Mell Fell Medley

Monday 22nd December 2025

After a long and difficult autumn I was excited that it was finally Christmas and I could make my annual pilgrimage to that most delightful of places for walkers, the Lake District. Rather than taking the train, this time I thought I’d drive so after a long journey I made my way to Ullswater parking at the Hause, the top of the road that passes between Watermillock and Matterdale End. My goal on this short stay in the Lake District was return to the hills, known as fells, that I hadn’t visited for a long time with my first goal being to visit the fells in the north eastern corner called Little and Great Mell Fell following a walk on the O.S. Maps app called Mell Fell Medley. I was at the start of the path up Little Mell Fell, which I had visited only once before back in 2008 and neglected all these years mainly because it is very small and inconsequential, but because Wainwright devoted a whole chapter to it in his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, then it is obligatory to waste time climbing it. The ground was very muddy after the large amount of rain that the Lake District had recently endured but it wasn’t long before I had climbed the short, steep slope to the top. It was great to be walking and with the sun shining, though it was a bit hazy with cloud capping most of the fells, so the best views were probably towards the neighbouring fells. 

Previously I had gone straight up Little Mell Fell and back down the same way, but this time after reaching the summit I turned west to head towards Great Mell Fell crossing a series of gates and wire fences despite this being open access land. Eventually I reached a narrow road where I took a path across the shallow valley to reach another road and the start of the path up Great Mell Fell, which was much more interesting than the one on Little Mell Fell, and more prolonged, passing through bands of rock and trees on a good path until the gradient eased over the broad, waterlogged top. It felt great to be on top of a hill and I realised that the last time I had been this high was on the Cambrian Way more than six months earlier and my reward was a fabulous view towards Blencathra, despite the haze and cloud. Except for the two weeks I had spent last summer crossing Scotland and down the Northumberland coast I had hardly done any walking in the last six months, so I was feeling very emotional to be back in the Lake District and doing what I love. I dropped to the ground a short distance down the western slope from the summit to have my lunch and gaze in awe and wonder at my surroundings absorbing the feeling of being back in the Lake District.

The heat that I had generated during my ascent soon left me so when I set off to head back down the fell I had to don extra clothing including gloves and a woolly hat. A walker is always regulating their body temperature through many different ways from taking layers off and on all the way down to fine adjustments of your zip. Climbing a hill generates a lot of heat that soon dissipates when you stop, which needs to be carefully managed. I love it. Eventually I returned to the road where I had started my ascent of Great Mell Fell and now I headed south along the road branching right and then left to head towards the third fell in the Mell Fell Medley. Although there are only two Mell Fells, it is possible to add a third fell in Gowbarrow Fell, which is not far away and easily included. The road soon brought me to Ulcat Row below the impressive northern crags of Gowbarrow Fell, but there is no path up the steep slopes so I had to follow a path that passes below going all the way round Norman Crag and now I felt like I was really in the Lake District as the path passed over the rocks below the crags and eventually brought me to the western slopes and the path that climbs to the summit beside a wall. This was a typical National Trust, heavily manufactured, path that felt even more Lakeland, though Wainwright was dismissive of this route up saying it was less attractive than the alternatives. I appreciated the rapid ascent and I was still able to take in the view across Ullswater towards the sun setting over Glenridding.

I enjoyed the path as it snaked up the fell and eventually brought me to the summit of Gowbarrow Fell which I had previously visited just once before all the way back in 2007, more than eighteen years ago. A steep craggy descent, that I could or should have gone around, took me off the summit and onto an easy path that circles Gowbarrow Fell and provided me with an interesting walk until I reached the remains of a shooting lodge where I turned left into a conifer plantation, Swinburn’s Park, on a good path that eventually brought me to the road that passes over the Hause. This was a great, little walk over three minor fells that vary considerably. Great Mell Fell deserved to be climbed if only for the view of Blencathra, while the ascent of Little Mell Fell is too short to be worthwhile. Gowbarrow Fell is a great little fell on its own and deserved more time spent exploring it than I had on this occasion or even in 2007.

Fairfield and Stone Arthur

Thursday 2nd January 2025

For most of my time in the Lake District over the New Year the weather was very poor with rain and strong winds, but after the New Year it dramatically changed with cold, northerly winds sweeping away the clouds to reveal clear, blue skies and icy tops. My plan for this day was only to walk a few miles from Ambleside to Grasmere and in these amazing conditions I couldn’t think of anything better to do than to follow the route of the extremely popular Fairfield Horseshoe walk. This must be the one of most popular walks in the Lake District with only Helvellyn and Scafell Pike that could possibly be more popular, however, I have been up Fairfield many times myself so I certainly didn’t need to go up there again, but I could not think of anything better. The Fairfield Horseshoe can be done in either direction, and done anticlockwise is usually started by crossing Low Sweden Bridge, as I did in 2008, but Wainwright recommended taking a more scenic route up to the ridge via High Sweden Bridge, so instead of leaving Ambleside along Nook Lane I followed Sweden Bridge Lane onto a delightful enclosed lane. Ice lay everywhere while the sun hid low in the sky, failing to reach the lane as I carefully made my way up, passing through woodland with the Scandale Beck unseen, but heard, in the ravine to my left. Eventually I reached High Sweden Bridge, which was also sheltered from the sun, so not as picturesque as normal.

Soon after crossing the bridge I emerged into glorious sunshine and at a junction turned right to head up the hill, bypassing the notorious rock step on Sweden Crag, and onto the ridge that slowly climbs all the way up to Fairfield. The marsh that lies before Low Pike was frozen, so I was able to easily cross it and ascend up to the top of Low Pike whose summit is crossed by the wall that follows the top of the fabulously rocky ridge. The enthralling walk continued with a brief descent before ascending again to reach the top of the High Pike whose summit is much broader than on Low Pike but beyond the terrain was less interesting with hardly any drop before the now predominately grassy ridge begins to climb much more gently to finally reach the sprawling fell of Dove Crag. Rock dominated the landscape as I crossed the gap from Dove Crag and up to the top of Hart Crag where I stopped for my lunch. It was very cold now I was no longer climbing, so I put on a neck warmer and woolly hat, but with hindsight I should have also put on a fleece as I my hands soon became numb with the cold and I could not get them warm either with gloves or by putting my hands in my pockets. As I slowly climbed the rocky ground that defends the approach to Fairfield I felt in a terrible state and could not understand why until eventually, almost in desperation, I decided to put a fleece on.

This was exceptionally difficult for me to do with numb hands, but once I had succeeded I immediately felt relief and realised that my problem had been due to my core temperature dropping too low, even though I had not felt cold. This was a lesson learnt. Now that I was properly clothed for the cold conditions I made my way up to the summit of Fairfield where I was in awe of the stunning scenery all around me under clear, blue skies. It was totally mesmerising. I looked back over Hart Crag towards the Far Eastern Fells, east towards the whale-backed St. Sunday Crag, north along the craggy, indented ridge that leads up to the snow-dusted top of Helvellyn and west across the heart of the Lake District with the distinctive dome of Great Gable on the horizon. Finally I returned to the crowded summit where a scattering of stone shelters provides protection for the fellwalker from the harsh cold winds that blow across this popular mountain. To resume my walk I made my way south towards the western ridge of the Fairfield Horseshoe with a view down the Vale of Rydal all the way to Windermere in the distance. Soon I reached the top of Great Rigg where the stunning views south seemed to be better than ever with the lakes of Grasmere and Coniston Water now adding to the scene. Not long after beginning the descent from Great Rigg I came off the route of the Fairfield Horseshoe to take an alternative route down that would lead me more directly to Grasmere.

With the mesmerising views continuing I slowly descended the grassy ridge that led me down to Stone Arthur, which I had previously reached in 2013 so I thought it was time for a return visit and I enjoyed getting away from the crowds on the Fairfield Horseshoe, though I was never going to be totally on my own in these weather conditions. On the descent towards Stone Arthur, you can be forgiven for wondering which of the outcrops on the ridge Stone Arthur is, but it is in fact the last one and has hardly any rise with a tiny crag perched high above steep, grassy slopes and views over Grasmere. My first visit to Stone Arthur was in 2006 in diminishing light, while in 2013 the weather had been poor so it was good to finally be able to visit it in good weather and appreciate the views around to the surrounding fells and over Grasmere. Steep, icy, wet ground led me down the grassy slope from the summit so was tricky to negotiate until thankfully, gentler slopes on a good path led me all the way down the hill and into Grasmere. The weather on this walk was amazing, though exceptionally cold, but a lot of things didn’t go right which detracted from what should have been a great walk, most notably not wearing warmer clothing while on the highest fells. This walk taught me some important lessons. On a positive note, when I reached the ridge and joined the many people also ascending the Fairfield Horseshoe I made a point of going at my own pace and lingering over every rocky step, ignoring the people who passed me by. In the past I would have delighted in rushing past everyone, but now I just wanted to enjoy a glorious walk up rocky ground in fabulous weather.

Stony Cove Pike and Red Screes

Thursday 31st August 2023

Unfortunately I had to end my holiday in the Lake District two days early due to train strikes and tragically, after the wet start to the holiday, the weather was now fantastic so I was going miss out on two good days, but the Lake District will still be there for the next time. Before I left I had time for one last walk, if only to get me from Patterdale to the train station. When my plan for this day had been to get to my next overnight accommodation in Coniston, I was going to climb Red Screes via Middle Dodd, but with this being my last day in the Lake District, and with good weather, I wanted to prolong the walking for as long as possible, so the previous evening I poured over maps of the Lake District and considered my options, until eventually I decided to go over Caudale Moor, whose summit is known as Stony Cove Pike, before climbing Red Screes. So, in gorgeous weather, I left the Patterdale Youth Hostel and followed the path down the eastern side of the valley, which provided me with a relaxing walk in the morning sunshine that eventually brought me to the village of Hartsop where I didn’t have good memories. Two years ago, I did an unnecessary descent to the village at the start of my holiday followed by a gut-destroying ascent up Hartsop Dodd and onward to Caudale Moor, however, after almost two weeks of fabulous walking in the Lake District, my negative memories from that holiday have almost been expunged so I was not too glum to be back in Hartsop.

After that walk in 2021, I had camped on Caudale Moor and when I woke the following morning the weather was poor, so I came straight back down via Threshwaite Mouth and through the glen. I have fond memories of a descent that took me through somewhere I’d never been before, so I was keen to see it in better weather. A steady climb took me through Threshwaite Glen, past grass-covered glacial mounds and through a boulder-field into Threshwaite Cove before an exhausting climb brought me to the top of the pass at Threshwaite Mouth where I turned right to begin a glorious scramble up to Stony Cove Pike. As I approached the summit, clouds came over and smothered all the views, which was a shock after the sunny start to the day but the cloud soon cleared. After traversing the summit plateau, a wall provided me with a clear guide that was unnecessary in the clearing weather and with a good path underfoot gave me a gentle descent to the head of Woundale before a short climb brought me to St Raven’s Edge where I had great views down the valley of Stock Ghyll to Ambleside and the northern tip of Windermere. A steep descent brought me down to the Kirkstone Pass and after passing the Inn and over the road, I started to climb Red Screes on an ascent that I have taken twice before, but since the last time was in 2009 I thought it would be a good idea to take it again.

It wasn’t long before this steep ascent had worn me out and I had to stop and rest. This climb is unrelentingly steep and I remember previously struggling on it, though the path is excellent and passes through some great mountain scenery. Eventually I gave up on the struggle and stopped for a prolonged rest while I had my lunch, though I later discovered that I was now not far from the summit and after a short, steep scramble I finally reached the Ordnance Survey column that marks the top of Red Screes, Exhausted from the strenuous climb, I clung to the trig point for support and to try and catch my breath. It wasn’t until I had my breath back that I was able to take in the tremendous views all around me that included those over Middle Dodd down to Brothers Water and Patterdale, but of course the most arresting view was towards Fairfield and the Helvellyn range. Everywhere was looking glorious, but I was gutted that this was the last fell of my holiday and I was going home. Eventually I turned my face away from the fabulous views and the summit and headed down the grassy south ridge towards Ambleside on a path that I had previously taken in 2005 in poor weather when I wouldn’t have been able to see anything, though a path like this is always best in descent.

With hazy views ahead of me towards Windermere and dark clouds coming over the Coniston Fells I descended the gentle slopes of the grassy ridge keeping my pace up to ensure I caught the bus I wanted. The path eventually brought me onto the Kirkstone Road still some distance above Ambleside so my descent continued along the road until I was back in Ambleside and able to catch a bus to the railway station and begin my journey home. I was very tired by the end of this walk, so maybe it was good that I was going home, but maybe part of the problem was the heat that had developed during the week, which hadn’t been a problem earlier in the holiday when it had been cold and wet but the heat had begun to make the walking very draining and tiring. Overall, this was a fabulous holiday as is any in the Lake District. At the start I was feeling very stressed and needed some rest and recuperation and the Lake District definitely gave me that, refreshing me in both mind and body.

Arnison Crag and Hartsop above How

Tuesday 29th August 2023

The weather did not look good when I got up, so I put on all my waterproofs before setting off, but by the time I walked out of the door of the Patterdale Youth Hostel the rain had stopped and the sun was beginning to break through the clouds. With improving weather I set off to climb a hill that I’ve not visited for a long time, ever since 2006 on a very memorable holiday when I came off the fells over Arnison Crag, which overlooks Ullswater and while at the top I took a picture of the stupendous view. Ever since, that has been one of my favourite pictures and was highlighted in 2020. I have tried to make a return visit on several occasions but the weather was never good enough to provide me with a good view again. This time, I wasn’t to be put off, so despite wet conditions underfoot I set off up the path through thick bracken, slowly climbing the hillside and soon I had great views over Ullswater that prompted me to take many photos. These views developed as I climbed until eventually I reached the top of Arnison Crag where that memorable picture was taken, but the overcast skies meant this picture was never going to be so good, though the flashes of sunlight touching the end of the lake did add some charm. The view in the other direction was perhaps more appealing as the sun shone on the village of Hartsop while the fells surrounding lay shrouded under dark clouds.

I wondered if there was any other fell that I had not visited in such a long time, so because I love spreadsheets and I have a register of every time I have visited the top of a fell in the Lake District, I immediately checked and discovered that I had not visited Loadpot Hill since 2004. Nevertheless, since I had not been to the top of Arnison Crag since 2006 I was glad to have finally returned so I could see that awesome view of Ullswater, even though Wainwright shockingly stated that it was not the best view of the lake. Eventually I tore myself away from the views and along an undulating, grassy ridge to Trough Head and from there up to Birks, while it briefly rained but had stopped by the time I reached the top. Ahead of me was St Sunday Crag and this drew me on, across the tedious, undulating ridge of Birks, retracing my steps of 2006. By the time I reached the foot of the steep climb up St Sunday Crag the sun had come out again and since I was now sheltered from the strong wind I took off my waterproofs for the ascent, but when the gradient eased I was exposed to the winds again and it started to rain, so my waterproofs came back on. Such is hill walking. It felt like a long time since I had been this way and a quick check revealed that it was in 2006 on the aforementioned walk, which is shocking. Why has such a significant fell been neglected for so long?

I battled against the strong winds across the fabulously craggy top to the summit of St Sunday Crag before heading down the long, gentle slopes off the fell while the sun came out revealing stunning views ahead of me, despite the strong, cold winds. While admiring the views north towards Helvellyn and west across Grisedale Tarn, I continued down the ridge to Deepdale Hause and up to the rocky peak of Cofa Pike. Beyond, I avoided the scree slope that defends Fairfield, crossing the northern slopes before joining the path that climbs up from Grisedale Hause to the windswept summit plateau of Fairfield where I had stunning views in all directions with all the fells, except for the Scafell Pikes, clear of clouds. I hid from the wind in the summit shelter and had my lunch in, relative, peace before setting off again into the wind across the summit plateau. As the wind eased I was able to enjoy the views in all directions that now included those to the south, across Windermere and all the way to Morecombe Bay. I slowly made my way over the fabulously craggy ground that led me down to Link Hause while the eastern views now drew my eye.

The ground in this area is gloriously rocky and I loved crossing Link Hause over those rocks and up to the top of Hart Crag, still retracing my steps of 2006. My next fell should have been Dove Crag, but instead I turned left at the col to head down into Dovedale, however, my target was not in the valley. Despite ignoring Dove Crag, I was still echoing my walk of 2006 when I had visited the Priest’s Hole, a small cave high up on the side of Dove Crag. I had never been back so I was keen to return, but first I had to find the path. The walkers’ edition of Wainwright’s guide reveals that the turning is beside a small tarn and a big boulder, but the path is very faint, hard to follow and leads into treacherous ground. After an abortive attempt that took me too low down, a second attempt seemed to also be leading me into a dead end, but eventually I came upon the tiny opening of the cave. After looking around the tiny cave and taking a few pictures, I made my way back along the precarious path, which led me again into difficult ground so I was relieved when I finally reached the main path that leads into Deepdale.

Rather than descend that way, which would echo 2006, since it was still quite early I crossed Houndshope Cove and onto the ridge of Hartsop above How that descends from Hart Crag. After a brief darkening of the skies while I sought the Priest’s Hole, the weather brightened again for my descent over Hartsop above How. This is merely a long ridge and unsatisfying on its own, but it makes a great, prolonged descent from Hart Crag with the slight rise to the top of Hartsop above How as an irrelevance compared with the relaxing descent while ahead of me were tremendous views across Patterdale and towards the Angletarn Pikes. I slowly made my way down the ridge, taking my time and making sure that I stayed on top of the ridge all the way down to Bridgend. When I reached the bottom of Patterdale I crossed the valley and followed the relaxing path along the eastern edge that led me back to the youth hostel. This walk could be described as a Deepdale Round, though the valley rarely got a look-in as I followed the top of the hills that surround. This was a fabulous walk in weather that was poor at first, but later produced some stunning views and brought me back to places that I had last visited more than sixteen years ago.

High Rigg and Watson's Dodd

Monday 28th August 2023

I was disappointed by the walk the previous day that was heavily affected by the rain and I came back to the hostel just as the weather began to improve, so I really needed a good walk now to wipe out those bad feelings and, with an improvement in the weather, I was in the right place to do it. So I set off from the Skiddaw House Hostel, branching left to take the bridleway to Threlkeld and after passing over Roughten Gill I branched off that onto a path that descends to the Glenderaterra Beck. I have never taken this path before, although I’ve travelled along the bridleways either side of the valley many times and it was rather pleasant, with blue skies appearing that promised a good Bank Holiday Monday. The path eventually joined a road and after passing through the small community of Westcoe I reached the outskirts of Threlkeld and contemplated my route for the day. I was going to be staying at the Patterdale Youth Hostel, so I had to find a way over the mountains to get there, but my planned route didn’t appeal to me. Ahead of me was St John’s in the Vale with the high mountains on the left and on the right was the range of low hills known as High Rigg, and I remembered that on all of my previous visits there, most recently in 2016, I had walked from south to north and at Christmas, so I thought it would be a good idea to now traverse High Rigg from north to south and in the summer. Footpaths across many grassy fields brought me to St John’s Church and youth centre where I turned left onto the fell climbing steeply through bracken and passing a slowworm on the way.

From the summit I surveyed the scene around me that looked great despite the clouds that had now smothered the blue skies that I had enjoyed earlier in the day. It had been my intention to stick to the main path, but I immediately branched right to the small cairn at the top of Shawbank Crag where I had a view across the Naddle Valley and towards Keswick, which afforded me with a mobile signal that I needed to research my onward route. Turning south, I followed the path across the fell, which initially was rather dull, but improved as the ridge began to narrow over Long Band with views ahead of me towards the tree covered hill of Great How and the reservoir of Thirlmere while purple-flowering heather was at my feet. Eventually I descended through the trees at the southern end of the fell and down to Smaithwaite Bridge where the imposing crag of Castle Rock sits at the foot of the high mountains. I had previously climbed this on New Year’s Day 2009, so when I came up with the idea of climbing it, while approaching High Rigg, I leapt at the opportunity and my route up took me initially through a gorgeous field of wild flowers and then on a good path that climbed cleverly around the crags, past rock climbers and all the way up to the top. I would have thought that a prominent hill like this with a car park at the foot would be swarming with day trippers on a Bank Holiday Monday, but there was no one at the summit.

After eating my lunch I found that it was difficult to get down the back of Castle Rock because of thick bracken, but eventually I managed to find a way through the obstacles and onto a faint path that climbed the high fell behind. This path soon disappeared and I was left with an unrelenting climb up steep, grassy slopes all the way to the top of Watson’s Dodd. The weather had improved immensely since I had traversed High Rigg as the sun shone during my ascent which provided me with great views over High Rigg and towards the awesome mountains in the distance. These compensated for the long, tedious climb and prompted me to take loads of photos, stopping every couple of steps to catch my breath and take another picture. Eventually the summit of Watson’s Dodd came into view and I dragged myself slowly up to the broad cairn that marks the top where I was greeted by awesome views in all directions. As I headed south it was the views east that mesmerised me, all the way to the Pennine range far in the distance, while in the other direction rain could be seen smothering the highest fells in the Lake District. The winds picked up as I approached the top of Stybarrow Dodd and I gazed in awe at the views east from the summit before returning to the main path, through the strong winds and down to the Sticks Pass.

I have crossed this pass many times, from Helvellyn heading north, or south heading towards Helvellyn, but only once had I ever descended from the pass, in 2003 in bad weather. I was a little hesitant to start the descent now since it was still quite early, but the approaching rain convinced me that it was time to descend, and I was keen to take this path down. The path over Raise and down the pony track was too familiar compared with this great, little path beside Sticks Gill with plenty of rock around, though little sign of the mining that used to happen in the area. The rain caught up with me before I reached Glenridding, but it was never heavy. I took a course around the lower slopes of Birkhouse Moor from Glenridding to Grisedale that I must have taken many times before, though it must have been a long time ago as I was unsure on the route. Repairs to the bridge over Bleacove Beck forced me onto a diversion and from Mires Beck the path was so sketchy that I had to check my map, but eventually I found my way into Grisedale and again I had to check my map. Once I was on the right path, through Glenamara Park, I tried to remember when was the last time I’d taken this route from Glenridding to Patterdale but I could not remember doing it in the last ten years. It had taken me so long to descend from the Sticks Pass and around the hill that it was after five o’clock by the time I reached the youth hostel, so not too early after all.

Considering this walk was largely unplanned, it was very enjoyable with weather that was a little mixed, but when it was good I had fantastic views. The recommended route across High Rigg is south to north, but I liked doing it north to south as it leaves the best bit to the end and the views south are in no way inferior to those north. I liked the opportunity to return to Castle Rock and then to do an ascent that I’d never done before, up Watson’s Dodd, so by the end the walk had performed wonders on my mind and I was no longer the depressed soul who had left Skiddaw House.

Helvellyn and Sheffield Pike

Friday 4th June 2021

I was not in a good state at the start of this walk following a poor night’s sleep that had left me really drained both physically and mentally. I don’t know why I was having difficulty sleeping, but what I needed was a great walk to revive me and fortunately that is what I got. After the cloud and drizzle of the day before the sun was now out again, so I decided to head down St. John’s in the Vale and climb Helvellyn. I have only once before walked down this valley between High Rigg and Clough Head, in 2003, when poor weather had made Clough Head undesirable. Now I walked through the grassy fields past sheep and cows under bright sunshine until I reached the start of the path over Sticks Pass, but soon came off the path to follow the fell wall until after passing the many waterfalls in Fisherplace Gill I reached a signpost that points towards many paths in many directions. I wanted to take the White Stones route up Helvellyn, but I had difficulty finding a path as it is not very clear where the route goes through the young bracken at this point. The Wainwright guides indicate I should have headed south from the signpost for fifty paces before starting the climb and eventually I did find a path that crosses the hillside leaving the bracken behind, though this was little more than a groove in the grass.

Finally, after crossing Helvellyn Gill, I reached the very clear, paved path from Swirls that is now one of the most popular routes up the mountain and I was now no longer on my own as many people were climbing this path. Despite from the west being a very popular direction to climb Helvellyn from, I had never climbed from this direction before and I am not keen on doing it again as it is ridiculously steep, especially on this path. Even though I have climbed hundreds of mountains, I thought this was agonisingly steep and there are much better routes up Helvellyn as this way is just an unrelenting ascent all the way up to top of Browncove Crags. However, the view behind, looking over Thirlmere with Skiddaw in the distance, was stunning and always helped to alleviate the effort of the wearyingly steep climb all the way up to Browncove Crags. It wasn’t until the end of the day that I realised what was so good about the views on this climb: they were clear whereas throughout this holiday they had been hazy. The reason for this clarity was that it was cold, much colder than it had been earlier in the week, which prompted me to put on my windproof softshell and gloves once the gradient eased at the top of Browncove Crags.

When I reached the top of Helvellyn it was so packed with people I had wait for a while before I could get to the summit cairn to touch it, but the views were sensational and were especially gorgeous towards Ullswater, though my attention had already shifted towards Striding Edge. I have not traversed this narrow ridge since 2006 despite several attempts in recent years to do so. Therefore, I was surprised and distressed to discover badly eroded slopes leading down to the start of the ridge that I had no memory of previously, though this was the first time I was making the traverse in an easterly direction. After collapsing my poles I set off down the rocky terrain to the start of Striding Edge where I immediately discovered a problem: I was doing the traverse in the opposite direction to everyone else and there was a lot of everyone else. After passing over the Castle, I had to wait a long time while many people very slowly descended the rock chimney that is the most difficult point on the ridge. On two previous occasions that I have been over Striding Edge I have been able to avoid the crowds by going outside of peak times, but now I could only wait while people struggled to get down the rock chimney including one person who was trying to get down while holding a small dog.

There was such a long queue behind this person I eventually decided to try climbing beside the rock chimney and succeeded, but this just moved my waiting position to the top of the chimney rather than at the bottom as dozens of people slowly filed past. Eventually I was able to get past the queuing people and onto the top of the ridge, though I still often had to wait for people to pass as I made my way along the glorious ridge. Apart from the rock chimney, Striding Edge is not technically difficult and even the rock chimney is relatively tame and is only made more difficult by being a descent in the usual direction. As the crowds eased, I stayed at the top of the ridge striding confidently along the top. After passing over the summit of Striding Edge, known as High Spying How, I gradually descended the widening ridge to the Hole-in-the-Wall, but I did not go through as I continued along the ridge beside the wall to Birkhouse Moor. I visited this nondescript fell in 2006 and did so again before starting my descent into Glenridding beside Mires Beck, which is a path I had never taken before and I now had tremendous views into Patterdale and Glenridding as I took many photos while slowly descending. Looking towards Caudale Moor, I was reminded of my first night of this holiday spent camped near the top and was thankful that I now had good weather and was seeing the Lake District at its best.

When I eventually reached the bottom of the valley I immediately started climbing again onto Greenside Road, before branching onto the path that climbs steeply through bracken to the col between Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike. Since I had climbed Glenridding Dodd in 2016, I ignored that and turned left to climb the south-east ridge of Sheffield Pike, which I had last descended at the beginning of 2009. There is a fabulous path that slowly climbs up a heather-covered ridge while behind me I had stunning views of Glenridding, but having already climbed Helvellyn on this walk I was now feeling rather tired. The interesting climb continued after the ridge ends with the path continuing across a broad, undulating terrain until eventually I reached the top of Sheffield Pike. A relatively short descent then brought me down to Nick Head where steep grassy slopes led me up to Glencoyne Head from where a featureless grassy ridge led me to the top of Hart Side. I climbed this fell in 2008 while hurrying to catch a bus in Threlkeld, which I missed. Now, I had the time and the weather to appreciate the broad grassy fell whose best feature was its distant views of the Pennines. I was amazed by the great views I was getting on this walk and I was enjoying every moment of it.

A long descent down broad grassy slopes brought me into Dowthwaitehead where I took a path that climbs over a low ridge before slowly descending through very wet ground onto the track known as the Old Coach Road. A long, but relaxing walk along this track took me across the northern slopes of Great Dodd and Clough Head until eventually I returned to St. John's in the Vale. This was an awesome, fantastic walk with views that were easily the best that I had enjoyed on this holiday. It was wonderful to finally be able to do Striding Edge again after such a long time and with such fabulous weather, this walk succeeded in lifting my spirits. There were many ups and downs on this holiday, but this walk was a definite highlight.

Deepdale and Seat Sandal

Monday 24th May 2021

After a wet night spent camped in Deepdale, I set off up the valley that I had previously visited at the end my holiday in 2018 when I had gone as far as Coldcove Gill before climbing the east ridge to St. Sunday Crag and I had enjoyed the views of the valley so was keen to return. A faint path through the grass that was sometimes difficult to follow led me up the valley with improving weather that included patches of sunlight but also the occasional shower. The crags at the head of the valley were impressive, and as I headed towards them, they brooded amongst the mist and grey clouds that lingered well into the morning. Below Mart Crag I thought the best route of ascent was to cross Deepdale Beck onto terrain that was less steep than the precipitous slopes that lie to the north of the stream, but a check of my Harvey Map revealed that the path climbs steeply above a deep ravine and spectacular waterfalls to reach a terrace. This is an amazing spot with the dark, brooding crags of Greenhow End looming above me, the deep ravine below, the long valley stretching behind and the high fells all around me. I reflected that you miss so much by keeping to the ridges and fail to see the awesome sights, such as I was seeing at this moment, in this rarely visited valley.

The terrain now eased into the bowl around Sleet Cove and there I lost the path as I tried to head up to Deepdale Hause. I could see a rake ahead of me that I thought was the route up, but eventually I came to my senses and realised it was far too steep, so I turned back and eventually found the annoyingly clear path that leads up to Deepdale Hause. By this time the weather had cleared and when I reached the top the sun had come out to light all the surroundings fells. Before me I eye was drawn to the dramatic Falcon Crag below Dollywagon Pike with the ridge that leads up to Helvellyn looking grand, while the top of Helvellyn itself still clung onto some cloud. Turning to my right, St. Sunday Crag was lit perfectly with blue sky behind it looking very tempting for an ascent, but I resisted that and all of these high fells since I had climbed them in 2018 and didn’t need to do them again. I wanted to concentrate on this holiday on the fells and paths that I had not been on recently, so instead I took to the path on the other side of the pass, to Grisedale Tarn, that I had taken only once before, in 2013, in poor, cloudy weather that I did not have now.

This path didn’t exist when Wainwright wrote his Pictorial Guide to the Eastern Fells, but he thought there was need of one and it wasn’t long before one was stamped out. It is rather steep and rough at first, but soon joins a clear path that doesn’t seem to have come from anywhere. I was tempted to explore it, but didn’t bother so headed along the path towards Grisedale Tarn before branching left onto a thin path that is little more than a sheep trod and keeps high above the lake until I reached Grisedale Hause. Ahead of me was Seat Sandal that I have only once climbed, in 2006, making it a perfect candidate for this holiday, so I climbed the steep, craggy path all the way up to the top. There were sensational views behind me over Grisedale Tarn with St. Sunday Crag still dominating my attention as it was continued to be lit by the sun while the rest of the fells sulked under clouds. Continuing beyond the top of Seat Sandal I passed another cairn where the views now opened out west across the Lake District before I veered south to take the wide grassy ridge down the same route that I had taken in 2006. On that occasion I was in a hurry to get down in time for my dinner at the youth hostel, but now I was able to take my time.

As I slowly descended I couldn’t imagine rushing down now, as my knees would not take kindly to a speedy descent and was forcing me to take this descent very slowly, though that gave me plenty of time to appreciate the stunning views over Grasmere. When I eventually reached the road I walked into Grasmere where I bought some food for the next few days before making my way over the ridge into Langdale. The usual route starts at Kelbarrow, but I thought I would take an alternative route that I had never taken before and ascends through Wyke Plantation on an interesting path that passes waterfalls and moss-rich woodland to reach the bracken-covered ridge below Silver How. I have spent many happy hours walking from Blea Rigg past Silver How on this ridge that is a maze of paths and part of the fun is finding your own unique way along it. The route beyond the trees, over the ridge, was not clear and not helped by the wet ground, but soon I came to the top of the path beside Spedding Crag that leads down into Langdale and had previously taken in 2012. When I reached Chapel Stile a short walk brought me to Baysbrown Farm Campsite where I would stay for the next few days.

Despite the good weather I had reached the campsite by mid-afternoon, but I appreciated the early finish to the walk as I wanted the time to settle in and dry out my tent. However, after dinner, with the good weather continuing, I took a walk through Baysbrown Wood where I found a generous covering of bluebells and after climbing to the disused Bank Quarry to get a mobile signal, I came back down the hill through Elterwater Quarry into Langdale. This was a lovely day that made up for the rain the day before that had ruined my plans for this holiday, but now I was in a fabulous location and I had good weather. I had enjoyed the walk out of Deepdale and over Seat Sandal, but it was the stroll in the evening that was the highlight of the day. Without the weight of a rucksack I felt tremendous relaxation and a release from all my problems as I walked past the delightful bluebells. I was no longer chasing unrealistic goals and targets trying to bag an arbitrary list of peaks, but had started walking for the sheer enjoyment of walking in the Lake District, and there is no better thing that you can do than that.

St. Sunday Crag

Saint Sunday Crag is seen on this picture basking in the sunshine from beside the distinctive, but small, top of Coda Pike. This is a fabulous ridge that runs from Patterdale on the shores of Ullswater to the great bulk of Fairfield, whose craggy slopes I was standing near when I took this picture. This was taken at the end of a two weeks' holiday I spent in the Lake District in 2018 during which I tried to visit the top of all the high fells. Although I didn't manage to reach the top of three of them it was still a great holiday and I was really gutted that it was ending as I came down off Fairfield.

Hartsop above How from Hart Crag

The Hartsop above How ridge is seen from the top of Hart Crag with midsummer lush green vegetation. This was a mammoth walk that I did in 2009 and started from the foot of this ridge heading up the hills on the far side before circling round to the right of the picture, crossing the Kirkstone Pass, until by the time I had reached this point I was really tired. I stumbled down the ridge and eventually returned to my car after walking over ten hills. And then I drove all the way back home. I don't think I could do that now.

Brothers Water from Middle Dodd

This picture shows Brothers Water taken from the descent of Middle Dodd in the Lake District. The walk, in 2018, started with a climb up Helvellyn, but I didn't stop there and headed south to Grisedale Tarn. From there I went up Fairfield, Hart Crag and Dove Crag, but I still wasn't done. I descended the grassy eastern slopes to the Scandale Pass before climbing up to the top of Red Screes. Finally I had enough and came down into the valley over Middle Dodd taking this picture on the way. This was another glorious day in the Lake District.

Grisedale from Nethermost Pike

This is the view down the east ridge of Nethermost Pike down towards Grisedale. While the adjacent Striding Edge attracts the crowds I had this ridge all to myself in 2015 with stunning views all the way down the valley.

Ullswater from Gavel Pike

This picture shows Ullswater nestled amongst the Lake District Fells seen from Gavel Pike, high on the side of St Sunday Crag. This was taken on the last day of a fabulous fortnight's holiday in the Lake District in 2018 and left me with a great walk in lovely, sunny weather and a feeling of awe for the tremendous Lakeland Fells.

Place Fell from Trough Head

This sunny picture looks across Patterdale while coming down from St. Sunday Crag and Burks in the Eastern Fells as I was approaching Trough Head before continuing down over Arnison Crag. I took a fabulous picture from the top of Arnison Crag, shared on 19th April, looking over Ullswater, but the picture below was taken half an hour earlier. Patterdale is the valley and Ullswater can be glimpsed to the left with Place Fell in the distance. This is the awesome Lake District at this time of the year fourteen years ago.

Ullswater from Arnison Crag

This picture of Ullswater was taken from Arnison Crag while on a walk in 2006 that is described here. As soon as the photo was taken I was fond of it, but it later took greater significance. About ten years ago my sister asked for some pictures and of those I sent her she selected this one. She had it printed and mounted onto a frame and is still displayed at her home so everyone who visits will see it.

Dollywaggon Pike from Grisedale

This colourful picture looks towards the snow-speckled mountains at the head of Grisedale in the Lake District. It was taken during the walk described in this blog entry. I love this picture and have printed it so I can display it at home. I don't know what it is about the Lake District but having looked through all my pictures over the last couple of weeks it is the Lake District ones that have appealed to me the most. Scotland gets a fair share, but other areas are poorly represented. A lot of this is due to the amount of time I have spent in the different parts of the British Isles (which reminds me that I really ought to go back to Ireland soon). However there is no denying how much I love the English Lakes and I really enjoy walking there.

Little Hart Crag and High Pike

Saturday 21st December 2019

The previous day I had completed all of the fells that I had planned for this holiday, which left me with an open choice of where to go for my final day in the Lakes. When I saw the weather forecast indicated light winds I decided I would try to climb some of the high fells north of Ambleside so I wouldn’t have to travel anywhere since that was where I was staying. I had enjoyed good, calm weather the day before and based on the forecast I thought the weather for this walk would be similar, but as I left the youth hostel it was a grey, misty day with rain at first, and though this soon stopped the poor weather continued all day. After passing through Ambleside I walked up to Sweden Bridge Road and out of the town on an enclosed lane that is typical of the Lake District. Behind me the view opened out over Ambleside with Windermere in the misty distance while over the wall to my left Rydal Water could just be seen past the wooded surroundings of Rydal. Soon the track passed into beautiful woodland with the Scandale Beck running at the bottom of the valley until eventually I came out of the wood not from from High Sweden Bridge that is described by Wainwright as “one of Lakeland’s most iconic stone bridges”. Despite this I had never seen it before as I had not previously been in this valley.

Scandale is a wide, secluded valley that has recently been planted with hundreds of trees, which I have seen the National Trust do in many other parts of the Lake District. The weather was not great as I made my way up the valley with light rain passing through and clouds hanging low overhead. As the end of the valley approached, the steep ridge of Bakestones loomed oppressively ahead, but fortunately my path took gentler slopes into the clouds and eventually reaching the top of Scandale Pass. I have descended to this pass many times before when crossing between Red Screes and Little Hart Crag, but never before have I taken the paths up to it. When I was last there in 2018 I bypassed the summit of Little Hart Crag, but now I diverted up the windswept, craggy terrain to the summit. After bagging the top I returned to the main path and turning right followed the fence posts that lead towards Dove Crag, however I wanted to take the path up Bakestones. In 2016 while on the Bakestones path I noticed that the path is not clear (the Walker’s Edition of Wainwright’s guide describes it as “intermittent”) so in view of the poor visibility I stayed on the clear path until the terrain steepened.

At that point I turned south keeping to the foot of the rising ground following sheep trods and turned uphill only after I had passed the faint Bakestones path, but taking my own route up Scandale Head. I failed to see the tall Bakestones cairn in the mist, and eventually discovered the now clear path above the cairn which led me to the ridge wall, lined with snowdrift, coming down from Dove Crag. It was bitterly cold at this point with rain and wind coupled with snow on the ground that made the conditions really tricky as I wrapped up against the harsh weather and carefully made my way beside the wall through the snow south. Soon, as I descended, the conditions eased and eventually I reached the cairn at the top of High Pike where I was able to stop and have my lunch. After High Pike the ridge steepens with rocky ground to negotiate, which I found to be a little tricky in the wet conditions. When a sudden upthrust of rock appeared through the mist I realised I had reached Low Pike, so I climbed up to reach the small cairn that marks the top. Continuing down the ridge I came upon a wide marsh where a small sign helpfully warns of a deep bog and recommends keeping to the wall, though this was just as wet.

Even though I had now fallen below the clouds the views were pathetic, but at least the path improved as it diverted around the rock step on Sweden Crag with a good surface underfoot that took me past the turning to High Sweden Bridge and all the way down until eventually I crossed Low Sweden Bridge. Passing through Ambleside I finally returned to my car exhausted after a walk that had required careful concentration to navigate complex terrain in poor weather conditions. There was no chance to relax and enjoy the walk as I had been able to do on the previous two days, but it was still satisfying to have managed to complete the walk despite the weather. Even though this was a very short holiday in the Lake District, it once again reminded me just how much I love this place and why I had gone out of my way to get up there.

St. Sunday Crag and Great Rigg

Saturday 12th May 2018

Throughout my holiday in the Lake District I was trying to reach the summit of all the Wainwright fells that are more than two and a half thousand feet high. There are fifty-six such High Fells and by the start of the last day of my holiday I had completed fifty-one. Unfortunately I would not be able to complete the list because bad weather had prevented me from reaching three of the summits. This was always going to be likely in the Lake District where the weather is notoriously changeable and many other factors can also force a change of plans. So, taking this into account it is astonishing that I managed to do as many as I did and my goal should realistically have been as many of the High Fells as I could. The weather for this final day was amazing, virtually perfect, as I left the Patterdale Youth Hostel walking along the pavement beside the road heading south. I had never taken this route before since I had always assumed there was no pavement so I thought it was better, and safer, to cross the valley and follow the bridleway on the other side. However, to my surprise I was able to safely get to the turning for Deepdale and onto the path that passes several houses on its way into a valley that I had never walked in before. And I found that I had been missing out on a lovely, quiet place with a stunning surround of high fells and a fabulous array of cliffs at the end.

My first goal for this walk was St. Sunday Crag which is usually climbed from Patterdale via the lower fells of Arnison Crag, or more usually, Birks, however since I was focusing just on the High Fells during this holiday I wanted to try a route that avoids these subsidiary tops and ascends straight for St. Sunday Crag. Therefore, after walking along Deepdale for a while, just after crossing Coldcove Gill I headed up the steep hillside on a wide path through dead bracken, beyond which an exceptionally faint path continued up the grassy fell. Slowly I made my way up the fellside in glorious sunshine with some lovely, little wild flowers in the ground, which revealed a spellbinding display that you simply do not see in the more heavily trodden areas of the Lake District. I would like to return in the summer to these slopes when these flowers would be at their best, though it is a shame that the sheep and popularity of the Lake District restricts displays such as these to such quiet locations. Further up, after weaving around rocks and in amongst heather and bilberry, I eventually reached Lord’s Seat where the ground levelled and afforded me with stunning views across the Far Eastern Fells and Birks, while a clear path now appeared directing me towards the striking conical point of Gavel Pike.

A steep climb, including a bit of a scramble, brought me to the top of the deliciously craggy Gavel Pike where the views in the fabulous sunshine were far-reaching and stunning. The top of St. Sunday Crag was now finally revealed, but the most picturesque views were over the top of Birks to the western tip of Ullswater nestled at the foot of Place Fell. It was now a simple matter for me to walk from Gavel Pike across the gently sloping terrain and up to the summit of St. Sunday Crag where the views continued to astound me in this tremendous weather. Fairfield still dominated the view at the head of Deepdale, but as I made my way down the glorious ridge it was the Helvellyn range that now drew my eye. From Deepdale Hause I started the fantastic climb onto Cofa Pike that is very steep, involving some delicious scrambling and it was great fun for me to keep to the top of the ridge over Cofa Pike and up the screes to Fairfield. I had passed over Fairfield a couple of days previously and I couldn’t count it twice, however since I had plenty of time I stood on the edge of the plateau gazing out towards the heart of the Lake District and enjoying the view.

During the ascent the Eastern Fells had dominated the views, but now the rest of the Lake District was opened out before me. I could see the distinctive dome of Great Gable on the horizon and from there I started to name the peaks on either side. This is a great game to play when at the top of a High Fell in the Lake District in great weather and time is not important with the splendid array of fells spread out before you. Eventually I set off once more heading towards the ridge that gradually descends towards Great Rigg, the fifty-third and final High Fell of my holiday. Unfortunately just as I started making my way down from Fairfield I realised that I had left my cagoule in the Youth Hostel. Any other day of the holiday this would have been a disaster, however fortunately it was warm, I didn’t need the jacket at that moment, or for the rest of the holiday as this was the last day so I could get it back at a later date. With this cloud hanging over me I reached the top of Great Rigg and the culmination of my challenge on this holiday. While having my lunch gazing out over the stunning Lakeland scenery I noticed a few people at the top were setting up for some sort of race. I kept out of their way and just as I was finishing the first runners appeared soon followed by others.

I had originally planned on descending to Grasmere over Stone Arthur, but with the weather being so good, and since I had plenty of time, and I didn’t want the walk to end, I stayed high heading south towards Ambleside. As I made my way along the ridge from Great Rigg I was passed by hundreds of fell runners streaming past me on the Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race while I slowly, dawdling, headed along the ridge trying to keep out of their way. By the time I reached Heron Pike all the runners had passed and I was able to enjoy the fabulous ridge in the glorious weather all the way to Nab Scar and steeply down to Rydal Hall where some of the runners were already passing the finishing line having ran all the way around the nine mile circuit which includes three thousand feet of ascent. By the time I was passing through the grounds of Rydal Hall only the stragglers were left to finish, who had just ran the gruelling course in two and a quarter hours, which is considerably faster than I could have managed. They had amazing weather for the run, and I felt like the Lake District was trying to convince me to stay and, frankly I didn’t need much persuasion, but unfortunately I had no choice.

Usually after a fortnights holiday I’m ready to come home, but not this time. The Lake District is a really special place and given half a chance I would go there every holiday I get. I have to force myself to go somewhere else, because there is nowhere better in England. In the right weather there is nothing better than being at the top of a Lakeland fell and this holiday reminded me of that fact and it is going to be even harder to stay away.

Helvellyn and Fairfield

Thursday 10th May 2018

Under overcast skies, but with the promise of better weather to come I set off from the Helvellyn Youth Hostel in Glenridding beside the remains of Greenside lead mine up the valley and onto the popular path that climbs beside Red Tarn Beck towards Helvellyn. After slow progress along the path I eventually came off and headed across the grassy slopes to reach the east shoulder of Catstye Cam where a clear path soon appeared to take me up a route that I had never taken before. As I approached the summit the ridge narrowed pleasingly as I climbed steeply up the rocky path to the summit just as the clouds lifted to afford me with views down the valley and towards Ullswater.

In the other direction, Helvellyn was firmly holding onto its top of cloud, but as I made my way down the ridge to the col overlooking Red Tarn and onto the craggy Swirral Edge, the clouds slowly began to lift. I know that the last time I did Striding Edge was in 2006 and that I have done Swirral Edge since then, but I can’t remember when I last did it; it was possibly January 2009. I had planned to do Striding Edge, on the other side of Red Tarn, the day before this walk, but poor weather had prevented that and now I would have to wait till some other time in the future to traverse that narrow ridge again. Instead I tackled the fun scramble on Swirral Edge, which is possibly more intense, more sustained than on Striding Edge, though I could be wrong due to my distant memory of that ridge which certainly does have more exposure. The scrambling on Swirral Edge is more prolonged as I climbed the satisfyingly steep ridge all the way up to the top of Helvellyn and by the time I reached the top the cloud had thankfully cleared which enabled me to look back down the edge to Catstye Cam and the sunlit hills beyond.

Helvellyn is famous for being a tremendously popular mountain, but due to the early hour I had the top all to myself. From the summit plateau and the deserted shelter I had fabulous, though misty, views towards the heart of the Lake District where a clear greening of the fells could be seen in the spring warmth that would soon prove short-lived due to a lack of rain and hot weather this summer. I didn’t stay on the main footpath but soon came off to climb up to the top of Nethermost Pike and I kept to the top of the ridge, passing over High Crag and up to the top of Dollywagon Pike, which was my fourth High Fell of the day and the fortieth of my holiday. I had set myself the target of reaching the summit of as many of the High Fells, which means the fells more than two and a half thousand feet high, as possible, and it was astonishing how many I had already done. There are fabulous views from Dollywagon Pike with most of my attention going to the ridge I had just come down where High Crag looked like a real mountain despite being merely a prominent shoulder of Nethermost Pike.

From Dollywagon Pike a very steep descent took me down a large series of zigzags in increasingly warm weather with the sun now shining brightly and promising a really great day in the Lakes. It felt really warm as I made my way around Grisedale Tarn and up to the top of Grisedale Hause where I turned left to head up the screes towards Fairfield. As I climbed the steep, slippery stones clouds came over once again and a cold wind began to blow so the woolly hat and gloves that had been a frequent feature of this holiday were back on. I don’t have fond memories of these screes ever since I first climbed them back in 2002, however some work has been done to relieve the misery with good, well-graded zigzags, but the path soon became sketchy and oppressively steep so by the time I reached the windswept summit of Fairfield I was very tired, as well as cold, though relieved to be at the top. I ate my lunch sheltered from the bitterly cold winds near the summit, which I reminded me of the cold weather I had encountered during the first week of my holiday while the warm weather of the Bank Holiday weekend was now almost forgotten.

Slowly I made my way across the wonderfully craggy ridge above Rydal Head down to Link Hause and up to the top of Hart Crag through fabulous rock-covered terrain that is a pleasure to walk through and produces a great feeling of being at the top of a proper mountain. I had come to the Lake District to climb the High Fells specifically to find craggy terrain such as this and the cold weather was totally failing to dampen my enthusiasm. I continued across the gap to Dove Crag, which was now my seventh High Fell of the day beating my previous record on this holiday set on my first day and I still had another High Fell to go, though that was quite a distance away. I now came off the ridge of the Fairfield Horseshoe, and thankfully out of the cold wind, making my way along a poor, muddy, eroded path down the hillside past Little Hart Crag to the Scandale Pass. Two years ago I had also made my way from Dove Crag to this point, but on that occasion I had taken the path past the High Bakestones cairn, so this time I took the more popular, more direct path, though I can’t say it is better. In 2016 I descended from Little Hart Crag, but now I climbed the long, tiring slopes all the way up to Red Screes, my forty-first High Fell of this holiday, before making my way along the ridge of Smallthwaite Band to the stunning view that can be seen from Middle Dodd towards Brothers Water, nestling in the valley between the fells of Hartsop Dodd and Hartsop above How.

My route lay ahead, but the way down the ridge from Middle Dodd is ridiculously steep so I was fortunate that my right knee was not hurting as much as it had earlier in the week, but neither of my knees appreciated this descent. Upon reaching the bottom I still had a long walk ahead of me along the valley passing Brothers Water to eventually reach the Patterdale Youth Hostel. This was a fabulous walk even though it was cold on the Fairfield Horseshoe and fairly cloudy for much of the day, but there was enough sunshine through the breaks in the cloud to provide me with some glorious views. It was great striding out along the great ridges of the Eastern Fells and able to enjoy the views while walking on fantastic footpaths. Red Screes was a bit annoying as it felt like an add-on to the walk that was climbed simply because it is a High Fell. The walk would have been better if I hadn’t climbed the steep slopes from Scandale Pass, though I was rewarded with fabulous views down the valley. This was another glorious day in the Lake District.

Great Dodd and Raise

Wednesday 9th May 2018

After a good night’s sleep in the Skiddaw House Hostel and a chance to rest my knee that had been hurting for the previous couple of days, I left the fabulous “Loneliest house in England” and came all the way back down off the hills into the village of Threlkeld. The weather was quite lousy with grey, overcast skies that would not improve, but rather worsened during the course of the day becoming windier and eventually ending in rain. This was not the best weather for walking in the Lake District, however at least it would feel like a walk in the Lake District with typical Lake District weather. Despite the inclement conditions I actually enjoyed being out on the fells in the harsh weather. The start of the day was not too bad as I slowly made my way down the track into Threlkeld, hastily across the scarily busy A66 trunk road and up the quiet road to the open fell. I remember when I came this way in 2015 I followed a faint path beyond a fence, but this time I didn’t cross the fence as I took a fainter path up the hillside until it disappeared in a marsh. Although crossing the fence is clearly the better route of the two, the latest Ordnance Survey maps show a path climbing the fell far from the fence aiming directly for Hause Well spring, but I don't know if there is any trace of this route on the ground.

On reaching the Old Coach Road I found that it is in a very poor state having been heavily eroded by the heavy rains of the last couple of years. I can’t remember what state this track was in when I came this way in 2015, but of course, that would have been before the notorious storms of December 2015. On that occasion I had planned on climbing Great Dodd from the east, but chose to ascend from the north because I was tired. With no such problem now, and because I didn’t want to repeat my earlier route, I continued along the Old Coach Road until I reached Mariel Bridge where I turned off to climb steep, grassy slopes towards Randerside and Great Dodd. This was not an enjoyable climb as I toiled up a long, unrelenting and utterly featureless slope with thick, tussocky grass underfoot making for slow progress as strong winds persistently blew straight into my face under miserable, leaden skies. After mile after mile of slow, soul-destroying climbing towards a peak that I had identified as Randerside, though I never seemed to get any closer, eventually I reached the outcrop only to find that it was not Randerside, which was further ahead at the top of the north-east ridge coming down from Great Dodd.

The views from Randerside are severely restricted by the huge bulk of Great Dodd and the further swelling of Clough Head on the other side of Mosedale, though it was the grey, overcast skies that really marred the views. Turning my attention to the parent fell I set off along the clear path from Randerside that leads all the way up into the dark recesses of Great Dodd. Surprisingly the top was not covered in cloud and I had clear views towards Skiddaw, across Keswick and south along the ridge towards Helvellyn. The weather always seems to be poor when I am on Great Dodd, so the low cloud and strong winds that I now encountered seemed almost reassuringly familiar, however the clear views were unusual even though there must have been occasions in the past when I also had a view. While sheltering from the strong winds I had my lunch before wrapping myself up tight against the cold and then I set off down the grassy slopes, thoroughly enjoying the snug feeling, while all around me was blowing a gale. I made my way along the broad ridge to the top of Watson’s Dodd where I had another good view towards Skiddaw and Keswick, however now I could see rain was falling on the town and before I had a chance to put on all my waterproofs the rain was falling on me too.

Setting off once more along the path I climbed into the clouds that covered Stybarrow Dodd eventually veering off to bag the summit. Returning to the path I headed over the lower summit and down the slopes towards Sticks Pass, descending below the clouds once more to reveal surprising views that led all the way down to Ullswater. Despite the bad weather I kept going along the path over the pass and up the steep slopes that led me to the delightfully craggy summit of Raise. After the grassy mounds of the three Dodds, it was great to be at the top of a fell with a proper mountainous feel to it. On coming back down and across the col I made my way up to reach the low cairn and shelter that marks the top of White Side, and after circling the summit I headed back down to the saddle. The next High Fell on my schedule was Helvellyn, but I decided that in view of the poor weather it would be better to leave that for the next day, so after returning to the col I took the branch that begins the descent of the Pony Track and leads gracefully all the way down into Glenridding.

The weather may not have been the best for this walk, but aside from a lot of wind it was not too bad with surprisingly good views from the summits until the rain started. There is something curiously satisfying about being at the top of High Fells in harsh weather, as you brave out the elements that you would not get if the weather was good. It made me feel like a real man who has truly conquered the mountain and beaten the elements, even though all it had really taken was a bit of blind determination to keep going. Since I was prepared with good waterproofs and warm clothing I was able to keep walking even when the weather turned. The skies may have been dark and overcast with strong winds that ultimately brought rain, but I had fun.