Lingmoor Fell

We had stayed the night at the Britannia Inn in Elterwater having met up with my brother Graham and his friends the previous night. Lingmoor Fell seemed, and was, a good choice for a Bank Holiday Monday walk before we all went off in our different directions back to reality.

After a hearty breakfast we left Elterwater on the road heading south for a short distance then bared left up a bridleway over to Little Langdale. One of our party, John, an ornithologist fascinated us with his keen sense of hearing and observation pointing out different birds and birdsongs as we walked through the woods. The Wetherlam range opened up before us as we reached the crest of the spur and soon down the other side we took the path to the right near Dale End, heading up Lingmoor. Shortly after joining the path John pointed out a tiny small yellow dot on a bush about 500 yards away. It took a good pair of binoculars to for us to see, never mind identify, what we were assured was a Yellow Hammer.

It was a glorious day, the fell was deserted and the climb up to the Lingmoor ridge and along it's crest, a delight. At the top the views were incredible, the light much clearer than the previous day. We decided that there was time for us to complete the ridge walk and drop down to the head of Langdale before walking along the valley back to Elterwater. The wind, like yesterday,was beginning to blow but shelter was to be found walking by the summit wall as we headed west. Having dropped down to the col below Side Pike the wind was now quite blustery. Not deterred, Graham Nigel and John, the intrepid three, "without showing a morsel of fear", continued across the mauvais pas under Side Pike (actually an interesting squeeze between the rock face and large rocky outcrop) to complete the full ridge walk. I accompanied Elspeth down to the safety of the lower slopes on the path to the left before this and we met up again on the path leading up from the Langdale NT campsite.

We walked back along the Langdale valley, a journey normally done by car, keeping all the time on the lower northern slopes of Lingmoor, much of the time on the Cumbrian Way. Instead of crossing the bridge at Chapel Stile we kept on the right bank of the river through the woods back to Elterwater... Looking for wood warblers!

Time 4hrs 15 minutes
Grade Excellent
Memories

• Bird spotting
• Good company
• Excellent round trip

Completed 44 To go 170

Red Screes

We have driven over Kirkstone pass numerous times but never started a walk from here. Our initial plan was to do a circuit from Hartsopp Village, over Hartsopp Dodd. The walk started beautifully in sunshine with a blustery wind but was soon curtailed as we reached the north ridge of Hatsopp Dodd when a fierce persistant wind hurled up the valley across the ridge making standing upright almost impossible, never mind climbing the ridge. Despondent we retraced our steps in the knowledge that we have now had to admit defeat not only on Gowbarrow Fell previously but now also on Hartsopp Dodd - I doubt if many walkers can make this claim.

Red Screes from Kirkstone pass is a straightforward climb on a well marked path through the rocky slopes on it's eastern flank. One particular section could have been tricky if the rocks were wet but no problem today in the sunshine. We met the wind again on reaching the summit plateau but not nearly as strong as earlier in the day. A great summit for views in all directions. Caudale Moor looked particularly calm across the pass.

We decided against dropping down to Middle Dodd before returning to the car. The car park at Kirkstone was now full as one would expect on bank holiday Sunday.

Time 1 hr 30 minutes

Grade Excellent (Considering)

Memories

• Good walk rescuing the day form a disppointing start

Completed 43 To go 171

Grey Cragg (Sleddale Fell)

Yesterday we walked from our base, Meadow Cottage in Staveley up to Brunt Knots and looked across the Longsleddale valley to toady's fell. A good walk to keep away form the bank holiday crowds in the central fells. We started in the afternoon, a glorious day the aim being a short stroll up Gray Crag and then across to tarn Crag and down the quarry road. Unfortunately this was not to be. A combination of underestimating the effort required to reach Grey Crag, a rapid darkening of the skies and the knowledge that being caught up here in mist would have been quite a challenge, meant that only our first summit was attained. Set off from Sadgill and headed straight up Great Howe initially keeping to the left wall as suggested in the Wainwright book. After a steep grassy climb we reached the upper corner of the field on our left and could see the hurdle that Wainwright had described as 'difficult to negotiate' now had a stile.
Heading up through the easy gully another wall was reached with paths both right and left. We took the left which took us above a rocky outcrop and eventually had to scramble over the wall to reach the upper fell. Heading up , no path now we reached Great Howe and joined the correct path we would have been on if we had taken the right hand fork.
Moorland opened up in front of us but it took us quite a while to be able to identify the summits across the boggy expanse. In hindsight I can now confirm Grey Crag is to the right, The pointy crag directly in front is unnamed and the higher summit to the left with the obvious pillar, is Tarn Crag.
Quite hot now after the struggle up the grass we crossed the flat very boggy moorland becoming more tired. The clouds had darkened giving a thundery, sultry feel and we both felt that we probably had overestimated the time it would take to get around both summits. Once over a stile just below the climb up to Grey Crag, the path headed right directly for the summit. It had taken us 2 hrs to get here (with stops). Tran Crag seemed a good way in the distance the weather was potentially changing so, without any argument we decided to retrace our steps back to the valley.

Time 3 hrs
Grade Potentially excellent
Memories

• Away from the crowds on Bank Holiday Monday
• First walk of the year in shirt sleeves
• Underestimating the effort required

Completed 42 To go 172

Barrow and Outerside

A small broad ridge encompassed by the higher fells of Causey Pike, Sail Crag Hill and Grisedale Pike is the setting for a great lower level walk
The start was from the road along the Newlands valley, just beyond the first cattle grid having left Braithwaite. Really warm in the valley, set off with cagoules etc packed away in the rucksack. A short track took us up the hill diagonally to the right towards the edge of the trees and then followed the wall upwards heading for Braithwiate. At it’s highest point the path along the broad ridge of Barrow ascended to the left heading south east. No problems with route finding, the track heads directly for the summit. Wonderful views opened up; to the left across to Cat Bells and Maiden More, to the right Grisedale Pike. A classic Lakeland hill for false summits but eventually as we gained height the views of the distinctive knobbles of Causey Pike ahead indicated the true summit was not far off. By now a cold wind had really got up. This was the cause of the major disappointment of the day. Up to now, Elspeth and I had celebrated reaching each summit with a kiss. I stopped to take a photo of the Causey Pike ridge just below the summit fully expecting Elspeth to wait for me at the top.

Alas no. The wind was too strong and cold to wait (so she says) and on reaching the top she was already 200ft down the other side of the hill. All my shouts to come back were carried away by the wind.
From Barrow the path ascending Stile End was easily visible. Previously when we had done this walk we had contoured around Stile End but this time we decided to take it in, a good decision as it continued between Stile End and Outerside lead us through the boggy ground without mishap. A short steep ascent and we were soon on the top of Outerside - this time celebrated the appropriate manner.
We continued straight ahead off Outerside south west and descended across the boggy lower fell towards the main track leading down from High Moss to Stoneycroft back in the Newlands valley. Quite a trek back down this stony track with the Cat Bells ridge ahead and a stark contrast between the lush green of the fields in the Newlands valley and the barren fellside of Cat Bells above the drystone wall enclosures.

Time 3 hours

Grade Excellent

Memories

• First summit without a kiss!
• Lush valley floor

Completed 41 To go 173