An earlier than expected depart from Congleton at and the whole day ahead for the delights of the Lake District on a gloriously sunny day.
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| Church in Ambleside |
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| Frosted bowling green and Loughrigg |
After an uneventful steady drive up to Ambleside (I’ll get that average mpg up if it kills me!), it was time to hit the outdoor shops. A quick wander round the outdoor Mecca
Anyway, that done, a quick wander into Field & Trek and bingo! Scarpa Mantas for £170! Bargain! Big problem though, unhelpful, spotty school kids for shop assistants. Would I get the proper advice I needed here I thought? No. Time to move on….
The Climbers Shop it is then, gnarly experienced staff and full of ‘proper’ gear. So bish, bash, bosh, long story short, now a proud owner of Scarpa Mantas and Grivel G10’s.
Oh and while I think on, note to self, liking the Osprey Mutant 38 rucksack – put it on the wish list!
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| Osprey Mutant 38 |
Shopping done, next stop was to ditch the car at Grasmere YHA and go for a wander, the day was still young(ish) , plenty of time to bag a Wainwright. So it had to be Helm Crag, a prominant feature overlooking Grasmere village and Rydal Water. What with the weather Gods being kind to me - it had to be done!...
It was busy round here with a queue of people wanting to climb to the top for the “look at me” pose. So, just like AW himself I dispensed with such nonsense and sat on another outcrop about ½ way up it, avoiding the crowds. Anyway, not to be outdone, here’s me atop the Lions head….
And heres tomorrows route between the hills....
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| Grasmere YHA - Home for Serial Killers & Rapists |
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| Helm Crag and random B&B |
T’was a lovely walk up the Helm, with enough variety to keep the interest and not too far to the top. With the sun dipping ever lower, the contrast on the hills made them that little bit more pretty to look at, with views over to Bowfell and onwards to Scafells.. Once at the top, a bit of scramble brings you to the famous Lion and Lamb….
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| Two walkers 'bare backing' The Lion |
… I can just about see the “Lion” bit, but the “Lamb” must be seriously deformed! Anyway, after sitting on top a while, generally listening to the sound of silence and contemplating ones navel, a group of walkers came heading towards me. Time to move on methinks. And so onwards, to the Howitzer which is the true summit of Helm Crag….
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| Phallic Rock (Howitzer) |
It was busy round here with a queue of people wanting to climb to the top for the “look at me” pose. So, just like AW himself I dispensed with such nonsense and sat on another outcrop about ½ way up it, avoiding the crowds. Anyway, not to be outdone, here’s me atop the Lions head….
And heres tomorrows route between the hills....
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| Grisedale |
Having spent a considerable amount of time, faffing and generally contemplating, it was time to get down, and dump some stuff back at the car. Oh, it has to be said at this point, that despite spending £300+ on gear earlier that day, I took perverse pleasure by doing the whole thing in jeans, trainers and a woolley jumper. “Up yours” to the gear snobs I say! By this time it was about , too early to check into The Bates Motel for Paedophiles (commonly known as the YHA), and find the pub, yay!... http://www.tweediesbargrasmere.co.uk/
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| Dale Lodge Hotel with Tweedies Bar attached |
… and what a fine bar it was, 6 real ales and a relaxed atmosphere. Sometime, after that, I ate some “Coq au” (they forgot the “Vin” it seems) in the Bedlam Country Mental Institution (commonly known as the YHA), then back to the pub, then whiskey happened, oh and I discovered the next morning I had eaten a pot noodle. Why?!
Sunday morning, I woke as bright as a button with a spring in my step and raring for the days adventures, OK all of that was bollocks. I awoke, feeling like shite, very early to my roommate number 1 (Rapist) doing what can only be described as masturbating and roommate number 2 (serial killer) muttering in his sleep like a dog having a nightmare. Rapist eventually got up, (presumably for a cold shower) and I promptly fell back into a whiskey induced coma. So much for the early start.
The weather today was like a different season to that of yesterday, overcast, cold and a wind-chill that could seriously jeopardise your manhood. Eventually, after one or two false summits, it was over a small col and bingo! There it is, Grisedale Tarn…
The wind was whipping up through the valley here, so out came the full kit, at one stage even the ‘emergency fleece’ was considered, but it remained safely in the pack. One mistake and again a note for self, I left my ‘good hat’ at work, so only had the second-best hat, one of Shell Garages Thinsulate Fleece beanie job things. Dear readers – don’t bother with one of these, you might as well put a hair net on your head. The wind howled straight though it, luckily my head is hollow so is aerodynamically efficient when side on to the wind.
Despite the arctic feel to the place up here, the plan was still to head over to Helvellyn at this stage. The path on top is an enormous wide track, easy to follow, it even has mountain bike tyre tracks frozen into it. I could make good distance here, so round the corner I went, to be faced with yet another enormous climb! Nethermost Pike…
Decision time. Time was getting on, I didn’t feel 100%, I’m on my own, on a wintery mountain with the weather closing in (note to self: buy a whistle and bivvy bag]) and I was clearly missing the top of DollyWaggon by skirting around its summit. At this rate, I wouldn’t be bagging any Wainwrights! (excuses, excuses)…
So a quick back track along the ridge line and up to the summit it was!
It was well past lunchtime now and hunger was setting in. Couldn’t hang around here though, no way. So back down the zig zags, round the other side of theTarn and back to the semi sheltered col.
N – this the hostel with the sauna that we couldn’t get it into a while ago…
If you squint, you can just make out a couple of people on top of the ‘Lions Head’, that was where I was stood yesterday…
So that was it, quick strip in the YHA car park and back home for tea. 10 Miles walked in just under 5 hours. Not too bad, although disappointed with my fitness, for full days out in Scotland etc I need to be able to double that. So final note to self…. Sort yourself out Spence!
So, after forcing down a fruit salad and a black coffee (note to self, bring milk and sugar next time!), I eventually checked out of the Grasmere Institute for the Mentally Infirm (commonly known as the YHA) and headed to yonder hills….
God my head hurt, and the heart burn was horrendous (Pot Noodle dammit), but onwards and upwards it was to be. The original plan was…
Seat Sandal
Dollywaggon Pike
Nethermost Pike
Helvellyn
The actual route as it developed was…
Dollywaggon Pike
Impressive huh! Anyway, as “N” will testify, that haul up to Grisedale Tarn is a killer, how we did that at the tender age of 15(ish) with full kit is a mystery.
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| Coniston on the horizon (I think!) |
The weather today was like a different season to that of yesterday, overcast, cold and a wind-chill that could seriously jeopardise your manhood. Eventually, after one or two false summits, it was over a small col and bingo! There it is, Grisedale Tarn…
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| St Sunday Crag in the distance |
The wind was whipping up through the valley here, so out came the full kit, at one stage even the ‘emergency fleece’ was considered, but it remained safely in the pack. One mistake and again a note for self, I left my ‘good hat’ at work, so only had the second-best hat, one of Shell Garages Thinsulate Fleece beanie job things. Dear readers – don’t bother with one of these, you might as well put a hair net on your head. The wind howled straight though it, luckily my head is hollow so is aerodynamically efficient when side on to the wind.
The walk around Grisedale Tarn was seriously icy, not bad enough for the new crampons (which were safely locked away in the car anyway) and could be fairly easily avoided. I was heading for the ‘zig zags’ to take me up to Dollywaggon Pike, the scene of an infamous “sod that” moment way-back-when. This place was ‘other worldly’, a different continent to the valley I had walked up from. The sides of the mountains were monochrome against the grey sky and the whole walk started to take on a ‘hardcore’ feel to it.
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| Fairfield |
By now, the plod up Dollywaggon was almost becoming a pleasure (note I did say ‘almost’), so used to the uphill by now, by taking a slow plod and switching the brain off, ½ an hour went past without me even noticing. Its funny how exercise can do that to you isn’t it?
Getting to the top was almost an epiphany. Wow! The view down into Patterdale over the other side was fantastic, the pictures don’t do it justice…
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| Patterdale |
Despite the arctic feel to the place up here, the plan was still to head over to Helvellyn at this stage. The path on top is an enormous wide track, easy to follow, it even has mountain bike tyre tracks frozen into it. I could make good distance here, so round the corner I went, to be faced with yet another enormous climb! Nethermost Pike…
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| Nethermost Pike |
Decision time. Time was getting on, I didn’t feel 100%, I’m on my own, on a wintery mountain with the weather closing in (note to self: buy a whistle and bivvy bag]) and I was clearly missing the top of DollyWaggon by skirting around its summit. At this rate, I wouldn’t be bagging any Wainwrights! (excuses, excuses)…
So off the beaten track it was and an icy scramble up to Dollywaggons summit. Which wasn’t its summit. D’oh. Just a rocky outcrop. The summit was over there….!
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| Man with dog on summit |
So a quick back track along the ridge line and up to the summit it was!
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| Dollywaggon Pike |
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| Snow heading my way |
It was well past lunchtime now and hunger was setting in. Couldn’t hang around here though, no way. So back down the zig zags, round the other side of the
Quick swig of the energy drink. Whoa! Wait a minute, there’s bits in it! On closer inspection, my drink had turned itself into a Slush Puppy, thats inside my pack and quite a distance down from the summit! Amazed I was. The butties were semi rigid too (story of my life).
Properly knackered now, took my time coming down the path (different path to the way up), taking pics and generally dawdling (I hate going downhill!)….
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| Frozen Waterfall |
N – this the hostel with the sauna that we couldn’t get it into a while ago…
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| Broadyne Hostel |
If you squint, you can just make out a couple of people on top of the ‘Lions Head’, that was where I was stood yesterday…
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| Helm Crag |
So that was it, quick strip in the YHA car park and back home for tea. 10 Miles walked in just under 5 hours. Not too bad, although disappointed with my fitness, for full days out in Scotland etc I need to be able to double that. So final note to self…. Sort yourself out Spence!
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