Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019

Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019
On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca

Friday 11 June 2010

Thursday 10 June 2010 - A Great British Ridge Walk - Number 22 – Helvellyn by Striding Edge and descent via Swirral Edge

A planned (at very short notice) stravaig over Place Fell was foiled by a ‘steering rack that was leaking hydraulic fluid faster than that leaky oil rig in the Caribbean’. 

So, no Pie Man or Bruno today.

But I couldn’t let this stop me from enjoying a day in the hills, especially as I now have my own independent means of transport.  Just as well, as Sue was to enjoy her first taste of work for many months today.

Some folk I’d bumped into on this year’s TGO Challenge just happen to live by the start of a Great British Ridge Walk, which coincides with the start of the aborted stravaig.  Moreover, Marian was happy to join me for a day in the hills.

So after a leisurely coffee in Patterdale with Mike and Marian, the two of us set off along an exclusive route to Lanty’s Tarn and thence to the fellside above Miresbeck.

Bluebells seemed to be getting the better of a section of bracken steeped hillside, but for how much longer, I wondered?

Bluebells

The forecast had predicted that the low cloud would clear.  The ‘Place Fell’ plan would have seen us out of the cloud for longer than this back-up plan, as demonstrated by this last view to Glenridding and across Ullswater to Place Fell, before we entered the thin cloud.

Glenridding, Ullswater and Place Fell

It wasn’t unpleasant, though gloves and a windproof top were deployed for a while.  We traversed Striding Edge in a fairly purist manner, Marian being an accomplished climber, meeting and parting with a variety of folk who were avoiding the ‘airier’ sections.  Eventually a large party of schoolchildren, queuing to descend the final steep little chimney gully before the easy ascent to the summit of Helvellyn, briefly held us up.  We were happy to wait, but their attentive leaders insisted on us passing through.

Once on the summit plateau, we passed the Gough Memorial, erected in 1890 after both Walter Scott and Wordsworth had alluded to the death of Charles Gough in their poetry.  The memorial reads:

Beneath this spot were found in 1805
The remains of Charles Gough
Killed by a fall from the rocks 
His dog was still guarding the skeleton

Today the wind was light.  Nobody would fall.  A happy bunch munched in the mist at the trig point.

Helvellyn Summit

Marian and I didn’t attempt to locate the other memorials, one of which commemorates the first landing of an aircraft on a British mountain on 22 December 1926.  We headed down Swirral Edge and on to Catstycam, where we enjoyed Part Two of a lunch that had been commenced in a sheltered spot above Bleaberry Crag.

The route down the steep north west ridge of Catstycam seems to have become popularised since Marian last used it (I’d never been there before – I think), and a clear path ran most of the way down.  We paused for a while after emerging from the mist below a steep, slippery section above Kepple Cove Dam, abandoned in October 1927 after after a cloudburst caused it to burst, resulting in devastation to Greenburn lead mines and Glenridding.

  Kepple Cove Dam

Marian, on the lower slopes of Catstycam

After traversing a disused leat (an open watercourse conducting water to a mill, etc) to join the path from Red Tarn, we descended to Glenridding Beck, where a group of helmeted youngsters were in the beck, making their way up the gorge.

We found some Starry Saxifrage and Cuckoo Flower here, as well as this little cutie, who turned out to be a champion jumper.

A common frog

The cloud never really cleared, despite the encouraging forecast, but Rake Cottages, on the Greenside Road, did seem to be basking in their own little private oasis of sunshine.  I’m sure they deserved it.

A Glint of Sunshine over Glenridding

Near Lanty’s Tarn, Marian pointed out the small Round-leaved Sundew plants.  They were everywhere!

Round-leaved Sundew

Well, not here, but I am probably standing on some Tormentil whilst posing for this photo with an Ullswater backdrop.

A dull day, with Ullswater

I’m glad that Marian could join me today.  We enjoyed a good chat – the opportunity for that eluded me for most of the TGO Challenge – spotted a few items of interest, and I would never have discovered her excellent routes between Patterdale and Lanty’s Tarn, returning down one of which we passed a rich collection of wild flowers and some exotic trees.  You’ll have to go to the short slide show to see them, if you’re interested…

Here’s an overview of today’s route.  Bill Birkett’s version starts from Glenridding, but the start and finish at Patterdale has lots to commend it.  It was about 16 km, with 1100 metres of ascent, and took 6.5 hours, though you could easily knock an hour of that timing.

Our route - approx 16 km, 1100 metres ascent, in a leisurely 6.5 hours

We saw not so much bird life, but lots of wild flowers today, including:
Bluebells
Bugle
Buttercups
Butterwort
Cuckoo Flower
Greater Stitchwort
Herb Robert
Lousewort
Common Milkwort
Wavy Bittercress* (Cardamine flexuosa)
Round-leaved Sundew
Starry Saxifrage
Tormentil
Umbellifers - various, including Pignut* (Conopodium majus)
Wild Pansy
Wood Speedwell* (Veronica montana)

* = as subsequently confirmed by Marian.

Tuesday 8 June 2010

Thursday 8 June 2006 – Dinas Fach and Newgale Sands, from Dinas Fawr

Dinas Fach and Newgale Sands from Dinas Fawr
I didn’t get out much today, but I can offer this glimpse of a trip that topwalks.com’s archive simply refers to as ‘cloudless’. 

The whole week was cloudless.  We walked from Milford Haven to Trefin.

It was a busy time….trips, work, etc.

Must write it up sometime!

But for now I’m happy to recall that cloudless day from exactly four years ago, when six of us walked from Little Haven to Solva, via a long stop in the Duke of Edinburgh Inn at the end of Newgale Sands, where we sought refuge from the blistering heat. 

The UK coastline certainly takes some beating, especially in places like Pembroke and the South West Coast Path.

Monday 7 June 2010

Monday 7 June 2010 - Back at Home


It’s not so bad though. The proud swans of Lymm have been busy in our absence, and the swifts arrived much earlier than they did last year – they’ve been living under the eaves of our house since mid May. This morning a large family of newly fledged great tits enjoyed a spell in the garden, where the flowers are blooming nicely.