Lake District June 2003

Fairfield Horseshoe

“Are you going to Rydal?” she asked. I said no I wasn’t and now many years later think that had I done so, it may have provided me with a pleasant memory. It was Lancaster University and ‘Rydal’ referred not only to the Lake District location, but the annual English department trip, which lasted about a week.

I’ve been through Rydal many times, whenever I’ve gone up to Keswick, which is the greatest proportion of my trips. I’d stopped off on very few occasions: I once walked around the lake, wandered about on the fells above Rydal Mount (where Wordsworth lived), and on one occasion stopped there with my parents, who were visiting me at Lancaster, and we strolled around the lake for about 30 minutes. For several years, visiting the Lake district was tinged with a poignant sadness and a pained attempt to recapture this moment, when my Dad was still alive. I gradually realised it served no purpose, that I felt happier if I didn't do it:

I used to think Rydal was too chocolate-boxey, too pretty and touristy. It is very pretty but this is entirely natural so it’s reason to enjoy the area, not be critical. I like Rydal, I discovered, as I set off up the lane past Wordsworth’s house and up to the Fairfield horseshoe. I particularly enjoyed the upward ridge where it looks down to Rydal, and across to the Langdale peaks. One of my guide books said the Fairfield horseshoe would take 7-10 hours which was off-putting because I had arrived and set off at about 12.30 and this was my first walk. I didn’t know how fit I was but found my legs were quite strong, and weren’t suffering as I ascended the ridge. I was prepared to be on the fells in the evening, delighting in the fact that this was summer, with deliciously long days. But still, 10 hours was a long time. In fact I completed the walk in 6½ hours and this included a ‘delay’ of about an hour as I wandered around, took photographs and briefly laid down at the summit ridge – which was my second principle pleasure in this walk.

At the top of Fairfield you can see down to Grizedale tarn, over to Hellvelyn, and across to Ullswater. It was a joyful experience to see the tarn from above, because I’d walked down to it from Hellvelyn earlier in the year and had surveyed the hills where I now found myself. It’s rare for me to do any walking now in the Lake District and not recognise distant peaks, and recall to mind previous walks. I used to think familiarity with this lovely terrain would detract from its pleasures; the first discoveries are uniquely delightful (I especially recall my first visit to Ullswater), but ‘knowing the Lake District’ is its own kind of fun. From the top of Fairfield I could gaze out to no less than 4 peaks, areas or paths that I had previously travelled. First there was a Grasmere walk I did in February, second there was the Hellvelyn walk I also did in February (and I’ve been along Striding Edge on another occasion, and could clearly see it in the distance), I’ve walked up to St. Sunday crag 2 or 3 times from Patterdale, and when I discovered High Street, from Hartsop (in 2001/2 – not sure), I made a mental note that I wanted to repeat it. I could survey all of these adventures and pleasurable memories from Fairfield, a new vantage point.

I decided I’d like to undertake this walk again, and also walk up to Fairfield from Patterdale; on my previous St. Sunday Crag treks I’d cut out the Fairfield section (coming up the Deepdale valley instead). It was delightful. However the descending section was slightly less appealing, for two reasons. First, for quite a long section you have to walk alongside a stone wall so you feel enclosed and cannot properly enjoy the landscape. And second, you finish the route by walking through Rydal woods which are pleasant enough, but I discovered I was not interested in this after several hours of open landscape. It felt like an obstruction, and I would have preferred a hill top or fell. But overall, Fairfield from Rydal is a lovely walk which I will no doubt repeat some time.

I was happy to be aiming for one of my favourite B & Bs up in Borrowdale, where I was to be located for at least two nights. Further possibilities: travel over to Ullswater and stay there, or maybe Eskdale. As it turned out, I stayed in Borrowdale for 3 nights.

Grasmoor

There was a period when I tended to repeat walks I’d done and enjoyed in the past, and not think too much about further exploration. For about the last year I’ve been deliberately exploring, because there are still areas I’ve never been to. Grasmoor is a famous walking area which I’d resolved to undertake. I had to drive past Buttermere which I’ve been to several times and then to Crummock Water which, from the Buttermere fells, appeared to me a little boring and not worth the time. I was mistaken: Crummock Water is delightful, and experiencing it is part of this Grasmoor walk.

It’s a steep but interesting ascent, offering a different kind of vantage point. This area is the perimeter of the mountainous Lake District and from the top of Whiteside (the first peak you reach going up to Grasmoor), you gaze across miles and miles of undulating plains rather than mountainous ridges, and you can see Scotland in the distance, across the Solway. Nice.

Reaching the peak of Hopehill Head you enjoy vast panoramas across to Grizedale Pike and distant Keswick, Skiddaw and Blencathra. The path drops down and you can if you wish return to the Crummock Water valley by way of a valley path. I wanted to continue up to Grasmoor – you reach a junction where it’s a ‘there and back’ trek, if you undertake my circular route. I definitely wanted to see the peak of Grasmoor, and also wanted to prolong my time in this high level area. I therefore did a second ‘there and back’ trek up to Crag Hill, before I descended down the Whiteless ridge.

Grasmoor summit does not, as it turned out, add very much to this walk but Crag Hill is a marvellous and worthwhile diversion. In fact I later discovered that the guide book I was using advised an ascent up to Crag Hill, but via a scrambling route I’d missed out. At the top, you can enjoy the immense ridges of the Dale Head area, identify Catbells, and gaze across to Derwentwater and beyond. As you descend Crag Hill you are exploring the peaks you gaze up to when you drive along the Buttermere to Kewsick road.

A marvellous walk, finishing with a (long) trek along the Crummock Water valley.

I got some take-away Chinese from Keswick and ate it alongside beautiful Derwentwater in the still-light evening.

Blencathra

Two substantial walks, and I was feeling quite tired. I function best, I have discovered, on 9½ hours sleep and I wasn’t getting this. A more leisurely day was required, and I decided to wander about the Langstrath Valley. I was, after all, in beautiful Borrowdale and wanted to enjoy the valley as much as the neighbouring peaks. That was the plan at about 10am anyway. Once I was outside, I decided to explore Blencathra – another famous walk which I’d never done, despite being based in nearby Keswick or Borrowdale many times. In fact the walk lasted only 4 hours, which included a diversionary wander along the ridge at the top. Blencathra is a delightful walk; the peak is close to 3000 ft. so it’s a substantial hill, but you can undertake it in just a few hours.

Now, Blencathra is particularly famous – if not notorious – for the ascending ridge known as Sharp Edge. That’s an appropriate name, and I was somewhat apprehensive because I’ve decided I do not enjoy sustained scrambling or adrenalin walking. But as with Striding Edge and Swirral Edge on Hellvelyn, and Crib Goch in Wales (presumably – although no one has actually told me this), there are a steady number of people who fall from Sharp Edge and suffer serious injury or death. So this was a dreadful sight, as I made my way up the delightful ascending path:

Ack. The delightful ascending path (interesting views, waterfall-side path, rolling expanses of fell) was to become an unwanted scary experience. Or so I thought. I still wanted to see for myself and found that it is a reasonably challenging scramble but it only lasts about 20 minutes and is nowhere near as substantial or exposed as, for example, Crib Goch in Snowdonia. There was just one section where I felt very scared, because it required some careful foot work and was extremely exposed. But it only lasted a few seconds and was in fact the most difficult part; after this, you scramble up a ‘chimney’ where you are nicely protected against the precipitous heights on either side. You don’t even see them unless you wish to do so – and I don’t, I have decided from experience.

The weather and visibility was not good, but it was OK. On reaching the peak of Blencathra you can look out towards Thirlmere, Hellvelyn, Derwentwater and distant Borrowdale, but this was mostly obscured by incoming mist and cloud. Because of this there wasn’t much to photograph.

Final Day

I thought I would have an easy day by enjoying Ullswater: taking the ferry to Howtown, and walking back alongside the lake. As it turned out it was raining, and I decided rain had stopped play. Time to return, but still via Ullswater which I wanted to at least see. I stopped off and wandered around the Aira Force waterfalls for about an hour before driving down to the valley and then returning home.