Day 2 - Ennerdale Bridge to Stonethwaite
24.06.13
DISTANCE WALKED: 17.1 miles
According to Wainwright (AW) himself, I am superhuman. He labels the alternative paths I took today as a 'route for supermen' and advises that this is 'a delectable route in clear weather (only) for very strong and experienced fell walkers (only).' My navigation skills were tested, I was on my hands and knees at some stages, but was so pleased with myself afterwards! As superman (non gender-specific), my special power seemed to be the ability to turn my nose into a tap and my kryptonite was chocolate. I would actually have mugged someone, I was that desperate. But at least I didn't walk with my pants on the outside of my trousers.
Apologies in advance for the long blog today, but what a day. The walk started with a stroll alongside Ennerdale Water, very pleasant with the sun shining (The Beatles "Good Day Sunshine" was song of the day in the internal iPod). It was a bit rocky in places and whilst clambering over one particular high point my flask fell from my rucksack and bounced down the rocks, but fortunately not into the lake. It is now a bit bashed and scratched which crater shall henceforth be known as the 'Ennerdale Dent.' Saw a pair of grey wagtails (tick).
The low level path (for ordinary mortals) was through forest for quite a way, which put me off (as in why come all the way to the Lakes and then walk through pine trees), and as AW preferred the high ground then that had to be the way for me. And so I turned off to ascend Red Pike (755m) and here began my version of the tortoise and the hare. As I climbed, I was overtaken by about 6 or so other walkers, whom I watched rapidly tracking right high above me. At this juncture I was thinking that a tortoise or a snail or a sloth would actually be moving faster than me. I got to the bit where they had turned but it didn't feel right and so I doubled back, remembering the advice that turning too soon would lead to dangerous scree and if in doubt, to keep going up. There wasn't really a path beyond this alleged turn, but there was a line of cairns which came into view to follow to the top. Mind you, the slope was so steep I was in doubt in places that the cairns were even correct. But I made it eventually and my reward was stunning views back to Ennerdale and across to Crummock Water and Buttermere. I had 'beaten' the hares as they did not, in fact, summit Red Pike. I felt suitably smug.
The crags just kept on coming - again the path was not often discernible - and again they were all very steep. The South West Coast Path grades their suggested stages as easy, moderate and severe. I would grade today as 'vertical' or 'practically impossible', but I was warned. Next was High Stile (807m and the highest summit on the C2C path) then the very rocky Comb Crags, High Crag (744m), down and up Scarth Gap and up and up Hay Stacks (597m) with an exceedingly difficult descent.
And then some more level walking to Innominate Tarn, a beautiful spot where AW's ashes were scattered. AW wrote "All I ask for, at the end, is a last, long resting place by the side of Innominate Tarn, on Haystacks, where the water gently laps the gravelly shore and the heather blooms and Pillar and Gable keep unfailing watch.....And if you, dear reader, should get a bit of grit in your boot as you are crossing Haystacks in the years to come, please treat it with respect. It might be me." I rested here in the sun for a bit.
AW suggests that from here, you ignore the more obvious route to Blackbeck Tarn and take an unmarked route down to meet the top of Loft Beck so as to rejoin the ordinary mortals on the lower route. Well, I couldn't get my head round that, so carried on the obvious path instead. And so now I know why the guidebooks say to ignore it! The path is reasonably clear, but it is so steep there were a couple of times when I was a bit scared. Often the path would simply disappear as it abutted a vertical rock-face. It was only when you craned your neck back and looked up that you would see a small pile of stones to mark the way. This is where hands and knees, fingernails and toes came into play and there were several mutterings of 'I am not a sheep'. I only saw one other person who gave me some helpful advice to 'look for the polish' where other peoples' steps had made the edges of the rocks smooth and shiny. We soon parted company at Little Round How (surely named with more than a hint of irony at 500m) and I climbed more gently to the disused drum house of the Hopper Slate Quarry, where I saw my first ever Ringed Ouzel (big tick) and on to the Honister Slate Mine which was re-opened in 2001. The cafe there had long closed, which was a shame as I was murderous for chocolate.
I still had 4 miles to go and time was getting on. It was, at least, downhill all the way as I followed first the mine access road and then the 1 in 4 Honister Pass alongside the very pretty Hause Gill into Seatoller. From the phonebox I called first Pete and then my landlady to say I wouldn't be there until about 8.30 and that I would just nip in and straight back out to the pub for dinner. Good job I rang as she said the pub was shut on Mondays...imagine if I had missed a proper dinner after all that effort. She said to carry on to the Scafell Hotel in Rosthwaite, where I met up with other C2C'ers who were looking out for me. I feasted on fish and chips and a couple of pints of Ambleside Golden Ale. I also bought a couple of bars of dairy milk to take with me over forthcoming days. But I ate them both in bed when I got back to the B&B!! I had definitely earned them.
And so I went to sleep tired and aching and satisfied and proud of myself. Now that's what I call fell walking.
I think today's stats show a healthy pace all things considered:
Odometer
17.1 miles
Cumulative Miles
33.4 miles
Total Ascent
1440 metres
Total Descent
1492 metres
Moving Time
7h 8 m
Stopped Time
4h 58 m
Moving Average
2.4 mph
According to Wainwright (AW) himself, I am superhuman. He labels the alternative paths I took today as a 'route for supermen' and advises that this is 'a delectable route in clear weather (only) for very strong and experienced fell walkers (only).' My navigation skills were tested, I was on my hands and knees at some stages, but was so pleased with myself afterwards! As superman (non gender-specific), my special power seemed to be the ability to turn my nose into a tap and my kryptonite was chocolate. I would actually have mugged someone, I was that desperate. But at least I didn't walk with my pants on the outside of my trousers.
Apologies in advance for the long blog today, but what a day. The walk started with a stroll alongside Ennerdale Water, very pleasant with the sun shining (The Beatles "Good Day Sunshine" was song of the day in the internal iPod). It was a bit rocky in places and whilst clambering over one particular high point my flask fell from my rucksack and bounced down the rocks, but fortunately not into the lake. It is now a bit bashed and scratched which crater shall henceforth be known as the 'Ennerdale Dent.' Saw a pair of grey wagtails (tick).
The low level path (for ordinary mortals) was through forest for quite a way, which put me off (as in why come all the way to the Lakes and then walk through pine trees), and as AW preferred the high ground then that had to be the way for me. And so I turned off to ascend Red Pike (755m) and here began my version of the tortoise and the hare. As I climbed, I was overtaken by about 6 or so other walkers, whom I watched rapidly tracking right high above me. At this juncture I was thinking that a tortoise or a snail or a sloth would actually be moving faster than me. I got to the bit where they had turned but it didn't feel right and so I doubled back, remembering the advice that turning too soon would lead to dangerous scree and if in doubt, to keep going up. There wasn't really a path beyond this alleged turn, but there was a line of cairns which came into view to follow to the top. Mind you, the slope was so steep I was in doubt in places that the cairns were even correct. But I made it eventually and my reward was stunning views back to Ennerdale and across to Crummock Water and Buttermere. I had 'beaten' the hares as they did not, in fact, summit Red Pike. I felt suitably smug.
The crags just kept on coming - again the path was not often discernible - and again they were all very steep. The South West Coast Path grades their suggested stages as easy, moderate and severe. I would grade today as 'vertical' or 'practically impossible', but I was warned. Next was High Stile (807m and the highest summit on the C2C path) then the very rocky Comb Crags, High Crag (744m), down and up Scarth Gap and up and up Hay Stacks (597m) with an exceedingly difficult descent.
And then some more level walking to Innominate Tarn, a beautiful spot where AW's ashes were scattered. AW wrote "All I ask for, at the end, is a last, long resting place by the side of Innominate Tarn, on Haystacks, where the water gently laps the gravelly shore and the heather blooms and Pillar and Gable keep unfailing watch.....And if you, dear reader, should get a bit of grit in your boot as you are crossing Haystacks in the years to come, please treat it with respect. It might be me." I rested here in the sun for a bit.
AW suggests that from here, you ignore the more obvious route to Blackbeck Tarn and take an unmarked route down to meet the top of Loft Beck so as to rejoin the ordinary mortals on the lower route. Well, I couldn't get my head round that, so carried on the obvious path instead. And so now I know why the guidebooks say to ignore it! The path is reasonably clear, but it is so steep there were a couple of times when I was a bit scared. Often the path would simply disappear as it abutted a vertical rock-face. It was only when you craned your neck back and looked up that you would see a small pile of stones to mark the way. This is where hands and knees, fingernails and toes came into play and there were several mutterings of 'I am not a sheep'. I only saw one other person who gave me some helpful advice to 'look for the polish' where other peoples' steps had made the edges of the rocks smooth and shiny. We soon parted company at Little Round How (surely named with more than a hint of irony at 500m) and I climbed more gently to the disused drum house of the Hopper Slate Quarry, where I saw my first ever Ringed Ouzel (big tick) and on to the Honister Slate Mine which was re-opened in 2001. The cafe there had long closed, which was a shame as I was murderous for chocolate.
I still had 4 miles to go and time was getting on. It was, at least, downhill all the way as I followed first the mine access road and then the 1 in 4 Honister Pass alongside the very pretty Hause Gill into Seatoller. From the phonebox I called first Pete and then my landlady to say I wouldn't be there until about 8.30 and that I would just nip in and straight back out to the pub for dinner. Good job I rang as she said the pub was shut on Mondays...imagine if I had missed a proper dinner after all that effort. She said to carry on to the Scafell Hotel in Rosthwaite, where I met up with other C2C'ers who were looking out for me. I feasted on fish and chips and a couple of pints of Ambleside Golden Ale. I also bought a couple of bars of dairy milk to take with me over forthcoming days. But I ate them both in bed when I got back to the B&B!! I had definitely earned them.
And so I went to sleep tired and aching and satisfied and proud of myself. Now that's what I call fell walking.
I think today's stats show a healthy pace all things considered:
Odometer
17.1 miles
Cumulative Miles
33.4 miles
Total Ascent
1440 metres
Total Descent
1492 metres
Moving Time
7h 8 m
Stopped Time
4h 58 m
Moving Average
2.4 mph