Lake District virgin

I've just returned from my first time in the Lake District and I thought I'd write a bit of a 'trip report' for my time there. I'm also posting a few photographs. Hopefully, I've set things out so that you can just skim through the headings to get a rough idea if you don't want to read all of it. Alternatively, you might just fancy having a quick scan through the photos to get an idea of what I've been up to. All of the walks took between nine and ten hours and I'm still recovering.


Tuesday 19th July
Arrival at Baysbrown Farm campsite, Chapel Stile, Great Langdale, Lake District

A large site down a long single track lane, with an agricultural feel to the toilet block which had galvanised steel doors and home-made aluminium coat-hooks. the site was quiet at first, with tents spread out and a few groups doing Duke of Edinburgh Award, then a large influx arrived on Friday evening. School holidays!

Wednesday 20th July
Langdale Pikes, 10 miles from Baysbrown Farm: Pike of Stickle 709m, Harrison Stickle, 736m, Pavey Ark 680m, High Raise 762m, return along Blea Rig ridge until decent to Chapel Stile

Nice walk directly from campsite along Great Langdale valley, which adds a couple of miles to the start and finish. I had a really good scramble up the rocky 'beehive' shaped top of Pike of Stickle—my first Lake District peak. High Raise was quite boring, the walk back across Blea Rig was rather disorientating and I was pleased when I found the path down. It was a steep decent, with a switch-back path of only a foot's width traversing the top of a deep gully. Thankfully, my head for heights has got better.

Thursday 21st July
Bow Fell, 13 miles from Baysbrown Farm: The Band 568m, Bow Fell 902m, Esk Pike 885m, return by Angle Tarn & Rossett Gill

Again, I walked directly from the campsite, then a hard slog up The Band gave good views to the east, but low cloud over Scarfell Pike, Scarfell, Great End, Great Gables etc. limited views to the west. Return route was steep at Rossett Gill and the six miles back to Baysbrown Farm made it a long day.

Friday 22nd July
Touring in and around Coniston and Windermere

I had already decided to have a day's rest today and the weather confirmed this decision by being rather drizzly. Took a look around Coniston (but didn't walk the 'Old Man of') and it's Lake before driving around the smaller back lanes of Windermere and Esthwaite Water.

Saturday 23rd July
Langdale Fells, 11 miles from Baysbrown Farm: Long Top 859m, Crinkle Crags 815m, Bow Fell 902m,  return by Angle Tarn, Rossett Gill & Mickleden

The usual stroll down the valley to start the walk 'proper'. I met a couple of guys at Stool End Farm, near the beginning of the walk, who had driven over from Newcastle for the day. I teamed up with one of them, Greame, while his mate, Rob, shot off in front. It was nice to have company over the rocky tops of Crinkle Crags. They were also doing Bow Fell, so I carried on to repeat this part of my Thursday's walk with them. Got a nice shot of the Great Slab on the side of Bow Fell from the Rossett Gill path.

On the return, we stopped off at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, where they had parked, for a couple of pints of Jennings' Sneck Lifter, and I was happy to accept their offer of a lift back up the valley to the camp site, saving me a few more miles plodding.

Sunday 24th July
De-camp and move to Hallows Farm campsite, Grange, Borrowdale

A small site with two camping fields, again down a single-track lane, split by the Cumbrian Way long distance path. One field had car access and two water standpipes, the other had the toilet block with only cold water and no access for cars near the tents. Showers were 200 metres up the track by the farm house, but they were really hot and full-blast—to be much appreciated at the end of long walking days.

Monday 25th July
Derwent Fells, 12 miles from Hallows Farm: High Spy 650m, Dale Head 753m, Hindscarth 727m, Robinson 737m, return via northern valleys and southern side of Cat Bells

I walked directly from the campsite up the dominant adjacent hill to the ridge between Maiden Moor and High Spy. Interesting to see the juxtaposition and contrast between the sedimentary Slate and the igneous Volcanic rocks up here. Nice circular route, staying high for much of the time until the decent into the northern valleys of the Derwent Fells before a small accent over the southern end of Cat Bells.

Tuesday 26th July
Great Gable, 8 miles from Seatoller: Base Brown 646m, Green Gable 801m, Great Gable 899m, Brandreth 715m, Grey Knots 697m, return via gulley of Newhouse Gill

Thought I'd park at Seatoller as it's a bit further from the start of the popular Scarfell Pike walks and, consequently, might be free or at least cheaper. Wrong! Six-fifty for all day parking didn't seem too bad, until I walked the mile and a half down the valley to Seathwaite, were I found the road side parking to be free. Nice little scramble up a gully by Hanging Stone on Base Brown to start the walk. Low cloud masked the higher peaks of Green Gable and Great Gable, but I met a couple from south London on the top of Great Gable and we sat on the boulder summit chatting for a while, he having originally lived in New Eltham (I come from Eltham) and was now an Art teacher! The cloud lifted a little and I got some fine pictures in several directions.

From Brandreth, I was sure there would be a path over Grey Knots for the decent, although none was shown on the 1: 25 map. The map was right, I was wrong. I ended up making an 'escape' via the steep gulley of Newhouse Gill, thinking that the small watercourse would have boulders and rock to scramble down on. It did, but I found it quite difficult. There was one drop of at least ten feet, where another beck came in from the right, this required my arms to take most of my weight while spreading some body weight over the slippery rock face, grabbing what hand-holds I could find. There was only more wet sloping rock beneath to aim for. Phew! It could have had a very different ending. My arms kept shaking for the next ten minutes or more.

Wednesday 27th July
Buttermere Fells, 10 miles from Gatesgarth, Honiston Pass: Haystacks 597m, High Crags 744m, High Stile 807m, Red Pike 755m, return via Scale Beck and Buttermere village

I was looking forward to this walk as I had seen it described as being "the best of ridge walking" and I believe Haystacks was Alfred Wainwright's favourite. I took the alternative right-hand, less trod, path for the accent as I prefer to be away from the 'crowds'. I knew this would have a steep final few metres, but wasn't expecting the very tricky (for me) twenty metre or so scramble up a narrow rock gully (Crack or Chimney? I don't know the proper terms), with a 'jammed' bolder half way up. From the top, looking back down the way I had come up, it appeared to be a shear drop with no path. That kept the adrenaline pumping for a bit.

Amazing how different these four peaks are. Haystacks relatively low, but lots of small rocky outcrops (reminded me of Crimpiau and Creigiau Gleision in the Carneddau). Then the more open rocky tops of High Crags and High Stile, with the strong contrast of the pinky/red scree slopes of Red Pike. Nice return via Scale Beck and Scale Force waterfall, before stopping for an outdoors pint at one of the Buttermere pubs.

Thursday 28th July
Drizzle, low level circular walk in Borrowdale from Hallows Farm, 4-5 miles

Not much to report, but pleasant views to Castle Crag by the camp site and south across to the higher peaks, as and when the clouds broke.

Friday 29th July
Scarfell Pike, 10 miles from Seathwaite: Grains Gill, Broad Crag, Scarfell Pike 977m, Sty Head, Sty Head Gill

Well, it had to be done. I hadn't really planned for this one as I thought the walk and summit would be too crowded (wasn't wrong). However, having seen the 'Scars' from Bow Fell and found that the parking was free at Seathwaite, I thought a short route would be in order, despite the low cloud. I took the right-hand path northwards from the farm, then went east to cross Styhead Gill and Grains Gill at the footbridge to head on up Gains to Esk Hause before ascending the path to Broad Crag and Scarfell Pike. The low cloud prevented my seeing anything from the top, but I dropped down to Broad Stand, between Scarfell Pike and Scarfell, in the hope of seeing something. I did manage to get a shot of some climbers on the north side of Scarfell before the cloud thickened and I had to resort to map and compass to navigate my way down to Hollow Stones and then round to the Corridor Route for my return.

Saturday 30th July
Return to Wiltshire

Busy and boring motorway. M6 between junctions 20 and 14 particularly slow. Took an hour longer than the drive up (five and a half, instead of four and a half).

Sunday 31st July
I need a rest

Washing and sorting gear. Knees still feel tender, a little bit of swelling making them stiff.
Taking quite a while to type this into the computer and sort out a few images to post in my profile gallery.

A very good trip it would seem. You certainly got plenty of walking in. I was at Great Langdale earlier this year and I love the area so thanks for the post and the pics.

On your first few walks, you mention the long lowland walk ins. You could've avoided those valley sections by staying at the National Trust's Great Langdale campsite so I'd be interested to know why you chose Baysbrown Farm if you had planned to do Langdale Fell, Bow Fel, Crinkle Crags et al? (That question is in sense a criticism, I'm just curious.)

And I certainly agree the M6 is almost always a bloody nightmare 

Or take the bus to the ODG, stops just outside the campsite but the walk per se is no big deal, did it meself a couple of times and it's pretty relaxing really.

Cracking week, no faffing around there!

Edit: actually, I noticed the "full" sign was up on monday (I was in Great Langdale Monday/Tuesday) at the NT site...

 Plan to leave the car next time and move on to a different site each night.

 Or come back to the car after three or four nights and move off again.

 Arriving at a different site is always more of a pleasure.Cheers.

Pete, Just looked through your pics.A really nice record of your

first trip, and really clear shots too. Especially number two, surprised the hills were as empty as they appear. Cheers.

Sceptical Bastard wrote (see)

 (That question is in sense a criticism, I'm just curious.)

Of course what I meant to type was in no sense a criticism

Thanks for your positive comments folks.

To answer your question SB, I'm a tight bastard and the Baysbrown Farm site worked out at seven quid per night including the car, where as the NT site would have cost me twelve quid with the car. It all adds up over a number of days. Trying not think about the petrol cost from Wiltshire and back!

Moonlight, I also noticed the 'Camp site full' sign at the NT but, as I mention above, I'd planned to go as cheaply as possible.

Waldo, I always try to leave the tent early to avoid the masses. Although there were quite a few people around, I guess it's a case of when and where I pointed the camera!

Cheers

P.S. My apologies for not spelling Scafell correctly. Now too late to edit my original text.

pete_rbg wrote (see)

Thanks for your positive comments folks.

To answer your question SB, I'm a tight bastard and the Baysbrown Farm site worked out at seven quid per night including the car, where as the NT site would have cost me twelve quid with the car.

Yeah, I thought that might be the case but I was too polite to say so.

I agree the NT site is comparitively expensive. That aside, I think the facilities and location are very good. The tumble driers and the drying room are particularly handy, both 'old' and 'new' pubs are near and it's dead handy for the Langdale Pikes and Lingmoor Fell.

I might give Baysbrown Farm a try next time though.

Never been to the NT site but patronised a few times Baybrown Farm and found it a very good site at a decent rate. Short walk to pubs/shops too (by Cumbria Way or the little private road at the back). Was there very early in the season this year, 5 tents in total (anyone who seen it full can appreciate how quiet that was...), bliss...

OK MS, you've sold it to me

Dead handy for Brown How and Lingmoor too  - it's now in the must-do list.

You can can even connect to the Weatherlam/Swirl Howe range, via some pleasant low level walking or Black Fell/Holme Fell.