The Cumbria Way 2012
Day Two: 28th May
Weather: Low cloud and drizzle, lifting in the afternoon
Route: Coniston to Rosthwaite - 19 miles with 3260ft of ascent (21.4 on the gps and 7750ft of ascent- I'll let you decide which is right)
The weather looked ok but the low cloud was hanging down
over the Coniston Fells. I didn’t stock up on a sandwich, as
I wanted to stop over at one of the Langdale pubs – New
Dungheon Ghyll or
Old DG as both were about halfway of this long day, and would give
my pegs a little rest. I started out wearing a fleece but
soon discarded that as it was so warm – I walked in base
layer all day and felt fine. No gloves needed for a second
day, and I usually feel the cold in my fingers.
I was quickly out of Coniston and soon on the up, across
another slippery field thankfully i kept my feet. On my way
uphill just outside of Coniston I passed by an old lime
kiln, set on a slope - I think it was an old kiln, and
there's plenty of limestone around here.
I started using Siri - a sort of dictation aid 'how can I
help you thing' on my iPhone to dictate some notes and
save some time at the end of the day when writing up the
days journey. It produces some funny
quotations, a bit akin to a Nigerian scam artist offering
untold riches. Here’s an example – ‘Through a five bar gate
came out on Togoland’ . But occasionally it produces some
sensible quotes and acts as an aid memoir of the day, as my
mind wanders away and sometimes I forget what’s gone on
around me, but it's only good where I have a signal so I
didn't use it much really. There was plenty of birdlife out and about again
– today chaffinches mainly feeding on the sweet smelling
Gorse (Siri says – I’m sweet smelling of course.) The way is
very relaxing and as yesterday there is a great variety of
tracks, field paths, old metalled tracks and stoney paths.
Out of the trees the full extent of the low cloud was now
revealed with no views over towards Wetherlam or the
Tilberthwaite Fells, an area I had visited recently.
All the five bar gates were a very mossy green which is
testament to the very damp winter we’ve had, and at the end
of the day I had a very nice patina on my arms and hands.
Many trees are showing some life with buds fattening up, and
plenty of snowbells carpeting the ground. There were also
plenty of windblown trees down around the woods with one
having fallen directly across the path, splattering a path
gate. The route up to
Tarn Hows was quite steep on a good path and I worked up a good sweat. The
path passed by many coppiced trees and eventually the Tarn
How’s lake comes into view. I could only imagine the views
over to the fells of Tilberthwaite , very frustrating as I
know how good they would look from here. Out of the woods I
had some road walking to do that took me past Tarn Hows car
park, with its solitary car – I didn’t meet anyone up here
and when I reached the Tarn it was eerily quiet. It's
usually very busy up here with families, with good disabled
access on the laid path - great for wheelchairs. The low
mist cloaked the area, and only the resident honking barnacle
geese intruded on the silence. The weather forecast was
right again and my head was well and truly up in the clouds,
as it usually is. It was spooky up there but I was soon
dropping down again now on a stony track to Oxen Fell.
Crossing the main road and I was on a field path, followed
by some nice tarmac on a back lane. Still no views but at
least it was dry. Woodpeckers were busy pecking away making
a big noise, a spring like sound to me and I half expected a
cuckoo calling, it felt so warm. Many of the drystone walls
have big boulders at their base and must have been rebuilt a
few times over hundreds of years. Good paths took me all the way to Skelwith Bridge,
avoiding the main road to Coniston. I looked at the time and
decided it was too early to stop for tea and cake - lots of
options for refreshments, but I
didn’t have a lot of spare time to finish in daylight. Great
Langdale Beck was beautifully clear and the way treks
alongside until reaching Elterwater. Here it got a little
busy with walkers doing a circuit from Skelwith Bridge to
Elterwater and back. The paths have been renovated to enable
disabled access, and it must be a joy on a clear day to see
the Langdale Pikes. Along Elterwater the fields are soggy in
the boggy floodplain so I stuck to the path all the way to
Elterwater village.
I was very tempted by the tearoom here but I stuck to my
guns heading for the Old Dungheon Ghyll. The path on from
Elterwater is a delight, winding its way along the
floodplain and then heading off towards Lingmoor Fell. At
this point a hole in the cloud appeared above me and the sun
shone and so did my grin. I did a bit of bargaining with the
deity of good weather and requested some clear air for the
climb up Stake Gill, plenty of time to organise that while I
had lunch. I dropped back down from Lingmoor Fell and Side
Pike to cross over the valley to the ODG. I was glad to sit
down and ordered a shandy, glass of water and a ham
sandwich. All were fantastic and barely touched the sides,
and as I needed my water bottle topping up I had a chat with
the chef for a little while. Once I’d finished there I
continued on towards Mickelden, my favourite valley in the
whole of Lakeland. I was surprised again to find myself
alone, and my patch of blue sky was now walking along with
me. The big fells of the Crinkly Crags, Pike of Blisco, and
Bowfell were hidden, but the crinkles appeared now and
again. I’ve only ever walked down the valley, but it’s a
nice steady climb to the head of the valley. I stopped often
to look up to the Pike of Stickle, another favourite of
mine, and the mist was starting to clear the top. This meant
that the climb up to and over Stake Pass would be clear.
What a great result – the deity obviously likes rambling do-da.
The ascent was steep enough but plodded on steadily aware
that time was ticking on – no rush but I like to finish in
daylight. Up on the top is yet another Langdale favourite, a
veritable ‘basket of eggs’ set of moraine. All stacked up
looking great in the sunshine, with a huge bank of cloud up
to my left and right – ha ha. That made up for yesterday,
and speeded me on across Langdale Common. As I approached
the hause between Langdale and Langstrath it was another big
smiley moment – the views down into Langstrath were superb,
and even better was to come. The path down winds down the
hillside steeply in a series of long loops which really took
the sting out of the decent. But all good things come to an
end and about 2/3 of the way down I was back on stony
ground. It was like that all the way back to Rosthwaite,
with a bit of fatigue taking its toll on the old knees.
There’s a big old rockfall halfway down the valley called
Blea Rocks – great to look at but tough on tired legs. After
this it was simply sticking alongside the beck which gets
bigger the further down the valley, where it meets up with
Greenup Gill. The late afternoon sun faded as I did, but it
was still light when I arrived at the Royal Oak Hotel, my
stop for the night.
What a fantastic day, a real pleasure and proof if needed
that low level is just as good as high level – especially as
the cloud was so low in the morning.
early morning mist as I stepped out onto the high street in Coniston
not looking great for any views today - the Old Man is up there somewhere
out of Coniston the Cumbria Way climbs up the hillside to Back Guards plantation
the low cloud was low enough to obscure the higher peaks - looking back to Coniston
the Yewdale Fells were up to the left and Tarn How Woods ahead of me
it was across the fields and down to Low Yewdale - that's the Tilberthwaite road in the middle of picture
all uphill through Tarn How Woods
not much of a gate anymore - but I could squeeze by on the path
healthy air up here and signposts up to Tarn How
it was really quiet up here and you could have heard a pin drop. It's usually busy around Tarn Hows
a money tree besides the main path around the tarn
after the tarn it was all downhill to Oxen Fell High Cross and the main road. Thankfully there is a safe path that runs through the fields
the Cumbria Way takes a minor road away from the traffic that leads down to High Park
from High Park the route takes off to the west in a circuitous route via Skelwith Bridge. You could take a short cut via Little Langdale, but you may get stuck in the pub.
Skelwith Bridge and the River Brathay
the falls at Skelwith Force were flowing nicely, and quite impressive close up
past Elterwater the path is well made up for the many tourists doing the short round from Skelwith Bridge
crossing over Great Langdale Beck at Elterwater - the first of several crossings
through the slate spoil heaps on the south side of the beck
it was quite pleasant and an easy stroll through the backside of Elterwater
still no views to higher up the fells
Chapel Stile before crossing the beck once more
on the south side again and walking past the campsites, empty at the moment
an occasional glimpse of sunlight over Lingmoor Fell gave me some hope for later on - at least it was dry now
the view here normally is superb with the Langdale pikes up to the right - not today though. Oak Howe on the left.
where the path curls around the end of Lingmoor Fell
and down to Side House before crossing the valley to the Old Dungheon Ghyll pub
almost a view up to the Band and the Crinkle Crags
I let the clouds clear while I had lunch in the pub
a very welcome fire in the ODG - nice fayre as well
finally clearing, with a good view over to Side Pike with Pike of Blisco up to the right
on the way around to Mickelden with the Band to my left
the Pike of Stickle with it's great stone chute - the site of a stone age axe factory
heading towards the end of Mickelden with the big hills covered in cloud but clearing to my right. Stake Gill up to the right, and Rossett Gill up to the left
one of my favourite views in the Lake District is looking back down along Mickelden
the path up Stake Gill
and a big bank of cloud covering Bowfell et al
at the top of the Gill is this carved slab dated 1890 - a bit of quality graffiti
a great view ahead to Sergeants Crag with High Raise up to the right and Stonethwaite Fell up to the left
the view down into Langstrathh
and over on Glaramara the cloud rolled over the summits
I loved this snaking path down into the valley
plenty of water in Stake Beck
down in the Langstrath valley now and looking back up Stake Beck to my path from the top
sunless down in the valley and a 2 mile walk down beside Langstrath Beck
about halfway down is Blea Rock and a bit of up and down. Glaramara up to the right
the Langstrath Beck joins Greenup Gill to form Stonethwaite Beck at the end of the Langstrath valley
and it's another 1 1/2 miles to the Royal Oak
storm gates to stop too much debris flowing into the main beck
almost at Rosthwaite and looking back to Stonethwaite on the other side of the valley, with Eagle Crag beyond.