Lake District Aug 2015 015 - St Sunday Crag
We had a week walking in the Lake District in August. We haven’t spent a week there in the school summer holidays before but it was a case of needs must regarding available holidays. We stayed B&B in Ambleside as we couldn’t get self-catering at short notice. It was cheaper and breakfast is included, the downside is that we couldn’t get out as soon as we would have liked. Saturday – the day we drove up –was forecast to be good but was going to followed by a couple of rainy days so we drove straight to Dunmail Raise, arriving around 11.30. I told Jayne we were nipping up Seat Sandal but once up there it would have been silly not to go up Dollywagon and Nethermost Pikes, and then of course Helvellyn was only a stride away. We didn’t linger long in the crowds on Helvellyn, we had a knee jarring rapid descent to Steel End. We managed to get to Brysons tearooms in Keswick for afternoon apple pie- you’ve got to keep it civilised!
The weather alternated between very wet and very nice, it was like winter on three days so we stayed low and just did half day eight milers – in waterproofs. We got soaked through. On the other days we walked in shorts and tee shirts and went high. The weather was variable depending where in the Lakes you were which made choosing a walk difficult. We went to Crummock Water and parked near Rannerdale Knotts with the intention of doing a walk we’ve done several times before. Straight up the nose of Rannerdale Knotts, with a view that gets better all the time, along the top to the foot of the slog up Whiteless Pike and Wandope. The weather was good for walking, although we had very light rain initially and it was cool for August. On to Grasmoor and then Coledale Hause, over Sand Hill and Hopegill Head. The ridge walk along Whiteside has to be one of the nicest ways to head off the fells. Ten and a half miles and 4000 feet of ascent, it was a decent day out.
The following day was beautiful so we got out as early as possible and headed up Langdale to Old Dungeon Ghyll. The car park was filling with groups getting ready for a fine day on the fells after so much bad weather. We headed up The Band, picking the climbers traverse under the cliffs of Bow Fell up as I wanted to get to the top via the Great Slab. This is a great way to the top of Bow Fell, far more interesting than the main drag. The itinerary after this was, Esk Pike, Great End – at the end of the Sca Fell Massif, it was tempting to leg it out to Sca Fell Pike but it looked like a football match it was that crowded. Back to Esk Hause up on to Allen Crags, back to Esk Hause again, Angle Tarn and our final top was Rossett Pike with its stunning views over Langdale. Down Rossett Gill to Mickleden. Just over 12 miles and 4250 feet of ascent, another cracking day.
Thursday was our last forecast dry day and the day of the Rydal show. The weather was fantastic but it was going to be bedlam on the roads. We walked out of Ambleside to Rydal and cracked of around the Fairfield Horseshoe. It was that calm that people were sunbathing on the tops by midday. Calmness was one welcome feature of the week but when the rain came it didn’t shift so quick. The following day we did a circuit of Buttermere in the pouring rain, it was just a case of walking the cooked breakfast off really.
Lake District Aug 2015 015 - St Sunday Crag
We had a week walking in the Lake District in August. We haven’t spent a week there in the school summer holidays before but it was a case of needs must regarding available holidays. We stayed B&B in Ambleside as we couldn’t get self-catering at short notice. It was cheaper and breakfast is included, the downside is that we couldn’t get out as soon as we would have liked. Saturday – the day we drove up –was forecast to be good but was going to followed by a couple of rainy days so we drove straight to Dunmail Raise, arriving around 11.30. I told Jayne we were nipping up Seat Sandal but once up there it would have been silly not to go up Dollywagon and Nethermost Pikes, and then of course Helvellyn was only a stride away. We didn’t linger long in the crowds on Helvellyn, we had a knee jarring rapid descent to Steel End. We managed to get to Brysons tearooms in Keswick for afternoon apple pie- you’ve got to keep it civilised!
The weather alternated between very wet and very nice, it was like winter on three days so we stayed low and just did half day eight milers – in waterproofs. We got soaked through. On the other days we walked in shorts and tee shirts and went high. The weather was variable depending where in the Lakes you were which made choosing a walk difficult. We went to Crummock Water and parked near Rannerdale Knotts with the intention of doing a walk we’ve done several times before. Straight up the nose of Rannerdale Knotts, with a view that gets better all the time, along the top to the foot of the slog up Whiteless Pike and Wandope. The weather was good for walking, although we had very light rain initially and it was cool for August. On to Grasmoor and then Coledale Hause, over Sand Hill and Hopegill Head. The ridge walk along Whiteside has to be one of the nicest ways to head off the fells. Ten and a half miles and 4000 feet of ascent, it was a decent day out.
The following day was beautiful so we got out as early as possible and headed up Langdale to Old Dungeon Ghyll. The car park was filling with groups getting ready for a fine day on the fells after so much bad weather. We headed up The Band, picking the climbers traverse under the cliffs of Bow Fell up as I wanted to get to the top via the Great Slab. This is a great way to the top of Bow Fell, far more interesting than the main drag. The itinerary after this was, Esk Pike, Great End – at the end of the Sca Fell Massif, it was tempting to leg it out to Sca Fell Pike but it looked like a football match it was that crowded. Back to Esk Hause up on to Allen Crags, back to Esk Hause again, Angle Tarn and our final top was Rossett Pike with its stunning views over Langdale. Down Rossett Gill to Mickleden. Just over 12 miles and 4250 feet of ascent, another cracking day.
Thursday was our last forecast dry day and the day of the Rydal show. The weather was fantastic but it was going to be bedlam on the roads. We walked out of Ambleside to Rydal and cracked of around the Fairfield Horseshoe. It was that calm that people were sunbathing on the tops by midday. Calmness was one welcome feature of the week but when the rain came it didn’t shift so quick. The following day we did a circuit of Buttermere in the pouring rain, it was just a case of walking the cooked breakfast off really.