Holiday - Lake District - Day 15 - Home Time

Lake District Holiday

Saturday 7th July 2018

Today was home time.  We were both sad to be leaving as we had had a great holiday.  We have done so much in 2 weeks but there are more things we would like to do.  A return visit is definitely required at some point!

We got packed up quite quickly and set off just before 9am.  We had a good journey and were back home around 15.30.  Next we had to unload the car and sort it all out and put everything away before we could sit and relax!

Holiday - Lake District - Day 14 - Dow Crag Climbing and Scrambling ad Old Man of Coniston

Lake District Holiday

Friday 6th July 2018

Today was our last day here in the Lake District.  We had a very adventurous day out planned.  We set off from the apartment and made our way down to Coniston.  We parked the car in a disused quarry not far out of Coniston.  

We got our back packs on and set off just gone 9am for the base of Dow Crag.

The walk out took us round the side of the Old Man of Coniston and then up to Goat's Water.  At the beginning of the Tarn we could see the full extent of the climb we had ahead of us.

The route was 100m long and finished up at a small grassy ledge called Easy Terrace.  From there we could either descend or carry on up to the summit.  We carried on up to the base of the climb.  We could see that there were no other climbers on the route already so we could get ourselves kitted up and get going.

The route wasn't to hard to follow we just had to have a look around and use the most worn route up the rock.  The guide divides up the climb into 7 pitches but a lot of what we had read about the climb said pople tent to divide it into 5 instead.  We thought we would just see what happens! We did it in 5 in the end.  It was a good climb with only one tricky bit that needed careful negotiation.  A broken flake of rock was sitting in a precarious position and care was needed not to kick it off on to anyone below.  Tim had a look at the patch and decided to take us a slightly different way round that bit.  A good choice when I got up there to see the dodgy area!  100m later we were sat on Easy Terrace and could have some lunch.  It was a good climb and we were glad we chose to do it.

Once we had eaten and rested we had a think about what we wanted to do next.  We were both quite keen to continue up if it looked appropriate.  We had read that the scramble zigzags to the top and the lower bit that we were now above was the harder section.  The downwards option was going down the lower section of the scramble.  We walked along Easy Terrace and identified where both routes went.  As we were both keen to continue up that is where we went.  The scramble was well trodden and pleasant.  The main thing was to not look down as we were already 100m up!  I didn't take us long and we were climbing up on to the top.

From where we joined the ridge we only had a short way to go to get to the summit of Dow Crag.

From the top of Dow Crag we had a few options depending on how far we wanted to walk.  We decided to continue along the ridge and up over the Old Man of Coniston and back down the far side.

After another small section of up hill effort we were on the top of the Old Man on Coniston.

Down hill from there onwards, it was very steep in places!!  As we got down to the Tarn the path turned to go through a disused slate mine.  There were old ruined buildings, tunnels and even some old railway tracks!

The route down of the hill felt long and never ending.  My feet certainly knew about it!!  Eventually we were back at the car.  It had been a great climb, scramble and walk.  Made for a great last day of the holiday.  This evening we were planning on going to the pub for dinner.  It was about 6 when we got back to the car.  We felt that by the time we had got back and showered it would be a bit late to go to the pub in Ambleside.  We decided instead to visit one of the pubs in Coniston.  It was a good choice the food was really nice and came quickly.

Back at the apartment we did a little tidying up ready for going home but we very quickly ended up flopping on the sofa as we were both shattered!!

Holiday - Lake District - Day 13 - Rydal Caves and Skelwith Force

Lake District Holiday

Thursday 5th July 2018

Today we decided to have a fairly restful day as we were both quite tired.  We had a lie in and then went down into Ambleside, we had a few shopping bits to sort.  We then headed over to Rydal and walked up to the caves.  W had seen one of them across the valley when we did the Fairfield Horseshoe Walk.

We next went to Hawkshead and had an ice cream before going to have a look round Coniston.  From there we went back via Skelwith to wander out to the waterfall Skelwith Force. 

We managed to park for free on the edge of the road and joined the footpath along the edge of the river up to the waterfall.

We then headed back to the apartment for some dinner and a relaxing evening reading up about tomorrows climbing options.

Holiday - Lake District - Day 12 - Paddling Derwent Water

Lake District Holiday

Wednesday 4th July 2018

Today we decided to try again head up past Keswick to park at Kettlewell Car Park for a paddle on Derwent Water.  We called via Booths supermarket in Keswick to pick up BBQ supplies and then headed to the carpark.  We got there and once again it was full!  We decided we would try the carpark further down the road and see what it was like for carrying the kayak etc down to the lake.  It was manageable so we set off with everything to the stoney beach.

With the kayak inflated and everything in dry bags and tied on we set off round the lake.  It was a smaller lake than some of the ones we have paddled on this holiday so we decided to try and paddle right round the whole lake.  We stopped on a couple of the islands on our way round too but didn't stay on them long as there was plenty of Goose poo around!!  Back at the beach Tim sorted the Kayak out and hung everything up to dry and I went to the car to get the BBQ stuff.  By now we were both quite hungry.  Most of the times we have paddled over the last 2 weeks there has been someone having a BBQ and making us feel very jealous.  Today was our turn, it was very nice too!

  

Holiday - Lake District - Day 11 - Climbing Middlefell Buttress

Lake District Holiday

Tuesday 3rd July 2018

Today's chosen activity was climbing.  We decided on Middlefell Buttress and a route with the same name.  This was a multi-pitch route so we would need to carry all our stuff with us up the climb.  This meant we were going to pack light and only take essentials.  We loaded everything into the car and headed for Langdale Fell.  

We parked at Old Dungeon Ghyll Pub and got ready to walk up to the buttress.  We could see that there were some climbers on the route we were planning but they were making good progress.  The walk up was very steep and hot.

The last climber was just setting off as we got to the base of the climb.  We were quite happy to take a pew on a rock to rest and cool down from the walk up till the section of the climb was clear.  The first section had a tricky start as the rock was quite polished from many climbers taking on the route.  The rock was also hot from the sun shining on it all day!

The next pitch was long at about 45m and would make communication difficult so we divided it into 3 smaller sections.  

At the top of this section there was a grassy plateau were we sat and had our lunch.  Luckily there was no one following us up the climb so we could take our time!

Just the last pitch to go now.  The first bit was slightly awkward with our backpacks on as it made us feel a bit precariously balanced. After this though the rest of the climb was nice. Finally at the top it felt good to have climbed the 80m! We just had to work out how to get down again!! Often harder than the ascent itself! The path was well used but rather steep and slippery with loose stones. There was lots of bracken to old on to!!

Back down the bottom and back at the pub we relaxed with a drink to recover and look back at what we had just climbed!

Tonight neither of us felt like cooking any dinner so we visited the Chinese Take Away in Ambleside!

Holiday - Lake District - Day 10 - Coniston Water Paddling

Lake District Holiday

Monday 2nd July 2018

Today we decided to head over to Coniston Water to have a paddle.  We parked up at Machell Coppice and took everything down to the stoney beach.  Not long after setting off a breeze made the progress quicker, though it also made the water more choppy!

We planned to paddle down to Peel Island and hopefully we could land on it for a rest!  It was lovely on the island and I spent ages paddling to cool off!  We paddled back up the other side hoping it would be a bit more sheltered from the wind - unfortunately not, it was quite choppy and hard going in places as we were paddling straight into the wind!

We paddles 5.8 miles by the time we got back to the beach.  We sat in the sun for a bit while the kayak dried off before packing it up.  There was a family having a BBQ in the beach - definitely a great idea we should do next time we paddle!!

Holiday - Lake District - Day 9 - Fairfield Horseshoe Walk

Lake District Holiday

Sunday 1st July 2018

This morning we got up early and got ready to go out for our walk.  The route planned is the Fairfield Horseshoe - taking in 9 summits on the way!!

We parked in Rydal and set off walking just past 8am hoping to do the ascent in the cooler sunshine.  We crossed the river and headed up past the church - steep going but nice underfoot to start with. Very soon we were on a stoney path amongst bracken gaining height quite rapidly.  Even leaving earlier it was very hot!  We eventually made it to the summit of Nab Scar.

We still had more ascent to do but we had already done just under half of it.  The path continued at a much easier gradient.  Heron Pike was the next hill ahead, it had 2 summits - Heron Pike Summit and Heron Pike North Top.

The next section was a much nicer walk along the  top of the ridge before more ascent up on to Great Rigg.  For the last bit of ascent we were joined by another group of walkers coming up from Grasmere. 

The other walkers all stopped for lunch so we thought we would continue on to the top of Fairfield and stop there.  The path was hard going and I was relieved to finally be at the top of the highest point on our walk.  By now I was very hot and in much need of sitting and cooling down!!  We had some lunch and Tim took some photos of the views. 

Feeling much more refreshed we set off again.  The path was initially a nice going ridge path.  The next summit was Hart Crag.  There was unfortunately some negative progress in the form of some down hill scrambling.  The path then steeply rose again back up again to Hart Crag!  

Once again the path descended only to go back up!  Dove Crag was next on the list! At this point the main up hill sections were done! 

On the way down we went over High Pike and Low Pike.  

By the time we got to Low Pike we were still at just over 500m so still a lot of down to go.  The path was initially very scrambly and then turned into a track.  It felt like it was going on forever and I really just wanted to be back at the car already!!

Just as we were getting to the bridge back to the car ark we saw that there was an ice cream van there.  That was a very welcome sight and much required!!

Back at the apartment and a cool shower my feet definitely needed to be up!!