Despite the low cloud, the weather forecast offered a reasonably
quiet day with little wind and no rain.
Our local Loweswater walking group headed out for another high
level walk in the fells.
Six of us plus Pip headed over to Seathwaite to start a classic
ascent of a major summit that just misses out on that 3000 ft
qualification by a mere 16 feet.
Heading over Honister Pass on what was forecasted to be a grey
day, however the company will be great and the Cumbrian Fells
unchanging
apart from the surprises they offer due to the slightly different
of weather you experience each time you visit.
Our walking group today . . . Myself Sue, Peter, Richard, Julie,
Chris and Pip.
Pip is just back from a hospital visit so will not be on the
big walk . . . instead she'll take a gentle stroll in the valley
and see us all later.
[ Loes and Dylan are back home in Loweswater today, each looking
after the other.]
- - - o o o - -
|
|
|
|
Our day
started by walking up through the farmyard . . . |
. . . one of the stalls
has no back wall and this was our route out onto the
fell. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The path
crosses the valley floor, heading over to Sour Milk
Gill Waterfall. |
We'll also cross the
bridge but then turn and follow the valley route to
the left. |
A brief glimpse back across the river at the
old fish farm (note the concrete tanks) that used to offer Borrowdale
Trout for sale.
The weather forecast was pretty accurate by
the look of the low cloud base today.
Conditions were generally dry but the path rocky
and needed care as ever.
A ladder stile at the corner of an old wood,
as the path gradually leaves the river and heads on up the fell.
Borrowdale of course has the highest rainfall
in England due to its proximity to the high fells
and with the rains of the last month the conditions
underfoot are damp and consequently the rocks quite slippery.
In the background is the twisting Borrowdale
Valley with Kings How the slightly triangular peak down at the
narrows close to Castle Crag.
We round the corner into a side valley and have
our first view of Taylor Gill Force cascading from what is effectively
the glacial hanging valley of Styhead Gill.
|
|
|
|
Closer now,
with some autumnal colour to contrast the cloudy grey
skies above. |
A delightful "mare's
tail" of a waterfall cascading over broken rock. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The rock
path is a scramble up through the gate, close to the
edge. |
Picking our way up this
dramatic route . . . well worth the effort. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The path
is narrow . . . not mushroom . . . that's up on a taller
ledge. |
The old Rowan is looking
in poor state, maybe it has just lost its leaves and
berries early. |
Above the falls the steepness eases but the
path is still damp and the rocks wet and slippery . . . not
the easiest walking.
We had to avoid the slabs, which offer an easy
and more direct route closer to the river when dry.
The main valley path that climbs via Stockley
Bridge crosses Styhead Gill to join us on this side of the river.
There's more sheep than people up at Styhead
Tarn today.
An hour and a half into the walk and we've reached
the Stretcher Box at Styhead Pass.
It has a rescue stretcher inside which saves
the Mountain Rescue Teams having to carry one up from the valley
should it be needed.
It is one of the focal points of the walk and
a good spot to stop for a coffee.
The stretcher box is located at the crossroads
of the four paths, ours from Seathwaite, Great Gable, Wasdale
Head and Esk Hause up there in the cloud.
We'll take the Esk Hause path but at some point
divert right towards Great End and climb up "The Band",
which is effectively the right hand skyline seen here.
The path known as "The Corridor Route"
leaves the track here at Spout Head and climbs across the fell
side just under cloud level, heading towards Scafell Pike.
Part of the Piers Gill Ravine at the other end
can just be seen as a dark shadow on the distant side of Lingmell.
The path to Esk Hause climbs progressively up
and we get a lovely view down to the tarn from above.
|
|
|
|
The others
get slightly ahead as I had stopped for the photo. |
Soon we'll leave this
path and an occasional cairn implies we are on track
for Great End. |
Even the 2.5k Ordnance Survey is of limited
help here as the path isn't shown, just the distracting symbol
of a CP Bdy (Civil Parish Boundary) which may or may not have
been be the route.
|
|
|
|
Richard,
our nominal leader today, is navigating a route remarkably
well. |
The path is indistinct
and often rocky, the boulders being just as slippery
as lower down. |
By following the higher ground and occasionally
checking the electronic map on the phone, we reach our objective,
the summit of Great End.
We can tell we're at the summit as the wind
is blowing up the west facing slope and the wind-chill temperature
has dropped accordingly.
Perfect timing . . . a quarter to one and time
for lunch, once we've put on an extra layer or two.
[ These two summit photos courtesy
of Peter . . . with thanks]
- - - o o o - - -
It is ever so easy to get disorientated in the mist
especially if like us, you stop for as break.
The summit at the shelter was quite rocky
but I remember Great End some flat ground on the
top
including some grassy areas ?
We set off across the summit plateau and the terrain
changed,
which was most gratifying as it meant I wasn't cracking
up !!
Summit cairns confirming the route were small
and only seemed to appear once we passed them.
- - - o o o - - -
|
|
|
|
Richard led us on a curved route following the
more gentle slope and we soon joined a larger walker's path.
This was the main route from Esk Hause up onto
the ridge which eventually leads to the distant summit of Scafell
Pike.
We paused to re-group and make sure we hadn't
lost anyone !
Visibility was about 25 yards making the structure
in the background easy to miss.
This dry stone wall was a smaller version of
the famous one found on the summit of Helvellyn.
It was a cross shaped wall structure with a
slight seat at it's base which would have offered shelter irrespective
of the wind direction.
It is thought to be a pony shelter, this being
the highest point that Victorian ponies would have carried visitors
to.
The ground above here is quite rough and the
boulders from here to the summit would be unsuitable for carrying
human loads safely . . . you'd have had to walk to the top from
here yourself.
A similar shelter exists lower down closer to
the Esk Hause.
Esk Hause came and went as we turned left and
headed down on the next section of the walk.
Beyond the hause we walk out of the mist and
the visibility gradually cleared.
Another junction and we leave the Styhead Pass
route and head right, following Ruddy Gill down towards Borrowdale
once more.
I held back to get this specific photo of the
group walking the edge above the Ruddy Gill / Grains Gill ravine.
|
|
|
|
The sudden
change of slope has encouraged the river to cut a deep
ravine . . . |
. . . with a mountain
pool lower down for Dougal to explore . . . he's so
full of energy ! |
Do stop and admire the view ahead to Castle
Crag and Kings How . . . essential today as it was easy to get
distracted and slide on the slippery rock path.
The wooden footbridge over Ruddy Gill before
it merges with other tributaries and changes its name.
It's been a tough walk on the legs, with the
slippery conditions and the stony path . . . I must be getting
old . . . or perhaps just out of practice.
The last of the pitched path as we reach the
lower section of the valley.
The end is in sight . . . but it's taking longer
than expected to get there !
Another landmark reached . . . Stockley Bridge.
Here we met a lot more people who had been using
the Styhead path to ascend and descend the valley.
The next stop is Seathwaite Farm where we are
met by Pip, after her more gentle walk towards Grange . . .
perfect timing.
She offered to take a final group photo of the
summiteers . . . we're all looking in good form despite one
or two aches and pains.
- - - o o o - - -
Back to the car now and time to celebrate a
great day out in classic fashion . . .
The village of Seatoller has a new pub this
year.
The Yew Tree Inn has re-opened and is serving
food and drink most days of the week.
The perfect place for three of us to sit and
relax after the walk, the others having made their own way back
home in the other car.
Thanks to Richard, today's leader, Peter who
organised it and to my fellow walkers on this tough but excellent
day out in the fells.
- - - o o o - - -
Hi Roger,
Thank you for your Seathwaite
visit and fells which I have walked loads of times
gathering sheep !! I sure miss that place. I am
to old and not fit anymore to visit but you have
done it for me, thank you.
Yes, the fish farm young
Stan’s enterprise, he is Peter's brother.
I remember sitting with him waiting for fell walkers
coming down and picking a fresh trout for supper.
He did really well with the local hotels. Looks
like the boys have to do some stone walling near
that stile. I will have to get after them and
get it fixed. We did loads of repairs of walls
back then.
Stay fit Roger and your
good lady. She will be up and giving it all in
the near future, just you watch.
Thank you again Roger.
Bill fellow Cumbrian. (now in Canada)
|
- - - o o o - - -
Technical note: Pictures taken
with my iPhone 11pro mobile phone camera.
Resized in Photoshop, and built
up on a Dreamweaver web builder.
This site best viewed with
. . . a head for navigation in the misty conditions.
Go to Home Page
. . . © RmH . . . Email
me here
Previous
walk -
27th Oct / 7th Nov 2024 - Round
and about Walks
Previous
times up here -
Sunday 13th Sept 2009 Sour
Milk Gill and Taylor Gill
13th
October 2006 A Great End
to our "428 Wainwright Fells"
|
On the summit a compass was more
use than a calendar
but you can't note the next walk
on anything better than . . .
The
2025 Loweswatercam Calendar
This
is your chance to have your favourite
web site pictures
hanging
on your wall all year round
and
to also support a good cause.
- - - o o o - - -
" We've
done it again.
We've brought you twelve months of Loweswater
pictures,
Lakeland scenes and your favourite mountain dogs."
Yes
. . . The
2025 Loweswatercam Calendar is
now on sale
- - - o o o - - -
Click
here (or
on the photos)
for
full details of how to order your copy.
|
|