Silverhow on the wobbly Coast to Coast walk
Day Eleven: 27th June
Weather: Overcast to start, then sunny spells, and dry again.
Route: Patterdale to Stonethwaite - 17.4 miles with 4550ft of ascent
I've included this walk from my wobbly coast to coast as I ticked off two more Wainwrights that lent themselves to my overall route plan - Silver How and Blea Rigg. I also passed by Sergeant Man and High Raise on my way, and if I hadn't done them before I could have ticked off Raven Crag and Eagle Crag before dropping down to Stonethwaite. There are lots of options for rounds on these fells - so many you're almost spoilt for choice.
What a day, apart from the England world cup shambles – did I say it was dry again. Deep in the Lake District, with big hills, sore toes…oh shut up. This day must rank as probably the finest day of the whole walk – very tiring, but a brilliant day and dare I say it, a brilliant route. I set out from Patterdale with several routes in my head – that way if I got lost I would know where I was, to be sure. I am fairly familiar with the landscape around here and have already walked many of the hills around me today. On the way down to return to the start at Patterdale we passed by Ullswater where the surface of the lake was boiling with triathlon competitors – those guys must be really fit, and slightly obsessed. At the hotel it was the morning after the Triumph Bike meeting – a few sore heads on display and goodness knows what the regular hikers had to endure – probably a great night’s entertainment. I nipped around the back of the hotel for the path up to Birks and St Sunday Crag, but it was a short cut for me to chop the corner off on my way to Grisedale, and then turned left up the lane. It was pleasantly cool and almost perfect walking conditions, and I was enjoying the prospect of looking up to the hills from a different viewpoint. The road soon gave way to a farm track and the views ahead were superb giving me one of my favourite pictures of the trip looking up the valley to Dollwaggon Pike.
It was a long, long grind up Grisedale Beck,
with St Sunday Crag up to the left, and Striding Edge etc up to
the right, with Dollywagon Pike looking down on proceedings at
the head of the valley. The path gently ascended before getting
a little steeper towards Grisedale Tarn. It was nice to get a
different perspective of the hills as I’ve been up both sides
and the end but never seen it from below – it’s an impressive
valley. I was passed by a couple of miners/climbers on the way
up, and passed a group of D of E (Duke of Edinburgh awards) –
all about 15 yrs old but enjoying themselves. I continued the
climb up along a stony path, pausing to admire the climbers hut
- Ruthwaite Lodge, which sits beneath the crags of Dollwaggon
Pike. After a brief pause I carried on up towards the tarn at
the top of the valley. There was a chill wind blowing up around
Grisedale Tarn, so I donned waterproof top against the wind
which kept the chill out. Last time I was up here there were a
few wild campers, and today was no exception, as I spotted a
well camouflaged tent on the opposite side of the tarn. Past the
tarn it was a short haul up to the hause and the views opened up
ahead of me – breathtaking. There were lots of fells to see
ahead, including my route past Grasmere to Silver How and then
on up to the top of the ridge. As I stood looking over the vista
from the slopes of Seat Sandal, it struck me how many different
routes I could have taken up over the top to Greenup edge and
down to Stonethwaite. I could have gone up Wythburn or Steel
Fell or Helm Crag or Far Easedale or Tarn Crag or by Easedale
Tarn – lots of options. I could have taken the left path down
Tongue Gill ,but chose to contour around the slopes and the
traditional C2C route around Seat Sandal ( I really dislike this
hill) and dropped down by the Great Tongue to the main road.
Grisedale Tarn with Seat Sandal behind
It
was steep going down and tough on the knees – but again I was
given a reality check when I met three ample ladies coming up
towards me. One of them was checking her blood sugar levels,
obviously very important and good for her for not letting her
diabetes get in the way. As I got to the bottom of the slope and
out onto the lane, a sign on the side of a house informed me I
had only 40 miles to go to St Bees. I made the decision to walk
up Silver How, based on the fact that I had to walk up steep
slopes anyway, I hadn’t bagged Silver How yet, I’d already
walked the other routes, and I knew that the views from here
would be second to none. Avoiding the Travellers Rest pub down
to my left I crossed over the A591, and followed the lanes
beneath Helm Crag which took me around to the north of Grasmere,
passing by the YHA at Thorney How. A little more road walking
took me to Goody Bridge and then left down Easedale Road. Once I
got to the NT property at Allan Bank I took the permissive path
up to Silver How and what a delight it was – not too steep and
very lush – a bit like me really – ha ha. The sun was breaking
through occasionally and lighting up the fells here and there. I
stopped often to look back up towards my route down off Seat
Sandal, and thought to myself there are a lot of route options
the other way as well – it’s nice to know that if the weather
was really awful that there is an easier option to the higher
level paths – but you still have to get to the top and down
again. But it really is worth it – honestly. I really enjoyed my
walk up to Silver How, and although it was a good ascent it
didn’t seem to be steep at all – maybe my legs were getting
tuned into the slopes.
A grass track wound its way around stone
walls, and in and out of bracken, before passing through some
nice juniper bushes/trees. Above the tree line it was the usual tussocky grass, but it was nice and dry and springy and I could
see the top not too distant from me. I emerged at the top to be
confronted by a fell race, an official at the top was announcing
into a radio – ‘123 followed by 116, then 118 followed by a
hiker in fourth place..’ So I tarried a while and had a good
chat with the race official – I think he was a bit bored and
seemed more interested in my walk than the race. A stream of
stringy fell runners came past, taking a turn around the marker
before heading off back down the fell. I waited for the slow
ones to turn up and then I jogged off when the next runner
rounded the summit. How we laughed, especially me as I matched
paces for at least 10m with my back pack etc – he looked none
too pleased. On from Silver How was a very long haul up to my
second Wainwright of the day –Blea Rigg with Sergeant Mann and
High Raise beyond, but the views were worth the toil. The
Langdales were spectacular as always, and I had a good look at
Jacks Rake for later this year. I really enjoy looking up the
valley of Mickelden and seeing the Pike of Stickle up above it –
probably one of my favourite views in the Lake District.
I was
really pleased with the route today and had so much to look at
on the way up my head was spinning. I think I got some of the
best pictures of the trip – from up here I could see heaven, and
it’s called the Lake District. On my way up to Blea Rigg I could
see down to Stickle Tarn and the curved Jacks Rake up the front
of Pavey Ark, and on the other side of the ridge down to
Easedale Tarn. A lot more Wainwrights for me to tick off in a
month or so - I hope I have as good weather as I have now.
After a long steady
ascent, I had a final pull up to the top and headed off once
more to High Raise across very dry springy peat – great for the
feet. Once again the views up here are well worth the effort,
and I took some time to refresh, snack and drink in the views –
the Scafells, Bowfell and the Crinkle Crags and the other way
down to Eagle Crag near the end of the day for me. I could also
look across to some of the fells for tomorrow – some big
blighters to come. Suitably rested it was time to haul my tired
legs down to the ‘real’ coast to coast path at Greenup Edge and
down to Lining Crag – mind you I’ve really enjoyed my wobbly bit
today. As I dropped down towards Lining Crag I let my mind
wander and ponder on my journey so far – I couldn’t help but
smile at the thought I’d cheated the weather for so long. Even
today it threatened rain, but didn’t deliver. I’d taken a fair
bit of time today, which was to be expected as it was a fair
mileage and ascent – about 8 hours overall.
The sting in the
tail for me and my toes was coming down off Lining Crag – the
stony path was very loose and it was like walking on ball
bearings at times. Down ahead I could see the rescue helicopter
hovering over the crags of the Borrowdale Fells, and when I got
to the pub they told me someone had slipped over on a stony path
– hmm. Once I was over the worst of the path it was a delightful
end to the day in warm sunshine walking down beside the beck
with the soothing flow of water. Eagle Crag was high above me
looking very craggy from the front end, ahead of me was the
Langstrath Inn where my transport awaited. I crossed over the
bridge and was soon in the pub having a long cool pint which
didn’t even touch the side as it went down. What a brilliant
day.
