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| Date & Time: Easter Sunday 8th April 2007. 1.30 pm start. Location of Start : Lanthwaite Green, Buttermere Valley, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 159 208 ) Places visited : Gasgale Gill, Dove Crags Arete, Grasmoor, Lad Hows, Cinderdale, Lanthwaite Green. Walk details : 4.25 mls, 2550 ft of ascent , 4 hrs 30 mins including lunch Walked with : Jo Hall (Megan and Jodie), John P (and Polly) Ann and our dogs (Harry and Bethan) Weather : Sunny and a warm breeze to start but clouding over and getting colder as we climbed. Summit cloud cleared but the temperature kept dropping ! Starting from Lanthwaite Green, John checks check's his Gps before starting. |
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John had stated his intention to climb Grasmoor as his penultimate climb prior to completing his second, and Polly's first 214 Wainwright Fells.
Grasmoor is the large imposing mountain at the lower end of the Buttermere Valley and dominates the view from where we live. To ring the changes, John wanted to climb via the Dove Crags Arete, which is the left hand sky-line as seen from here. Did we want to join him for the climb - I think so !
Mellbreak and the Loweswater Fells as we start our climb. Easter Sunday and fine weather meant that the car park was full to overflowing, so there are many cars parked along the roadside.
The main path stays close to the river but we climb higher on the side of Grasmoor to follow an old shepherd's path higher up.
A lonely larch tree alongside the way as Megan waits for us to catch up.
As we near the rocky slab the sky turns grey, it gets colder, and the cloud level drops to hide the upper part of the fell. The wind increases and it's time to put extra layers of clothing.
The poorer weather however only adds to the majesty of Dove Crags which reveal themselves as we approach the steeper part of the ascending ridge.
John climbing well as we continue the consistently steep slope upward.
The cloud still touching the top as we reach the easier ground near the summit.
We were looking forward to settling in the summit shelter but it was already taken by this group of folk. Two New Zealand girls, two Czechs, an English guy and one other (undisclosed) They were on holiday from London, and were on a three day walking / camping trip in the Lakes. Nice to talk to you all.
Having vacated the shelter, we were able to move out of the wind for a while, and enjoys a little late lunch. The cold wind almost forced John and I to dig out the long trousers, but we decided to brave it out and live with goose pimples !
After a brief discussion on the route down, the committee decided to follow the Lad Hows path towards Crummock Water rather than Coledale Hause and Gasgale Gill. As we crossed the summit the cloud began to clear.
Sunshine makes Crummock Water sparkle as we start down the Lad Hows path.
The path is quite eroded here at the top of the slope. It made the descent rather slow to start.
As we drop lower down the fell, the wind reduces and the temperature rises noticeably. Those goose pimples are getting smaller now, but the fingers are still rather cold.
The minor summit of Lad Hows (note the single stone cairn) is blessed with warm sunshine once again. John is searching his pockets for some money to buy an ice cream as we've seen the salesman's van below !
Rannerdale Knotts and Red Pike, with Rannerdale Farm below.
A small water spout on Cinderdale Beck The yellow ice cream van in the car park below is temptingly close.
Bother - As we got just 100 yards from the car park, the ice cream man shut up shop and drove off. All we could do now was to walk back to the car, empty handed, and look forward to a cup of tea at the cottage instead. It's been an interesting and unusual route up a popular local fell.
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- - - o o o - - - Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon G7 Digital camera. Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder. This site best viewed with . . . a more attentive ice cream man ! © RmH.2007 # Email me here # Guest book (on the front page) Previous walk - 4th April 2007 Hen Comb with Jayne, Ian and David A previous time up here - 24th May 2006 Grasmoor with Fishers and Salomon Next walk - 10th April 2007 Catstycam - Polly's 214th Wainwright Fell
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