More winter! Gloroious Glaramara with KR Guided Walks and Pace the Peaks

Tuesday was a horrible day when I was supposed to be leading this walk but a change to Wednesday gave us a superb walk in glorious sunshine. Wind was cold particularly on descent when it was in our faces but that was a small price to pay.

emerging from Great Stanger Gill

Starting from Stonethwaite we climbed up through the woods by Great Stanger Ghyll; the stone steps standing clear of the snowy ground presumably due to the heat stored in them from the hot days which seem but a distant memory!

From Bessyboot the distant view of Helvellyn was of a white ridge all the way north to Clough Head and it was white across to the Langdales too. Skiddaw was already losing its white covering which at breakfast had reached almost to the valley. Throughout the day we watched as the white disappeared and the brown and green of the fells reappeared.

Skiddaw in the distance already losing its snow

what a view across Tarn at leaves to Langdales

First lunch on Rosthwaite Cam was followed by circling round the Great Hollow with views across Langstrath to Eagle Crag and High Raise. Here we met the only people we saw all day - two fellas planning to camp the night in Upper Eskdale. No other footsteps either so no one else had been our way. Luckily for Ron they had found his spare camera filters on Bessyboot which he was totally unaware of having lost!

too much ice for this today

alternative scramble

From the view point of Combe Head we crossed through the tarns to Glaramara. The usual scramble facing north was still coated with snow and ice and not having come prepared for winter climbing we found an alternative scramble round the corner taking us directly to the summit. Second lunch sat with our backs against warm rock and we started down Thorneythwaite Fell into a strong NE head wind and gradually dropped below the snow line.

A super day and great for photography!

Last of winter? an icy but sunny Glaramara

Today it is wet and windy; so was yesterday the last of winter? I hope not.  Anyway, the sun shone on a beautiful Lake District. The air was crystal clear giving wonderful distant views and the ground underfoot was frozen so we could ignore the paths and walk wherever we liked.

Skye only lay and looked 'cos I told him too!

Anne took some persuading to drive over from Leeds on Saturday morning the conditions were so horrid but she was rewarded with an unmissable day on Sunday.  We drove up Borrowdale under a clear blue sky and parked below Thorneythwaite Fell.  As we approached the ridge the sheep busy feeding took no more notice of Skye than he did of them. As we climbed the ridge the view behind us gave us plenty of excuses to stop and gaze.  A green Borrowdale with snowcapped Skiddaw in the distance.

snow capped Skiddaw in the distance

As we gained height there was a bit of snow around and any water was frozen. At the top of Combe Head the temperature was about -2C but it felt colder in a brisk wind.

view down Borrowdale from Combe Head

Summit of Combe Head with Great Gable in the distance

After a quick coffee in a sheltered hollow we headed across to Glaramara. The frozen water allowed us to take a direct route across the wet area to our south and pick up a snowy ramp up to the eastern ridge of Glaramara. After taking in each of the summits we headed southwards to Allen Crags exploring several tarns on the way which would normally have been too wet to do. The ice, however, was much too thin for walking on the tarns, and even on the streams care and speed were needed at times!

Great End from Allen Crags

After Allen Crags we soon dropped below the snowline and cloud was beginning to build up. A steady descent of Grains Gill avoiding several icy bits brought us down to Seathwaite Farm and along the Allerdale Ramble back to the car. Looking down Borrowdale we could see that the snow on Skiddaw was almost gone.

Snow above Easedale

We've had snow on the tops around Keswick but none in the valley. On Wednesday Barry and I drove over to Grasmere to find snow. Even in the valley as we walked up the Easedale Road there was ice and snow under foot.  When we left the road and crossed over the bridge we donned our microspikes which allowed us to walk without worrying about the surface under foot.

Barry and Skye as we climbed to the ridge

We headed uphill to Blindtarn Moss on virgin snow much to my surprise and saw more evidence of deer than people until we reached the ridge at Swinescar Hause.

view down onto a snowy Langdale

What an amazing view over to a Langdale plastered in snow.  After lunch enjoying the view from Swinescar Pike we strolled east along the ridge and back to Grasmere via Wray Gill.

Last of the fine weather - now it is warmer, greyer and damper - ugh!

Winter Walking on Haystacks

Well, I'm afraid there wasn't any snow on Haystacks last week but the ground was well frozen and there were superb icicles and some glorious sunshine.









Last time I was here was an equally sunny day - but at the end of August.

This time we parked at Honister Pass and walked through Dubbs Quarry. We could see a bank of cloud rolling in from the south over Helvellyn in the distance and were concerned it might cover everything. However we were lucky since it gradually dissipated leaving all the summits clear under blue sky.
After lunch on top of Haystacks we contoured round the slopes of Brandreth to return to Honister - one of my best walks this winter

Icy Walking on High Seat

At last some better weather!  Last Sunday I had a superb walk along the ridge to the east of Derwentwater.  In summer it's a very wet and boggy place so I only come here when it is frozen.

view across Keswick from Bleabury Fell

Five Wainrights - Walla Crag, Bleabury Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell which even Wainright wondered why he went there. The views were excellent and with the longer daylight we could drop down to Thirlmere by Harrop Tarn though we nearly missed the bus when Skye disappeared on the descent.



This shows why I choose an icy day!

Skye on High Tove with view to Helvellyn

Keswick Mountain Festival 2012 Rannerdale Bluebells

Rannerdale is famous for its bluebells in the Spring.  If you are lucky the gorse will be in flower too and even the hawthorn.

Rannerdale in April

Our walk during the Festival in May will include not only the walk up Rannerdale itself but also the stroll along the ridge of Rannerdale Knott and round the lake shore of Crummock Water.  The exact route will depend on the conditions on the day because the way off Rannerdale Knott, though short is quite steep and can be slippery in the wet.

Keswick Mountain Festival 2012 Great End the Wilderness Way

As part of Keswick Mountain Festival 2012 I shall be leading a walk over Seathwaite Fell and up Great End via the Band on Thursday 17th May next year.  This superb walk threads an almost untrod way over an area of fell which many people think they know well.  Loads of you will have walked up to Sty head Tarn and past Sprinkling Tarn to Esk Hause but how many have explored the fell beyond Sprinkling Tarn? You may gave plodded over the boulders above Esk Hause to the top of Great End but how many have realised that the forboding cliffs of the north face of Great End hide a delightful ridge with easy scrambling?

Here are a few photos from an ascent of Great End by this route in 2009.

Route up the grassy rake to the Band from above Sprinkling Tarn


Sprinkling Tarn with Skiddaw in the distance

View back down to Seathwaite Fell and Borrowdale from the ridge



View across to Great Gable with Styhead Tarn below

 I can't promise such glorious weather as there was on this day but why don't you come and join me. Go on the KMF site to book  http://www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk/