Walking With Williams

The good:

Got to the lakes in the end!! Drove up Friday night but due to the consistent rain on the last part of the M6, I once again chickened out of wildcamping, instead taking the easier option of camping at the Castlerigg Hall campsite – one of my favourites.

Friday evening saw nothing of great interest though did get a new jacket and most interesting – the annoying OMM Chest Pouch – more of that later. Anyhow, a couple of drinks whilst studing the map provided the inspriation for Saturdays new route – an extended Newlands Valley horseshoe.

An early morning saw me leave the campsite by 08:00. I walked through Keswick from the campsite, then over the base of Catbells, through Little Town to finally reach the first mountain of the day – Robinson. At the summit, I turned left over Hinescarth Edge to Dale Head. Here, once again, I turned left to Maiden Moor.

Tarn on Robinson

All in all, a great walk, and I had only a minor descent then climb to Catbells, and the stroll back to Keswick….

The bad:

Then it happened. strolling down Maiden Moor, on slightly rough ground I felt a sudden twinge in my right (bad) knee. Oh oh. Still, doesn’t hurt. I carried out, really carefully, but over the next 10 minutes, the pain started. Exactly the same pain (to a lesser degree) to my pre arthroscopy. I new I shouldn’t complete catbells, so got down to the lake side. Interestingly, I managed the 5 miles or so to Keswick with little discomfort.

Popped in to the Bank Tavern for a pint (for medicinal purposes) but it was too busy. I was shattered and the faff of standing having a cider was too much. Instead, I got a taxi back to the campsite, and tried their new restaurant – a nice garlic mushroom / lasagna washed down with some white wine. Nice.

The ugly:

Well, not actualy ugly, but the most memorable part of the walk, other than the knee, was the OMM Chest Pouch. I really like the idea of it – especially to store my Powershot G6, and some snacks. And for this, its size and shape are perfect. Using my beanie hat to wrap the camera seems to provide enough protection for simple walking. I would put the camera back in the main sack if I was on a proper scramble though.

What I disliked was the difficulty of getting the ruck sack on and off. Now, I haven’t read up about ways of using the pouch, so there might well be work arounds, but I found the easiest way to get the sack off and on was to slacken the shoulder straps to their loosest, then twist the rucksack so I am almost hugging it. From there, I can lift it over my head. Now, this is neither convenient, nor ergonomic. Lucky I had little weight in the sack. However, I did like the different storage options the pouch opens up. Especially when the clouds appeared – I could easily store my waterproof trousers in there to put on quickly if the rain did come. I think I could also get the Marmot Mica in as well, but its immediate access is of less importance when it takes 2 minutes to get the rucksack off!!!

Anyhows, I have uploaded some photos, and all that remains is for me to phone the physio and surgeon to see what I should do next with the knee…

Right, once again, apologies for not blogging recently. Just been too busy. So what have I been doing recently?

Firstly, me and the missus camped in Wasdale at the beginning of April to celebrate our first year together. We drove up Friday evening and pitched the tents at Church Stile / Nether Wasdale. Saturday, I introduced ‘her outside’ to Lakeland mountain biking over Windemere way. She now respects even smaller Lakeland hills. Tough day, but dinner in the Screes warmed us enough to get through a very cold night. 

Sunday was meant to see an easy walk up and over the screes. The first parts – uphill and accorss the top were and we decended on the far side of Wastwater by about 2. However, the return screeful (is that a word?) leg along Wastwater was an education on why to never underestimate cumbrian ‘footpaths’. 2 hours later after only maybe 3 miles, and we finally got back to camp about 7. We were shattered, and I was sunburnt. However, after some camp cooked pasta, we were up for a pint or 3 in the screes again. Nice. 

Good weekend.

Back a little early from the Lakes.

Firstly, a little confession. I didn’t camp due to the hugh amount of water lying in the valley. I therefore stayed at the Dollywagon Guest House in Keswick – big ups to the hosts, great b & b with local walking advice and price. Yummy breakie too.

Anyhows, with the change of accommodation came a change of route. A quick map session in the Dog and Gun lead me to the decision of trying Skiddaw. That was that.

Left the car parked by the Ravenstone Hotel and walked up Longside Edge. Whilst it did take a lot of effort to gain the height to get on the Edge, the intitial views over Bassenthwaite were well worth it. The edge it fairly easy, no technical work, and the path dodges from left to right side of the top. The wind was blowing even from about 300m, and each time the path went to the right, the wind hit again.

As you continue past Ullock Pike, you get to final part of the ridge hitting Carl Side – a broad fell top with possibly the smallest cairn I have ever seen. It was at this point that I started to worry about the wind, it was srong here, and I had another 200m of ascent left. This ascent was up quite loose, sometimes ash like scree – one step forward, 1/2 a step back. And step by step, the wind’s strength grew.

Just as I thought it couldn’t get any stronger, I reached the plateue and a hugh gust pushed my uncontrollably about 2 metres. I could see the Northern top, and I decided immediately, that I would do the summit and retrace my steps back to Carl Side, rather than cover the entire plateau for the possibly easier descent. I think I made the right decision, i had to lower myself to reduce wind profile as the gusts were the most powerful I have experienced. 20 minutes later, I was coming back back down the scree slope. It was too windy to use the poles, I knew I wouldn’t be able to place them at all.

However, as soon as I reached Carl Side, they came out and I got some descent speed and momentum down to Millbeck where I saw some wallabies at a farm! A simple 3 or 4 miles got me back to the car. All in all, a fairly easy walk considering the ascent, which was only made difficult due to the wind. I even had my obligatory walking in marino base layer moment whilst walking back to the car.

The evening saw me back in the Dog and Gun for Sundays walking decision. I knew it was going to be windy, with possible snow. So Catbells, and possibly High Spy were the choice.

However, in the morning, I woke to a fair amount of snow. However, I could see much more snow away from the Derwent basin, so decided to drive down to Grasmere for a sprint up Helm Crag. Again, an easy walk up, until I got to the summit, the wind blew strong and fast, but the weather was generally ok until I took my last planned photography. Suddenly, I was blasted with fast moving hail, to the point it reached over my glasses making both eyes water. I immediately packed the camera and tripod, and descended quickly from the summit to a dip where i could get enough shade to get the waterproof top on, poles out, gloves on and camera packed properly.

Again, with poles in hand, i managed to descend in only about 20 mines, having chatted to loads of people walking up, including one guy whose torso garments were limited to a shirt and woolly jumper – interesting choice given the heavy rain, snow and hail. Anyhow, 2 hours it took for the entire walk. I was happy with the photos, and views over Easedale and significant snowfall on Helveyln. The biggest regret was that the wind hadn’t been that strong over night, and the planned Angle Tarn camp would have been appropriate. Still, better safe than sorry.

After a bit of outdoors laziness of recent, this weekend I am going to kick start 2009 with a 25 miler in the Lakes split over this Saturday and Sunday. My single NY resolution this year is to do a 25+ miler once a month, every month.

I have booked next Monday off work, and am partially copying Bearded Git’s walk from a couple of years ago.

Friday night will see me camp at Sykeside to acclimatize to Winter camping. A hopefully faff-free morning will see me leave early to walk over Beda fell and onto the north end of High Street. A bit of wandering up High Street to Swarthbeck will hopefully find me a nice rest spot.

After an obviously quiet and good nights sleep (yeah right!), a Wayfayer’s bean and bacon breakie will power me on up High Street, past High Raise but only to The Knott. Here, weather permitting, I reckon a nice sit down to emerge myself further into nature will allow me my first Golden Eagle viewing (yeah right!!). Then my well rehearsed descent past Satura Crag will dump me at Angle Tarn for my third and final trip camp.

Monday morning will see the easy descent down Hayeswater Gill and back to the campsite to pack the trusty Volvo and a journey back home via the effortless, flowing M6 (yeah right!!! (Promise thats my last yeah right (yeah right!!!!)).

My biggest current concern is how, and whether I can get all my intended kit into my Deuter 32l sack. I failed when I tried last weekend, so I am revising kit list to see whether there is anything I don’t need, and figure whether i can pack it a little more intelligently. Um…