Last year we had sunny weather for the first few days before it became cloudy and wet. But nothing like the wall to wall sunshine and clear blue skies that we encountered last week, with temperatures at times reaching 30 C, warmer than the south east.
After the long drive up on the Saturday, we unpacked before Anne and Chas arrived. This was our fourth successive year at Coachman's Cottage on the edge of Grasmere with it's wonderful views of the surrounding fells.
An early evening stroll around the village culminating in drinks at Tweedies Bar which is actually just across the road from where we were staying. It was the only time during the week that we needed jumpers.
Sunday was to be a quiet day. England were playing Panama in the World Cup at 1 pm, so after breakfast outside, Alison went off for a run while the three of us took the short walk up to the National Trust property that is Allan Bank. We found a swingball and badminton set outside and took turns before a walk around the grounds. We can see the gardener's bothy from the cottage.
After enjoying England's easy win, Alison, Anne and Chas went for a walk to Easedale Tarn and back while I read the papers outside.
Mondaty started with breakfast outside again and then we were off on the Elterwater, Colwith and Little Langdale circuit that is described in Bob Allen's The Best Walks of the Lower Lakeland Fells - Book Four: South-East. We stopped off at Chesters at Skelwith Bridge for provisions after passing Skelwith Force.
Into the Little Langdale valley our next stop was Colwith Bridge and lunch overlooking Colwith Force.
Joining the road at High Park Farm and Stag End, we had lovely views of the surrounding fells.
Then on to Slater Bridge.
And Little Langdale Tarn.
This was where we took the unremarkable path (the final section of the triangular circuit) called "Owlet's Nest" that is the last third of the route back to Elterwater. Doing so, we missed the Three Shires where we had planned to stop for a drink, so we went instead to The Brittania Inn in Elterwater, our final destination.
In the evening, Anne and Chas treated us to dinner at The Jumble Room, again just across the road from the cottage.
They were leaving on the Tuesday and I joined them on a trip to Holehird Gardens, the most fabulous gardens of the Lakeland Horticultural Society on Patterdale Road, Windermere. You can see the lake in the distance.
Alison had taken herself off for a run while Anne, Chas and I walked around the gardens in warm sunshine. The walled garden is spectacular.
And I really liked the brand new Victorian style Display House.
The views from the woodland walk are amazing.
A plaque details all the fells you can see. From Crinkle Crags on the left, to Bow Fell and the Langdale Pikes.
There are a number of National Collections of plants, these are the Astilbe.
Finally we found the rock garden.
It was past lunchtime when Anne and Chas left for home, and I made it back to the cottage for a quiet, hot afternoon outside.
On Wednesday Alison had suggested we leave early (it turned out to be 8.40 am) and walk from the cottage to and up Helm Crag. You can see the fell from the garden.
I was surprised how quickly we reached the summit that is 405 m.
We had great views on the way up.
We then took the path that runs along the ridge above Far Easedale. On one of the maps it shows a broken line and although the path does disappear in places, in the clear weather we could see the next section of path ahead.
This was the route up to Gibson Knott at 422 m.
The ridge path was a great choice. In Collins' Central Fells it is described as "A curved ridge sweeps north-westward from the Vale of Grasmere. It begins auspiciously with Helm Crag ...... from where it takes a roller coaster ride over Gibson Knot climbing over Pike of Carrs to land eventually on Calf Crag" and "engages in several switchbacks to the summit (of Calf Crag)".
Gibson Knott is described as "simply an element of a greater whole (of this) triple top ridge".
So finally on to Calf Crag, the highest point of our walk at 537 m.
We found a fairly sheltered spot to have lunch with good views down the valley.
From Calf Crag it is short distance to a main junction of paths where we found a number of walkers having a rest. We had reached here in 4 hours and 20 minutes. This is where we split up. Me to take the long direct route back down Far Easedale (it was getting hot in the sun by then) and Alison off to climb Sergeant Mann and back down via Easedale Tarn. This was the start of my way back with the ridge we followed in the middle distance. Helm crag is at the end.
It was good to see the ridge above me as I walked down into the Far Easedale valley.
It was a long haul down back to Grasmere, especially the last hour in the hot sun. Temperatures that day had reached over 30 C, hotter than the south-east.
In the book Walking Country - Lakeland Fells - Ambleside and the South it describes the circuit as being 8 miles with a total of 610 metres of ascent, although by Alison's GPS it was more like 700 m for me, Alison having climbed 1,000 m.
Thursday dawned again to warm sunshine, so we took an early stroll around an extremely quiet Grasmere before having breakfast outside. We stayed in the garden all morning before walking down to Grasmere lake and on towards Rydal. By that time in the afternoon it was once again very, very warm, over 30 C again.
After the rest day, on Friday we drove to the National Trust car park at Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale to take the vertical climb up the side of the Langdale Pikes to Stickle Tarn. Another early start, we were walking by 8.45 am. The climb was steep.
But it was worth it for the views of Stickle Tarn at the top.
With Harrison Stickle and Pavey Arc on the far side of the tarn.
We then followed a path away from the tarn and headed for Blea Rigg, our final destination at 556 m. Again the path comes and goes, but is easy to find in the clear weather. We could see Sergeant Mann on our left.
Eventually seeing Blea Rigg ahead.
There are great 360 degree views all round. I cannot remember a better spot in Lakeland.
This time we headed back the way we came, a fairly gruelling climb back down to Dungeon Ghyll. But waiting for us there was the Dungeon Ghyll Inn and a refreshing pint outside in the shade. It had been a round trip of 5 hours 20 minutes.
We had arrived at the pub at 2.10pm, so there was time in the late afternoon to walk into Grasmere for ice creams at Ella's Dell and some final shopping.
On Saturday we packed the car and stopped in Ambleside for breakfast and a wander round the town before heading home. An amazing week, notable for the relentless sunshine. Something that is hard to imagine in the Lake District.
No comments:
Post a Comment