Rambling Pete

Date: 30-Mar-2010

Map: Landranger 90, OL5, OL7

Weather: Overcast, with a little sun late on.

 

From the car park in Grasmere to the A591 and then up Greenhead Gill by road, track and path to Stone Arthur. Then back again : 3.8 miles as measured on GPS.

After a quick wet walk up Troutbeck Tongue this morning, it was time to tick off another small Wainwright, this time from Grasmere. Stone Arthur is a little satellite crag from the Fairfield Horseshoe, which makes me wonder why I didn't do it then, then. It might be small but there's a descent amount of ascent involved - over 1400ft. We parked in the main car park in Grasmere and gazed over to the hills. Paul said those fateful words 'it doesn't look too bad' and it didn't, except that we were looking at the wrong hill. As we made our way to the main road we realised that Stone Arthur was a little further on along the road and realised we could have parked in the lay-by for free instead of shelling out £4.50 for 4 hours. We thought we could do it in 2hrs but just in case we paid for 4. Now I can't remember much of this story because I'm writing it up sat in a first class seat from Washington to London - 'First Class' I hear you say! It's the result of flying up and down to Aberdeen for an aeon - I spent all my miles on a 1st class ticket. It's great, I'll tell you all about it if you ask.

the gill bubbling beside the road 

 up and away from the road

 at the top of the steep bit

Anyways, there we are trotting along the main road north of Grasmere and we finally figure out where Stone Arthur is, and small looking it isn't. After several, and I mean several glasses of a good red my memory is even more hazy, but I do remember it as very steep. We turned up a side road next to a pub and walked around the road to meet a side road up Greenhead Gill. We had time to admire the very neatly walled gill flowing beautifully over mossy boulders large and small. Some very swish villas up here, confirmed by the big Bentley that glided past us. Once we left the road Stone Arthur showed no mercy, and the ascent steepened to the blaspheming stage - so I ended up th a steady plod to the top. I think it's better to tick off this Wainwright as a seperate entity as it's a long way to drop down from the Fairfield Horseshoe to go back up again. From the road there are steps laid into the hillside, steady as we went.

 looking back down the path and over to Helm Crag, with the Langdales in the distance

 playing follow the leader as usual

 looking down on Grasmere

 The summit marker of Stone Arthur

 the view to Seat Sandal

 the rain passes us by

Behind us the weather was threatening, but I more or less guaranteed no rain as I'd left the good camera in the car nice and dry. Once we were up onto open ground the path wasn't so bad and skirted around the contours towards the top of the Fairfield Horseshoe. I was careful not to climb too far and the GPS guided us over to the summit cairn. How we laughed when we looked down over to Grasmere - it was peeing down, and several squalls  blew through and up Easedale to the Langdale Pikes. Destiny took over here and the first photo of a Brucie took place with Paul posing for #1- you'll have to look at the walking forum to see what I'm talking about. Now everyone is doing them just about everywhere. Mind you I just topped the lot with one in front of the White House in Washington DC - I didn't get arrested either - just as well I didn't have my 'I love BP' T-shirt on. But give me the lakes any day of the week - you can keep the big cities. The views as usual from a Wainwright were why he chose this little lump - a good place to sit and ponder the wonders of the world.

 an atmospheric rainy shot

 Paul just before the first Brucie

 on our way back down looking over to Heron Pike

 this gives some idea of the slope

 Stone Arthur laughing at us in the sunshine

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