Winter has arrived on the mountains
09th January 2014
Winter had arrived overnight and left the mountain tops covered in snow. At times like this the lakes are imposing and take on an Alpine quality and it is days like this my pulse races as a boyish enthusiasm takes hold as I eagerly make haste to get up onto the whitened summits.
Today's route would be over very familiar territory as I have been walking this particular group of Fells for over 35 years. I was heading into the Langdale Pikes, the most recognisable of any mountain group in the UK (and maybe the world).
As it is extremely quiet at the moment I decided to take the main route up Stickle Ghyll. The stream is a long and continuous drop of water that descends in a series of waterfalls and rills before reaching the main valley base. At one point there is a large 40ft waterfall that cascades wide and fast and is a dominant feature from the valley floor. This fall can be seen at all times of the year.
Though the sun regularly broke through the cloud, creating a benign and beautifully colourful setting, the rocks were slippery due to being covered in a wet 'lichenous' slime. I and to take care as at times the rocks were more like sheet ice. Further up the mountain the snow now covered the wet lichen making a medium for Torvill and Dean performing to Ravel's Bolero.
With The Bolero now an 'ear worm' I plodded on to Ravel's beat. On reflection this is apt as the drummer repeats his pattern for over 15minutes which mirrored my thigh burning ascent. And as I drudged higher, step after step like the final bar of Bolero, my ardour of the ascent abruptly ended on reaching the glory of Stickle Tarn.
The tarn sits in a glacially formed bowl and is a wide, flat of water found at just under 2000ft. The tarn nestles under the fierce buttresses of Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark. These high mountains that guard over the winding valley of Langdale, stand broodily over the tarn. Access into their upper reaches is not obvious.
The weather now changed as sleet was carried thick and fast on an increasing wind. The sleet quickly covered the rocks making further ascent difficult. I visited the summit of Pavey Ark, which sits on the edge of 400ft drop, looking back down to Stickle Tarn, then onto Harrison Stickle, the highest of the Langdale group. I steered clear of any obvious rocky outcrops as the surface was now treacherous.
Though the weather improved a little, it did little to improve the security of walking across steep falling mountainside. Therefore it was a slow descent and it was good to reach the valley again as my knees ached from the jarring. Unlike Torvill and Dean no one threw bouquets of flowers along my path, so I headed to the warm fireside of the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.
Today's route would be over very familiar territory as I have been walking this particular group of Fells for over 35 years. I was heading into the Langdale Pikes, the most recognisable of any mountain group in the UK (and maybe the world).
As it is extremely quiet at the moment I decided to take the main route up Stickle Ghyll. The stream is a long and continuous drop of water that descends in a series of waterfalls and rills before reaching the main valley base. At one point there is a large 40ft waterfall that cascades wide and fast and is a dominant feature from the valley floor. This fall can be seen at all times of the year.
Though the sun regularly broke through the cloud, creating a benign and beautifully colourful setting, the rocks were slippery due to being covered in a wet 'lichenous' slime. I and to take care as at times the rocks were more like sheet ice. Further up the mountain the snow now covered the wet lichen making a medium for Torvill and Dean performing to Ravel's Bolero.
With The Bolero now an 'ear worm' I plodded on to Ravel's beat. On reflection this is apt as the drummer repeats his pattern for over 15minutes which mirrored my thigh burning ascent. And as I drudged higher, step after step like the final bar of Bolero, my ardour of the ascent abruptly ended on reaching the glory of Stickle Tarn.
The tarn sits in a glacially formed bowl and is a wide, flat of water found at just under 2000ft. The tarn nestles under the fierce buttresses of Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark. These high mountains that guard over the winding valley of Langdale, stand broodily over the tarn. Access into their upper reaches is not obvious.
The weather now changed as sleet was carried thick and fast on an increasing wind. The sleet quickly covered the rocks making further ascent difficult. I visited the summit of Pavey Ark, which sits on the edge of 400ft drop, looking back down to Stickle Tarn, then onto Harrison Stickle, the highest of the Langdale group. I steered clear of any obvious rocky outcrops as the surface was now treacherous.
Though the weather improved a little, it did little to improve the security of walking across steep falling mountainside. Therefore it was a slow descent and it was good to reach the valley again as my knees ached from the jarring. Unlike Torvill and Dean no one threw bouquets of flowers along my path, so I headed to the warm fireside of the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.