UK Mountains Expedition Report

Peaks climbed : Grey Knotts (697m), Brandreth (715m), Base Brown (646m), Green Gable (801m), Great Gable (899m), Kirk Fell - East Top (787m), Kirk Fell (802m), Fleetwith Pike (648m), Honister Crag (630m)

Total Distance : 19km, Total Ascent : 1,396m

Parking up at the National Trust Car Park at Honister Pass, I flashed my membership card and secured free parking for the day. We set off a few minutes later, following the sign for Grey Knotts which pointed straight up the hill! Another day with no easy start. It was a steady climb on a mostly good path and pretty obvious the whole way up. Forty minutes later I was standing on the summit with excellent views all around. Brandreth followed quickly afterwards and with only the briefest stop I was off in the direction of Green Gable. Unfortunately, almost at the summit, there is a diversion to Base Brown which loses almost 150m which then has to be regained. There is no sensible alternative but to do this. I did look at contouring round but it would have been harder and taken longer than the up and down option recommended by Nuttall.

Back on the summit of Green Gable, I took the opportunity of a breather for a drink and goodie bar, and gave Rosie some of her food. I've learned from experience that there is no point giving it all to her, she'll just scoff the lot then expect more at the next stop!

In order to summit Great Gable which, by now had emerged from the mist to tower above us, required a drop to the col followed by a steep rocky ascent onto the top. It's about 150m of vertical ascent and soon over. The views from the summit make the ascent well worthwhile but as it was still very windy I headed off in the direction of the cairns which seemed to indicate the way down to the Black Sail Pass, not that I would be heading straight down, I had Kirk Fell to bag first.

The path became steeper and steeper and the path more and more indistinct until I found myself on a very steep (60 degrees) scree slope. My options were very limited so I elected to continue down. Having many years experience of scree, I knew how to handle it, but even so, was very pleased to get to the bottom without incident. As I continued onto Kirk Fell, I couldn't help looking back and realizing just how steep it was! Kirk Fell seemed so much easier going up, but again, the path was only okay rather than good, which surprised me as the route I am walking must be a popular one. Kirk Fell East Top soon yields and it was on to the main summit with very little drop. Kirk Fell itself is nothing special so I checked with my route plus the Nuttall guide for the descent which suggests the first section is a little intimidating but soon eases off.

Well, the very first section is easy angled grassy slopes but then the path disappears over the edge and were it not for the guide I would have thought twice about this as a method of descent. It is indeed very steep and the ground damp red dirt rather than rocky like Great Gable, even so, it took some care to get past the worst when, as described, it eased off considerably and became an easy, but still quite steep descent down to the beck below Black Sail Hut. I checked with Outdoor Active to confirm my position but it had me some distance away. So much for electronic navigation! I took the opportunity of my elevated position to check the route out of the valley to maker it easier to find. There was a path that followed a stream which was the one I needed. At the bottom, a good bridge crosses the beck and shortly afterwards I found a sunny knoll to stop for lunch. It was the perfect spot and I could have happily stayed for hours but there was still the final steep climb up to Fleetwith Pike to do.

Packing away I headed up the valley to meet the steep ascent path up to the plateau that I'd identified earlier. It was quite a climb and with tired legs, took some doing but as I arrived, the path flattened significantly. Following it, there were plenty of cairns and the path was good, contouring around the hill. I decided to check with Outdoor Active which still seemed to have me in the wrong position so I resorted to the paper map to confirm my location. The Nuttall guide describes a straight line route which drops significantly before climbing Fleetwith Pike. My route would contour round and meet the ascent path with no loss of altitude. I decided to continue.

Fleetwith Pike seems to go on forever even though it is not very high, but eventually I arrived and located the summit. It was well worth it with an incredible view up the valley to the Buttermere Lake and Crummock Water beyond. I had a brief stop before heading over to Honister Crag, my final summit of the day. That done, it was a simple case of following the path down to the slate mine, then the road from there downwards. About halfway down I crossed a short grassy section to pick up the path which would take me down to the car park. The mine road also goes down to the car park but takes longer and was harder on foot and paw.

Arriving in the slate mine area, it was a minute or two to the main car park and the finish for the day. All done, we'd conquered nine peaks today which bought our total to twenty new peaks for the week and three repeats.

Yewbarrow(628m), Stirrup Crag (616m), Red Pike (826m), Little Scoat Fell (841m), Steeple (819m), Black Crag (828m), Pillar (892m), Looking Stead (627m)

Total Distance : 18km, Total Ascent : 1,345m

I had originally intended to walk back along the road from the Wasdale Car Park but I changed my mind and headed up the valley with Stirrup and Yewbarrow on my left instead until I reached a small path that headed up. It was increasingly steep as I gained altitude and bought me to Stirrup Crag first, via some interesting scrambling for the final 50 metres that I was not looking forward to down-climbing. From the summit I could see Yewbarrow and within ten minutes, was standing on its summit. The weather was once again cold and windy so I didn't wait around, heading off back the way I came until I reached a path that seemed to go left of Stirrup and avoid the summit and therefore the down-climbing. Perfect! It took a pretty much level and slightly downhill trend to reach the saddle at the foot of Red Pike. Another big climb, though not as far and not as steep as Stirrup Crag and very soon I reached the summit which was sadly in mist. Oh well.

Again, not waiting long, I was soon off and even more quickly, reached Little Scoat Fell which was distinctly unimpressive but did have a convenient wall that I could shelter behind for a drink and a brief rest. Steeple was next on the list. I followed the wall for a short while before breaking off right and descending to the base of the climb up to Steeple which was a mixture of path and some easy scrambling. The cloud had lifted a little so good views were had. Off again, descending, then climbing back to the Scoat Ridge I followed it back past the summit and onwards to Black Crag, a very bouldery summit that took careful walking both up to it and off again. Another descent to a saddle and the big climb of the day up to Pillar. It was a long ascent, made doubly so by the low cloud obscuring any view and making the summit all but invisible until the final 50 metres or so. The trig point has a convenient shelter and it was here that I decided to have lunch. Well protected from the cold wind, I enjoyed my sandwich with nothing but a few sheep for company.

Having enjoyed my lunch, it was time to head for the final peak which was much lower than Pillar and as I looked ahead, I couldn't see it but realised that was because it was hidden behind the ridge. There is a good, but at times, steep path down and I made my way downwards, eventually past the ridge to see Looking Stead come into view. It looked tiny compared to the other mountains of the day and in fact, it was! Reaching the foot I summited in just a few minutes. It was worth the ascent as the view down to Ennerdale and the mountains either side of the valley were well worth it.

From here, the path descends all the way to Wasdale with no difficulties and is on a good gradient so doesn't feel too steep, but nevertheless, loses height at a good rate. On the way down, I needed to put on full waterproofs as the heavens had opened, but it was short-lived and within fifteen minutes, removed them as I was far too hot! The final walk in passes the Wasdale Hotel and the lure of the bar for a coffee was too much to resist. A good day out with mixed weather and another set of mountains in the bag.

Seatallan(692m), Haycock(797m), Little Gowder Crag(733m), Caw Fell(690m), Iron Crag(640m)

Total Distance : 23km, Total Ascent : 1,273m

The biggest mileage day of my trip started with a long walk over to Seatallan from Wasdale Hall YHA. As the mountain got closer, it got steeper which made for a tough start, but just under two hours and I was standing on the first summit of the day, with my second, Haycock just visible in the cloud. There is a big descent which then makes Haycock even higher but I spied a good route just left of direct which I took rather than my original plan to go right and up the easier side. The going was easy on a grassy break between the boulders and I made good progress all the way to the top. It is a bouldery summit but has a shelter, complete with wooden bench type seating. It seemed rude not to stop for a drink and biscuit

From there it is a short hop to Little Gowder Crag which is unremarkable and not worthy of a stop, and another short hop to Caw Fell. Thoughtfully there is a break in the wall and a stile over the fence to give access to the Caw Fell summit cairn. Checking my map, I realised I needed to be back on the other side of the wall, so after the obligatory photos, made my way back and followed it to the turn. Iron Crag is then directly ahead just under a mile away, but involves a steep descent followed by an equally steep ascent to the summit. Unfortunately the summit is on the far side of another wall with no stile or means of crossing. Of course I had to stand on the summit, so carefully scaled the wall. Being a drystone wall, extra care was required not to dislodge stones otherwise the whole wall could collapse in impressive fashion! Returning, I followed the wall on the wrong side, hoping for a break and when I realised there would be none, resorted to climbing again! Safely over, I ascended Caw Fell again and took a direct line down to the valley to pick up a very thin path. Satisfied I was on the right path, I stopped for lunch, enjoying the scenery and the glorious sunshine which I'd had to myself all day. Reluctantly, I finally packed my gear and headed off along the path, which at times, vanished and reappeared, requiring constant checking with the map.

Finally I emerged onto a small lane which I followed for a few minutes before winding through farm tracks to eventually emerge on the main Wasdale lane. It was a few minutes walk along this to the Youth Hostel and the end of a long, hot day.

Allen Crags (785m), High House Tarn (684m), Red Beck Top (721m), Looking Steads (775m), Glaramara (783m), Combe Head (735m), Combe Door (676m), Dovenest Top (637m), Rosthwaite Cam (612m)

Total Distance : 15km, Total Ascent : 1,084m

Being dropped off and picked up had a distinct benefit, it saved the long walk to Seathwaite from the Honister road. Leaving the car, I followed the Styhead Pass steadily and at times, steeply upwards. It was a very cold day and there was frequent icing on the path slowing progress and increasing the likelihood of slipping. Careful progress eventually bought me to the foot of Great End, where I turned left and continued up, although not as steeply. Allen Crags is 785 metres high and I was already well over 600 metres.

The route to the summit is fairly obvious and follows a path. It is quite rocky and extra care was needed as the rocks were in turn, icy, slippery and at times wet where the sun had melted the ice. The views from the summit made it well worth the effort though and I enjoyed the first of nine summits gazing around at Great End, Pike O'Stickle and Harrisons Stickle in Langdale and across to the mighty Great Gable mountain. It was too cold to stay long and I was soon off towards the second peak of the day, High House Tarn (684m). As I approached each peak, the next was clearly visible but still some navigation was required to pick the best line through the rocks and across the open areas, although most of what would have been very wet bog, was today, iced hard ground which made that considerably easier.

Looking Steads (775m) was quite a pull up and did require a stop on the way, to take photos of course, nothing to do with needing a breather! Next on the list was Glaramara which went quite easily and it was my first encounter with other walkers. We exchanged greetings and I continued on the rocky ground to stand on the high point, then to find a good rock for lunch. Again, I didn't stay long as it was quite cold and I still had four more peaks to conquer.

Combe Head (735m) was dead ahead, although it took me a while to get off the rocky summit of Glaramara and onto easier ground. Combe Head is another steep final ascent and I was pleased to be on the summit. Sixth peak done and I was starting to feel the efforts of the day, but still had three to go, albeit the least high peaks. Combe Door (676m) was again a steep final ascent and rocky descent requiring extreme care as it had clearly not benefitted from any sunshine so was badly iced in places.

Dovenest Top (637m) was an obvious summit and soon reached, which left one final peak a short distance away. Over the icy ground I reached the rocky summit area and made my way up to the final steep rocks. I elected to leave my rucsac for the final climb as I would descend the same way and enjoyed a little scrambling free of the additional weight of the sac. Whilst on the summit I checked out the descent route and was pleasantly surprised to be able to see Tarn at Leaves just below, which would be my aiming point to pick up the main descent path to Borrowdale.

Collecting my pack we made our way down and over to the Tarn, soon arriving. The path took a little finding but I was soon on it heading down. Clearly this path is someones idea of a joke, it is relentlessly steep, incredibly slippery in places and requires concentration to both stay on the path and avoid a fall, but I managed, well, almost! I slipped on, ironically, melted wet grass and landed on my ass. No damage done as the ground was soft, but wet. Continuing down without further incident I reached flatter ground and followed the track out to the road. My pick up point was Borrowdale Youth Hostel, a short ten minute walk along the road. The coffee and cake was excellent and a very nice finish to a great, if cold, day out in the mountains completing the Great Gable area of mountains.

Day 1

High Crag (744m), High Stile (807m), Dodd (641m), Red Pike (755m), Starling Dodd (633m), Great Borne (616m)

Total Distance : 23km, Total Ascent : 1,543m

These mountains were the final mountains I needed to climb to complete the Nuttall mountains. Well, that's nearly true, there is one more but it's a rock climb so I suppose I should say they are the final mountains that I can walk to the top of.

I set off from Buttermere on a very miserable day, it was raining, although not heavily and the mountains all around were covered with low cloud. Today would not be one for views it seemed. The first part of the walk took me along the Northern side of Buttermere lake on a nice flat good trail. Clearly this could not last long, but I was enjoying the easy walking, warming up my legs for the day ahead. Then it ended.

For the next one and a half hours I climbed upwards, sometimes steeply, sometimes very steeply. It was a typical Lake District profile with the majority of the climbing being done early on, followed by undulations between mountains, or so I thought!

My first peak of High Crag (744m) was something of a disappointment given the effort to get there. A single cairn marked the summit and in fact, I walked past it initially, expecting something grander. It wasn't a day for hanging around so a quick photo and I was off. High Stile (807m) came shortly afterwards on a good track with seemingly little ascent, it was only 60m higher after all. On a clear day, I'm sure the views would have been excellent, but today, nothing. Another unremarkable cairn. Next on the list was Dodd (641m) but unfortunately I had to ascent Red Pike (755m) on the way as there was no sensible way to avoid it. From Red Pike it is steeply down on very slippery wet scree and mud to the saddle, then briefly up to the summit of Dodd. Nothing worth stopping for, so about turn and back up Red Pike for a second time. Actually, going up was much easier than coming down and I soon found myself on the summit, enjoying a break sat in the shelter - actually a circle of stones and barely a shelter!

Off again, summiting Little Dodd (590m) on the way to Starling Dodd (633m). A quick photo and we were off to Great Borne (616m) about a mile distant. It was fairly easy going until the final ascent which was quite steep and caught me out a little, especially as it was the lowest of the peaks, I'd expected an easy finish. Finally at the top, I decided it was lunchtime, so found myself a comfortable rock and tucked into my sandwich. It was too cold to stay long so as soon as I'd finished I headed off. The mountain hadn't finished with me yet and threw in a very steep descent which tested the legs to the full.

Finally I reached flatter, albeit, wetter ground and I turned right and followed the rather thin track, which seemed to come and go but eventually made its mind up and became quite a reasonable track which actually I followed all the way to Crummock water. I'd considered climbing Mellbreak on the way, but decided against it, that would do for another day. Near Scale Force waterfall the track improves dramatically and I followed this better track along the lake and right back into Buttermere for a well earned coffee. That's Great Gable area pretty much done, the Lake District pretty much done, and England pretty much done.

Day 2

Pillar Rock (780m)

Total Distance : 15km, Total Ascent : 1,561m

So, it all came down to this, the final mountain in the final group to complete the entire Nuttall class of mountains. Pillar Rock is a rock climb, it can be done as a scramble, but it's at the very top end and is actual a graded rock climb called 'Slab and Notch' for reasons that become obvious when on it. As I hadn't done any rock climbing for many years, I engaged the services of a local guide, Sam, to take me there, and a wise decision it proved to be.

Parking at Gatesgarth farm in Borrowdale, we had a tough walk ahead of us, firstly to climb to the top of Scarth Gap which splits Haystacks from High Crags, the latter I did a few days ago as reported above. From there, it is a long descent down into the Ennerdale valley, emerging onto the forest track right below Pillar Rock. Unfortunately, there is the small matter of ascending to the base of the climb which I found to be the hardest part. It didn't help that it had been raining much of the day thus far, and in fact would continue to rain as we ascended to the climb.

Eventually we reached steeper rockier ground, made worse by the continuing rain, so we stopped to put on harnesses and helmets, prepare the rope and continue up to near the base. Rucsacs were stowed and we continued unencumbered to the start of the route. There is an initial small climb, followed by a down climb on a smooth slab. The leader had protection above in case of a fall, but following I needed to remove that gear so had nothing, other than the rope of course. The rock was slippery and the holds polished and I nervously made my way down, encouraged by Sam who offered helpful advice on foot placement. That done I easily crossed to the belay point. The second pitch is directly upwards but on good solid holds and we made short work of it. Pitch three was another easy pitch with a good belay point. Sam headed off on the final pitched section and I soon followed, enjoying the climbing but reflecting on the fact that it was my first ever rock climb in full waterproof gear!

From this point, it was an easy scramble onto the summit. It was raining harder if anything and getting quite cold, so after a few photos, we quickly sorted the rope and abseiled down the two pitches into Jordan Gap, then made our way back to the rucsacs, job done. Well, almost. The descent to the valley was tough on the knees, being very steep, rocky and slippery. Part way down, the rain stopped and for a few minutes, the sun came out. This was an ideal time for lunch. From there, it was more steep descent and I was pleased to emerge onto the flat forest track, although it was short lived. Crossing the stream by the bridge, we headed up to Scarth Gap again, over the top and down the descent which, although steep, was relatively easy compared to the earlier descent, being on a good path with some steps along the way. Finally we came to Borrowdale valley base and it was a short walk across to the car park.

It was great sense of satisfaction and achievement to finally complete all of the mountains and Pillar Rock was a great final peak, I'm pleased I left it until the end.