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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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E-mail - karl@karlswalks.co.uk |
It seems a long time since I walked in snow with a blue sky above so a forecast for just that on Sunday wasn't going to be wasted. I debated where to go and if I should camp and in the end I thought I might as well get my fifth round of Wainwrights finished on Kirk Fell. I had planned to camp but had to much to do on Saturday so decided to set out early on Sunday instead.
I was out of the house at five thirty and on the steep climb from Honister car park at seven thirty. I was still in the shade but could see that the sky looked very promising.
Anyone who's climbed the steep path following the fence to Grey Knotts knows it's not a path that you can run up but I still tried to climb as fast as I could so that I could meet the rising sun.
But I still had to stop and take in the view of the fells to the north as they turned orange. Blencathra looked especially superb.
A wider view of Blencathra and the Helvellyn fells The feeling of breaking trail through semi frozen snow and the crunching sound it makes is an experience that I've definitely missed.
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The path eases at this small cairned area where I have a needed breather whilst looking over to Dale head and Maiden Moor.
Eventually the path levels out and Green and Great gable come into view.
Bright winter sun shines on one of the tarns near Grey Knotts.
The top of Haystacks is just visible below Gamlin End on High Crag and High Stile behind.
A wider view of the full High Stile ridge with Buttermere and Crummock waters on the right and Ennerdale on the left.
It really was brilliant crunching along in the bright sunshine over Brandreth and Gillercomb Head. Kirk Fell is now visible on the left with Pillar in the right.
After passing over Green Gable and coming down Windy Gap which strangely the snow seemed to make the descent not as slippery as usual I put on my microspikes and took the high level path around Great Gable.
Passing under some lovely rock scenery on the way.
And there it is. Kirk Fell. Wainwright number 1070 ( not counting the others that I've done more than once before I had finished my rounds ).
Scafell Pike and Scafell seen over one of the small tarns on Beck Head.
There's a great view of the highest ground in England from the final climb to the summit of Kirk Fell. Great End on the left, then Broad Crag, Scafell Pike and Scafell. Lingmell lies almost unnoticed in the foreground.
And not forgetting of course the magnificent Great Gable. I'd taken my stove so I treated myself to a brew and a pie sat in the summit shelter marveling at my luck to be on the high fells on such a day. Any smugness I might have felt over completing my round was punctured when a lad came along riding on his bike. I asked him if he'd come up the Black Sail Pass but he'd actually come directly up the nose of Kirk Fell which must be one of the steepest ascents in the whole of the Lake District ( he did admit that he'd had to carry his bike quite a lot of the way. ) But still....
Even with microspikes I didn't fancy the way down to the pass by the fence poles so I took a route which I'd never used myself but had heard it was a simple descent on grass. Baysoar Slack was a quite safe way down to the path which skirts Kirk Fell on the northern side and meets the track down to the valley. As a bonus I got a brilliant view over Haystacks to Grasmoor and the other Coledale fells.
Black Sail hut nestled under Haystacks.
I think I might have taken this photo of the tree and High Crag before ( like every time I've come down this way ;-) )
Looking to Green and Great Gable at the head of the Ennerdale valley.
And a look at Pillar Rock peeping out from Pillar.
I realised that I've not climbed up by Loft Crag since 2007 and it was just as steep as I remembered it.
Boat How Crags on Kirk Fell from the top of Loft Beck.
I'd climbed enough to see the sun again which was very welcome as it was now quite cold and the cloud was gathering.
The sun lit up the slope which heads up towards the path which contours below Grey Knotts.
On to the path now and it's not far to the old Honister tramway which runs arrow straight back to the slate mine and car park.
Previous walk -- Middle Dodd and Red Screes