Rambling Pete

Date: 03-Dec-2010

Map: Landranger 90

Weather: Overcast, with snow late on.

 

From the school near Patterdale, along to Rooking and left along the base of Place Fell. Turn to the higher path and then cut up the slopes to Hare Shaw, turning south to the summit of Place Fell. Walk down to the NE passing below High Dodd, contouring around the northern end of Place Fell and returning via the shore path alongside Ullswater  : 9.3 miles as measured on Satmap GPS

 I checked the weather forecast on the BBC the night before and almost pulled out of this walk - the prediction was for snow and a bit of wind and bitterly cold - it was minus 10deg on the car dial. If you add a bit of wind chill to that it wasn't so comfortable. But I've been down that way before and regretted it, so I decided to get up earlier to give myself plenty of time to get up to the Lake District. I'm glad I did as the going up past Shap on the M6 was down to two lanes - it was down to one on the way home. After almost 100miles I nearly got stuck in a very snowy car park, but just managed to extricate myself before Paul turned up and had a good guffaw. I parked my car up on a clear road at Stainton before steaming away on Pauls new snow tyres. We drove the long way around Ullswater to Patterdale as the Kirkstone Pass was closed anyway. The landscape was beautiful early on, although cold, there was a low mist hanging over the water and across the lake Place Fell was clear. The road into Patterdale was OK and there was only one car parked up at the school - normally it's quite busy, but normally it's not ten below. We didn't hang about when it came to getting boots on, and I wrapped up with plenty of layers to keep nice and snug. I had my crampons with me but didn't bother with the ice axe as we weren't on any dangerous ground. Paul forgot his gaiters so we had to walk down past the hotel to the newsagent - a bit like Arkwrights store that sells everything - pies to gaiters and postcards. It didn't alter the route by much and we made our way along an icy pavement, and over the bridge towards Rooking. We discussed going up to Boredale Hause, but decided to walk along the base of the hill for a little while, before cutting up the western slopes of Place Fell. The track was easy to follow through a farm gate, along a regularly used lane, with good views over to Patterdale and Birkhouse Moor beyond, but it was ominously cloudy on the higher peaks, including Place Fell.

 

early morning cold mist over Ullswater

Place Fell across Ullswater - shame it didn't stay like this

Glenridding Dodd and Gowbarrow shining in the sun - Patterdale School on the left

The last sight of  Birkhouse Moor above Patterdale, with Sheffield Pike on the right side

I checked the Satmap GPS for when the paths diverged, and Paul spotted the correct path which I missed, so we just high tailed it up the slope to intercept the higher path. Most of the path was a well trodden way which was full of powder snow without any footprints, except Bambi's. The deer must have been fitted with a gps because it uncannily followed the path higher up the fell. We were like a pair of trackers, following hoove prints, areas of cleared snow for a quick grass snack and a trail of yellow stains - well it was cold. I took two walking poles today due to the conditions of soft powdery snow - not the best for walking on and definitely not crampon snow. As we got further along and opposite Glenridding the path took to the higher ground and started to cut up steeper. We still followed Bambi and his yellow trail for a while & as we got higher we moved into the cloud base. Once we were up with our heads in the cloud the wind picked up from the SW and the spindrift was a bit stinging, but not enough to stop and get the goggles out. There was no real path to pursue and conditions were increasingly towards a white out, so we took a compass bearing for the summit and for a while it was head down into the wind. It was a bit of a slog for me, but the poles helped and eventually the summit trig point appeared out of the mist.

starting to ascend - Patterdale below Arnison Crag and Birks

Glenridding across Ullswater

 

goodbye views as we got higher up the slopes

the summit of Place Fell is up there somewhere

the magnificent view from the top

I reminded myself of all the views I've missed on days like this, and resolved to revisit here in the sunshine. We had to make a quick decision as to our return route - down to Boredale Hause into the teeth of the wind, spindrift, and sleet or down towards Martindale in the lee of Place Fell. Paul declared that it is a good path down and the Ullswater shore path looked ok on the map, so the decision was made as we took the easy way out. We took another bearing and headed NW along a sometimes recognisable path, down and below the cloud. We couldn't see much across the valley - Beda Fell was barely visible as occasional flurries of snow blew down the valley. Much of the path had accumulated drifting snow, mostly powder and I went A over T several times, plus a bit of 'boot' skiing - all great fun but very tiring even though we were heading downhill. In the distance below us I thought I saw some deer, and Paul thought it was some people - it was a clump of reeds in the distance - excellent trackers we'd make. The descent was long and steady and eventually we reached the base of Place Fell and looked over to Martindale and Hallin Fell before contouring around the base of the hill above the lane. I knew it was a few miles along the shore path, but I didn't appreciate how much up and down there was - however the walking gods took revenge on Paul by making him fall over once or twice. Enough was enough and we pulled into the side of the path behind a wall to take on some refreshments of rapidly cooling soup. Annoyingly there was a nice dry barn another 1/2 mile along, even if it was full of sheep shite.

we did find the summit trig point

 

the powdery descent down to Martindale

Hallin Fell across the valley

serves him right - nearly time for lunch

We weren't long in the cold conditions and set off along the shore path, initially up an icy stretch of lane - oft used by 4x4's by the look of the ground - powder snow on top of ice - perfect for comedy steps. We plodded on grateful to be below the cloud, but with limited views and before long the roller coaster nature of the path took over. It was down a bit and up a bit more, the ups always steeper than the downs. On a good day the views to the opposite shore would be fine with a plethora of fells to look at. Today we didn't see much, but the Ullswater steamer drifted by gracefully - but nobody was on deck and probably not many people were inside either. We walked on with the realisation that it was a little more work than we thought and with diminishing views we just had a snowy winter wonderland ahead. We had another stop for refreshments - a frozen slushy orange more suited to a hot summers day - I got a bit of ice cream headache off that one. Paul parked his £90 ice axe in the snow and promptly walked off forgetting all about it until a further 1/2 mile on. He agonised for a few seconds before dashing off to fetch it, and I offered to carry his backpack to save him some time. My footsteps took on an uneven cant, with my left side sinking ever lower as I trudged through an increasing snowstorm. My thoughts turned to the lakeside road as big flakes blew in and time was ticking on. Thankfully for me I'd left my car on a clear road in Stainton - but if we got snowed in I could think of much worse places to be. I paused a while looking back for Paul to relieve my burden, but he was nowhere to be seen until I was crossing the bridge beyond Side Farm. With 100m back to the car I spotted Paul and axe sauntering along the walled lane to Side Farm. I'm sure he was ducking down beneath the wall every time I looked back. I got back to the car not a moment too soon, as the road was looking like it wanted to gather up all the flakes falling on it. Thankfully Pauls 'snow' tyres got us safely back to Stainton and a snowy drive back down to Manchester. Another fell ticked off and always worth the effort despite the lack of a view - a return visit a must, probably when I do the Nab eventually.

 

our restaurant for the day

the snowy icy lane home

 

along the shore path

the path goes up, down, with two swans a swimming

 I had two bags to carry from here to Patterdale, so the camera retired for the day

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