Dave and I added a few days onto the start of the Easter trip to the Lakes with the express purpose of Dave completing his Wainwrights.
For the uninitiated, a Wainwright is a Lakeland Fell described in the pictorial guides by professional curmudgeon, Alfred Wainwright. There are 214 in total and the fastest completion is 6 days. Dave hasn’t broken any records in his dash to complete, but it has introduced us to some charming little fells we might never have got to otherwise.
I confess that during a period of painful feet I did refuse to accompany Dave up the rather uninspiringly named “Lank Fell”. At 87% completion there’s not much risk of it, but there would be some irony if this turns out to be my final fell.
For Wainwright 207 we enjoyed the company of Mike and Cress, who were also staying a few extra days. Above Buttermere is Rannerdale Knotts, a very nice little ridge with panoramic views along the width of the tombolo separating Buttermere and Crummock Water. This being a Dave P walk, naturally the pleasant little Wainwright wasn’t enough of a challenge, so we continued up some of its larger cousins. We bagged another three peaks before an unexpectedly tortuous descent via Gasgill Dale. By the time we got down to the road, we’d already been hiking for about 8 hours and we still had 3 miles to go along the valley to the pub. Eventually we staggered over the threshold gasping for beer and a hearty meal. Strangely, Mike and Cress didn’t accompany us on any other walks before we joined the group at St John in the Vale.
Ali
Easter in the Vale
What a spot! Incredible location! The St. John’s in the Vale Centre is up the end of a very long single track lane, but surrounded by hills. The only downside was the distance to the pub.
On day 2 we headed up Hart Side and on to the Dodds. As this was Dave’s last Wainwright, there was a good turnout on the walk. From the car park we squelched up the valley through a series of slithery bogs before emerging on Birkett Fell at the start of the ridge. At this point the weather was still a bit hazy, so the less-dedicated decided to turn back after Hart Side. To be fair it was rather chilly, but I feel they did all the hard work but missed out on the reward. On the col below Stybarrow Dodd we sat down to enjoy lunch and slowly the cloud lifted. Still freezing cold, but freezing cold with a view! By the time we passed the summit shelter on Great Dodd it was full sunshine and the views were sensational.
Back at the centre the drying room was filled with soggy shoes, socks, trousers from the expedition. For a taste of the day and the trip as a whole, you need to see the video Esther edited together -it’s brilliant!
Slip Slop
Esther did you feel no pain
Slipping in that smelly bog?
Will you do it please again?
Mum wants to film it for her vlog
What’s in a Pencil?
The story goes that a storm caused a tree to uproot in the valley above Seathwaite and a glistening black substance was found clinging to its roots. Pure carbon is only found in two forms in nature, both the products of volcanoes. Borrowdale may not have gotten any diamonds, but the native graphite gave rise to a whole pencil-making industry.
This is only one of many minerals that have been exploited in the Lake District. The museum at Threlkeld Quarry has a fascinating map showing the locations of all the minerals – evidence of an industrial past that still shows in the landscape today. Just opposite Threlkeld are the steep sides of Blencathra, the location of lead mines, and of course we all know about Coniston and its copper mines. Threlkeld itself was home to a granite chipping quarry - constituents of sturdy road surfaces all over the country. Oh, and really big diggers.