

The objective this time was Cam Spout, the waterfall route up to Scafell. I enjoyed this; after the long valley walk and then traversing Great Moss, you are suddenly negotiating a steep track with a little scrambling. I decided to rest and eat, then paddle, then with a ‘to hell with it’ impulse stripped off naked and bathed in a cold but wonderfully refreshing pool. Funny how it seems such a big deal to do this (ooh anyone looking?) when nothing is more natural on a hot day in a remote mountainous terrain. There were very few people about for the entire day, and no one disturbed my dip.

The next section is, if you haven’t done it before, one of those phases coloured with a (very mild) anxiety because it’s not entirely clear what your route should be. However I had no difficulty finding the stony gully at the top of the climb, which takes you up to the obvious landmark of Foxes Tarn, which is itself at the bottom of the last slope up to Scafell:

The views were delightful and I allowed myself some time to wander about for some photographs. Neighbouring Scafell Pike is the highest peak in England and I suspect more popular for that reason, but I find Scafell a far more pleasurable experience, at all stages.

My descent was down to Long Side, which provided me with more wonderful views looking back to the Scafells. Upper Eskdale is one of my favourite areas.

Day 3

I wasn’t sure what walk to do and finally decided only in the morning: Pillar, from the neighbouring Wasdale valley. Several people have told me Wasdale is their favourite area and while I find the head of the valley exciting, offering as it does probably more of the dramatic and substantial walking than anywhere else in the Lake district – the valley itself is a little bleak, specifically the huge and famous screes around Wastwater, and the shape of the latter itself. My personal view is (shared by no one that I know of), Wastwater is too geometric. It could easily be a man-made reservoir and yet it isn’t; it’s the deepest lake in Lakeland. However some parts of the valley are very beautiful, notably the wooded area before you are driving alongside the lake:

The path up to Black Sail was delightful, and the end was very rewarding when can suddenly see down the beginning of the Ennerdale valley.

Shortly after this I made off to the right, as advised in my books, for the so called High Level Route up to Pillar. I had mixed feelings about this. First and foremost, it is a small path traversing the mountains and while it gives you fine views down to Ennerdale, I prefer the really big, expansive kind of walking characteristic of a ridge walk. This was different, and also the weather was changing: the day was becoming very hazy which spoilt the distant panoramas, to the extent that there was almost nothing to see or photograph of Ennerdale.

The final climb to the top from Pillar Rock was arduous but enjoyable; from day one of this trip I’d found that my legs were quite strong and I was thus capable of strong walking, which is a feeling I enjoy. It’s amazing how strenuous mountain walking is when you might be walking uphill for thirty minutes, without stopping, so your hear is pumping hard and your legs working as if you were lifting weights. I couldn’t exercise like that if I were in a gym; the mountainous beauty both distracts and inspires you. Unfortunately the views from the top were badly obscured by cloud and haze. I laid down and sunbathed for nearly an hour I think it was; the daylight was long lasting, I was in no hurry to return, and I wanted to see if the conditions changed and perhaps I would obtain one of those photographs where the cloud clears sufficiently to see quite clearly, but it hangs in the valleys very beautifully. It didn’t happen; the best you could manage was this:

I found my way to Wind Gap, my return route, and discovered that it was a substantial scree slope. I can do it, but I don’t like either ascending or descending scree. This was worse in fact, because it was part scree and part rock covered track so you would be launching yourself down the rocks using a careful break action - slam your boot into loose sections – and suddenly the ‘loose sections’ were rolling along a hard surface like marbles. I didn’t like this but it did at least allow for a rapid descent; down from the tops you reached the haze and the cloud, could see nothing, and there was little to inspire you. A good walk then, certainly, but substantially impaired by the conditions.

Day 4

Another drive over to Wasdale, to walk up to Styhead Tarn and then Lingmell. I’d planned this a few months previously, when I’d gone up to Scafell Pike and come down via the Corridor Route.

When I arrived at the tarn I revised the day by deciding to explore the Climbers’ Traverse up to Great Gable, which I thought would add about 1-1.5 hours to the day. It required three whole hours to get up to Gable via Beck Head (a location I noted for its particular beauty, one I want to return to), and then back down to Styhead Tarn.

This was not a well planned route; I could have done something more logical and satisfying because essentially it added a little diversion which was interesting because it was another peak, but not for the value of the route. Anyway I did it and saw Great Gable again after a few years, affirming that it is probably my favourite mountain (as it is for many people). Back down to Styhead Tarn, one of my favourite watery spots, and a few photographs:

Then down to the Corridor Route, which was my first time going up it rather than down. The navigation is much easier; coming down is deceptive and misleading. I skirted across the open country as indicated by a trail of cairns which lead you to a juncture on the path which, if you don’t know about it, leads you astray. I marked this spot with a little cairn and advised a few people to note it when they asked me for directions a few minutes later. My contribution to Lakeland navigation: it’s not incredibly important but as navigation goes, it’s a critical little spot which had never been ‘signposted’. Now it is.

The Corridor Route is another of my very favourite areas; it’s both very remote and full of rocky, panoramic interest. And on this day the area reminded me of Crete – a favourable comparison I occasionally make meaning clear blue skies, delicious heat, and wonderfully rugged terrain. Up to Lingmell then; this was very strenuous walking, the sweat pouring off me in the sunshine, and I was loving it. Most people shy away from the heat; I find it energising. I also realised this area resonates inside me with a small, distant and faint memory from childhood. It was a book illustration, where a group of people, dwarves or something travel through a rocky and mountainous area as part of the narrative. It would be fun to remember the book, even better to find it and see the picture again, but it's so faint I think this unlikely. But I remember the feeling it gave me of an heroic adventure, where the rocky landscape corresponded to my imaginative journey. It's a lovely memory, albeit very faint, and the Corridoor Route reminded me of this.

I wanted to see the views from Lingmell back across to Gable, and it was doubly fun because I had been walking over there about an hour previously. You would more normally savour an ‘I was over there’ moment like that across two walks, on two different days.

I enjoyed Lingmell; I found it one of those peaks which is not one of the highest or most strenuous, but which has substantial panoramic rewards. I got quite a few shots looking over to the Scafells from this new aspect:

I was walking for 8.5 hours I think, with about a 45 minute stopping time. I walked for longer the day before but I think this much more an achievement because I was pushing myself hard and covered a lot of ground – I enjoyed it.

Day 5

I woke feeling pretty rough. I’ve never had robust or reliable health and when I was a child I missed a lot of school with endless coughs, cold, headaches and assorted maladies. It still happens, for no obvious reason: I wake up feeling bad. This may have been sun stroke from the previous day and would not have been surprising, although I would have expected to feel it in the evening. Anyway I was feeling rough and very tired so a more leisurely day was required. One of the pleasures of this trip was my daily visit to the Burnmoor Inn in the little hamlet of Boot. I’m vegetarian and normally have to endure blandly predictable and uninteresting fare, but they offer some enjoyable meals. I decided to go there for lunch, which had its own pleasure as you sit in the garden and gaze out to the valley, in the sunshine. I liked it a lot, and when you lunch like that it feels like a holiday rather than a walking holiday, which I like to experience.

After a good lunch – I was getting to know the people there and say hello – I went for a walk up to two tarns, which only took about 2.5 hours. It was a very nondescript day because the hazy cloud was dense and you couldn’t see much at all.

Day 6

Still feeling quite tired, and this day was not only very hot, it was also very cloudy and hazy in a long-distance way, making adventurous walking unrewarding I decided to go to the Stanley Ghyll waterfall. Now, this place was my very first experience of Lakeland, during a day trip from Lancaster University. I just loved it, overjoyed to find all the rich natural beauty of Lakeland. So there was a little nostalgia, but actually it was no big deal. It was fun to try and remember parts of it, and definitely remember other parts: where the sign says Danger Path Stops Here, and beyond. These days I know my way around Lakeland walking but it was rather adventurous for me to attempt this as I did – poorly equipped, not knowing what to expect! In fact it’s no more than a scramble, admittedly steep and/or slippery in parts, but if you romp around the mountains as I have, it’s nothing to worry about at all. And what happens – as I discovered all those years ago – is there is a fairly clear route, if not a path, which takes you up to the open fells at the top. A nice, peaceful walk followed by another good lunch at the Burnmoor Inn. I was there every evening for dinner, but enjoyed lunch there only on these more restful days.

If possible, I like to book my B & B almost day by day so I am not committing myself. I have a good knowledge of what’s available so it generally works out. I extended my farmhouse residence from 2 to 3 days, then had to find somewhere else – the Outward Bound centre in Eskdale for 2 further nights – and then had to find a third place. I returned to a cosy little B & B at Boot where I’ve been before, for my 6th and final night in Eskdale. I hadn’t wanted to leave – one of the pleasures of this holiday was the delightful valley, the friendly Burnmoor Inn and my regular patronage, and getting a ‘feel’ for the Eskdale community. The last time I was there I viewed the farmhouse (Penny Hill Farm) for future reference, and as I drove down the track noticed a lovely young thing walking a dog across the fields. It was nice to see her, in those pretty surroundings. When I arrived at Penny Hill she was there and I remembered I’d seen her before. I discovered she was the daughter of the owners, and then saw her working

at the Burnmoor Inn, discovering that the little boy I’d seen at the farm was her son (Jo) and that she lived with the father in a cottage adjoining the farmhouse. I spoke with her a little, saying how much I was enjoying Eskdale and she smiled and enjoyed my remark. I was expecting her to say she was bored with it but no, she’d grown up there and loved it. I like that.

After lunch – feeling very much like ‘a holiday’ rather than a walking holiday - I drove out to Devoke Water. I considered walking around this very big tarn up in the Eskdale fells but there was really no point: it’s not very exciting and the day was, as I said, decidedly long-distance cloudy. I was glad of this decision; I walked just a little and then sunbathed by the tarn which was a deliciously solitary and peaceful experience, soothed by the continually lapping water. Romping around the mountains is my chief delight, but it’s true that there are other kinds of fun to be had up in Lakeland.

Day 7

Having nowhere to continue my stay, this tipped the balance: time to move on from Eskdale. It had been delightful, but there wasn’t any more obvious walking to be done on this occasion. Of course there were more attractions but they entailed repeat visits to Wasdale for example, and I decided I’d wait for another trip. I had considered going to Borrowdale and decided it would be a nice way to conclude the holiday. It’s quite a long drive from Eskdale and the weather was uninspiring: overcast and lost of cloud on the tops. I wasn’t sure what do so rather than commit to a B & B I went up to Watendlath Tarn and wandered around a little and had some tea. As the afternoon progressed the sun came out; it became beautiful again and I wanted to stay. I tried a few places I knew and found a vacancy at a Seathwaite cottage which I’d viewed before, but never stayed there. It’s possibly the most delightful place I’ve found: peaceful, pretty, and a pleasure to spend an evening there. I would have liked a second night but there were no vacancies.

Day 8

The weather was not very good – still very warm but cloudy and hazy again. If I’d gone to Borrowdale initially the plan was to walk the Coledale Horseshoe and I decided to enact this. I was interested to see how I found it because I did it about 10 years ago – or rather part of it, because the long climb up to Grizedale Pike wiped me out, I think for two reasons: I wasn’t used to walking i.e. was not particularly fit, and I suspect I was inadequately fed. I sometimes forget this (!) and then get weak, hypoglycaemic and tired. It was fun to re-visit a terrain and find yes, I did have distant memories.

Ascending the ridge I looked across to Causey Pike and recall thinking it looked a long way off and perhaps I would come down a closer and thus easier ridge (Outerside). This time I was not concerned about this; the decision was based not on required effort, but the weather: thick cloud covering the peaks, so there was no point making any effort. At the final section of my route up to Hopegill Head there was visibility of a few hundred feet at the top so there was no point going up to it; I went more directly across to Coledale Hause and here is where the walk became more fun. I was there a few months ago when I went up from the Buttermere valley, and I enjoy revisiting from different routes when it is still novel to do so. Additionally, there was now a little sunshine to enjoy. I went up to Crag Hill before as an exploratory diversion and liked it a lot; this time I would not only enjoy this area gain – I did – but I would continue along to Causey Pike: a path that looked very enticing with distant views down to Keswick. It’s a fine ridge; I’d rate it as one of the best. However this was a day of muted pleasures, like the light. Lots of cloud and very little sunshine so you could see distant peaks, but only within a general murk.

I did the entire horseshoe in about 6 continual hours, with no break at all. The guide book said the shorter route down Outerside would take longer than that. I don’t have a competitive attitude, or worry about peak-bagging and the highest heights. Many people are like that, and it’s not at all why I walk or what I enjoy. However it is satisfying to find my legs are very strong, and I can push myself quite hard and enjoy it.

So another Lakeland holiday, marred a little by prolific haze and cloud but fun nonetheless, providing me with more memories and reference points and plans for future escapades.