I was working on Saturday and Sunday so didn't just miss the good
weather but any opportunity of meeting the uk.r.ws at Sykeside.
Last night the forecast was good for today, few clouds, strong
southeasterly winds and temperature with wind chill down to -8 deg
Celsius at 3000 feet :-(
I just had to go out today as the weather is turning for the worse. I
decided to head for the Loweswater fells, which aren't that high, and
dress for no less that freezing. As there were southeasterlies there
would be too much haze for decent photographs so I didn't take a
camera, but I'd already got some passable snaps on a previous trip.
There was not much traffic as I headed for Maggie's Bridge (Grid ref.
NY 134210) so I got there pretty swiftly by 8:50. I was away in
another five minutes in glorious sunshine. I walked up through Holme
Wood and onto Burnbank Fell. The views down on Loweswater are
beautiful as one climbs to the shoulder of this fell but once on the
relatively flat top there is only the distant fells to look at. From
Burnbank I went on to Carling Knott, with an impressive shelter on the
summit (seats three in luxury), then on to Blake Fell with its
wonderful views down on Cogra Moss. There's a good view of the West
Cumbrian plain if visibility is better than today.
On I went to Gavel Fell and continued towards Great Bourne only to
turn off to the left to Floutern Cop. Hen Comb was next and I found
quite a good path on its southwestern flank. There's no risk of
getting lost going up even without a path - the only way is up. There
were glimpses through the fells to Buttermere, and Honister Crag looks
very impressive from this direction. From the summit I headed north to
its subsidiary summit, Little Dodd and down into Mosedale where I
found I could cross the beck with ease, the result of little rain in
the past week.
It was now 2:00 pm and it seemed to early to go back to the car and
drive home so I decided to climb Mellbreak. It is only 1000 feet of
ascent and a steep descent on short grass. I could do that and visit
both tops in about an hour and a half, I thought. I set off up the
gable end of Mellbreak only to find it much harder than anticipated.
The path is clear to start with as it zigzags up through scree but it
is quite slippery and one needs to take care placing one's feet. Then
there was a section with several paths and it wasn't clear which one
to take but I finally managed to find a definitive one next to a deep,
and treacherous, gash in the fellside. Whilst I had little feeling of
exposure going up I was very aware that this would be a frightening
route to come down. Rather like descending Swirral Edge you can see
where you're going to fall and it's a long way. I was tired when I got
to the top and I'd taken a good hour doing it but the views from up
there are fantastic. I left the North top and walked the kilometre or
so to the South top and then came down the path on the western slope
into Mosedale again. By the time I got back to where I'd crossed the
beck I'd taken an extra two and a half hours. I walked back through
Loweswater village to Maggie's bridge and my car by which time it was
5:10 pm. I'd been out for over eight hours. It was late enough for me
to miss the rush hour in Keswick so I had a pretty swift journey back
to round off a great day's walking.
There are links to pictures for my last trip over these fells at:
http://www.lakedistrictwalks.com/blamel.html
John D.
--
at home in Kendal