Parked at the car park just down the main road from Hartsop. The temperature showed 3 degrees in the car and the weather looked gloomy, the wind was gusting and patches of snow on the fells - an excellent day for a walk. We decided on a relatively easy walk keeping to the lower tops. Donning full winter gear we walk down the road towards Hartsop and then immediately left after taking the small lane into the village. A good road, then track, lead us towards Ullswater with the route up towards Boredale Hause visible heading up to the right, ahead This motorway track leads all the way up the hill to Boredale Hause where we had been a few months ago coming off Place Fell sitting in glorious sunshine. Not today. On the hause our route turns back on itself crossing a stream and heading south up its right bank to a small hiatus between two knolls when the path turns to the left cross another stream heading to Angel tarn.
The weather remained wintry but occasional view across the valley revealed a snow bound Helvellyn glowing in sunshine for a moment with Catstye Cam at it's side shining covered with snow like icing on a cake. A few seconds of wishing we had chosen that walk soon disappeared when the clouds shaded the sun, the sleet started coming down, the wind buffeted us along the path and the Hevellyn range showed returned to it's previous ominous features.
The fell immediately to the left now was our first goal. No path, we headed directly up between the crags to the summit ridge. With high winds, this was no place to to stop so we retraced our steps off the summit and instead of returning to the path follwed various sheep tracks and paths south heading directly for Angle tarn which soon came in to view below.
Once back on the main path we headed towards Satura Crag when the weather deteriorated with very strong gusty winds and face stinging hail stones. So bad we held on to each other to stay upright cries of 'I am not going up that next b****y hill' soon blew away in the wind. I have to say I was glad we were only at 1500ft and not on Helvellyn.
The hail settled and after reaching the wall at Satura Crag we left the path and followed the wall westerly to find a snug little junction of two walls where we were able to sheltter for our ham butties.
The wind was still high, so after lunch a quick trip to the top of Brock Crags across bog (but with one nice patch of snow, admittedly only about 30ft high, to kick steps in).
Again not the weather to take in the view from the summit, we headed back to our lunch stop wall and set off south down the hill. Across the valley the imposing mass of Grey Crag with its mosaic of snow, grass and rocks seemed almost in touching distance. We soon found the path marked on the 1:25000 map winding down the side of the hill towards Hartsop and reached the valley to complete a low level but exhilarating winter walk.
Time 4hours
Grade Excellent
Memories Snow covered Catstye Cam unexpectedly gleaming in the sun
Sheltered lunch stop
Completed 24 To go 190
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