Days 7 to 11 - AT Training Hikes - Lake District National Park - Wasdale

AT Training Hikes - Lake District National Park - Wasdale  

Days 7 - 11, Sunday 26th to Thursday 30th January 2014

Three great days on the high fells, each with different weather challenges, plus two rest days.

Our Gossamer Gear Mariposa backpacks we're trialling for the AT are proving very comfortable, we're very pleased with them.  We've no scales with us but have probably been carrying 20+ pounds with ease.  The ideal backpack weight we're aiming for on the AT is somewhere between 25 and 30 pounds depending on what food supplies we'll be carrying .  On top of our usual gear I've been carrying 5 litres of water each day and Nigel's been carrying a climbing rope and some tinned food cans to get used to carrying additional weight!

The cold, wet weather we've had has also been great practice for us to perfect our layering systems.

To summarise:  We walked 38.2 miles over 3 days (6 Wainwrights including Englands highest mountain).  Average 12.75 miles per day.  Average speed 2.1 mph.  Our total ascent, 3093m (10,147 ft). 

Details of each individual day are below:

 

Day 7: Zero Day

Today we planned a rest day, or 'zero' day as they call it in America (a zero walking day), which worked out well as the weather was wetter and windier than ever when we woke.  We had a lazy start and lovely cooked breakfast.  We felt sorry for all the weekend campers packing away their tents in the heavy wind and rain, that could be us in a few weeks time! 

We moved campsites today, once we got the van jump started - we had a flat battery!  We headed south via the coast over to Wasdale, South West Lakes, where we are booked into the National Trust campsite for 4 nights - new area, new walks.  We stopped off about 10 miles before the campsite in the small village of Gosforth to stock up on food supplies at the only village grocery store around, a messy little Aladdin's cave of a shop that had everything, you don't see shops like that around much anymore.

We arrived late afternoon then had a chilled evening watching dvd's.  We're in the middle of nowhere, there's been no TV signal or mobile signals at these campsites.

Day 8: Eskdale

A long hike today, we left the campsite, in the rain again, and headed up along the ridge above Wast Water to Illgill Head (609m) (often referred to as Wast Water screes) it was a long steep slog up the grassy slopes to the top. Not much to see again in the rain and mist but the rain did eventually stop for a while and the views clear a little.  We could see over to the coast and had a nice view down to Wast Water lake and Whin Rigg (535m) where we were heading to in the distance.

  

From Whin Rigg we descended down through Mitterdale Forest , the wood paths a nice change to bleak fells and on down to Eskdale Green where we thought there may be a cafe stop, but no such luck!

We crossed south of the River Esk and headed along an old bridleway alongside the river through Eskdale valley over a lovely wooden bridge by a ford continuing until we came to some stepping stones across the river.  Unfortunately for us because of the heavy rains they were impassable without getting very wet, which we weren't prepared to do.  The river level was gushing just above the stepping stones which would have been ok to cross still, but one stone was misplaced and the gap between the stones too large to jump. We turned and headed back, it was less than a mile detour to an alternative road bridge over the river. 

 We passed Dalegarth Station which was very 'closed'!  Everywhere seems to shut down in the Lakes in January.  We had the hills to ourselves again, we didn't see any other hikers out today again, just a couple of local dog walkers down by the river.

We passed through Boot, a quaint little village (the pub was actually open but we daren't go in because we still had about 4 miles to walk and were in danger of running out of daylight!)  with lovely traditional stone cottages.

From Boot we followed an old drovers path up over Eller How, Eskdale Moor and past Burnmoor Tarn in the fading light back to the campsite.  We managed to walk waterproof less for about half an hour before the heavens opened again!  We arrived just before the need for torches!

Stats: 16.6 miles in 7 hours with short breaks.  Average speed 2.37 mph.   Total ascent/descent 1086m. 

 Day 9- Scafell Pike - The highest mountain in England!

With the weather we've been having , there was never going to be a perfect day to climb Scafell Pike (978m), so we braved the rain again and headed to the summit of England's highest mountain up the tourist path.  A route Wainwright describes as 'dull' and 'a tiring and uninteresting grind'.  As we rarely get any views in the rain and mist and can only see about 3 steps in front of us with our heads down and blinkered waterproof gear on, we weren't that bothered!  A clear summers day is a bit different. 

We set off from the campsite up towards Lingmell Gill where we briefly got a clear view back over West Water and Illgill Head on the left where we were yesterday.  A gradual climb up a good path, across a stream and we were soon at the snow line, things started getting tougher from then on.

 

We continued up via Brown Tongue and over Hollow Stones rock field, the rocks were quite slippery with a thin covering of snow.  The rain turned to sleet and eventually snow and visibility got gradually worse.    The path would ordinarily be a reasonably easy and steady climb but the snow made it quite challenging, it was up to a foot deep in places requiring us to kick foot holes to progress. 

It seemed to take forever to reach the summit, we could only see about 20 feet in front of us so had no idea how much further it was.  The white snow just blended into the white snowy mist, it was quite windy so lots of snow blowing around.  Eventually we made it!  We could just about see ourselves at the top.  

We immediately turned and started descending in the same direction we came from - we wanted to get down before our footprints disappeared.  The snow was blowing around so much it had already covered some of our uphill tracks.  The weather was too miserable on top to take a selfie, so we took one on the way down. Initially it wasn't too bad going down kicking steps into the deeper snow, it got trickier and very slippery though once we hit the rockier path and rock field with wet slushy snow. 

Visibility soon improved and it wasn't too long before we were below the snow line and on solid ground again.  Once we got down to Lingmell Gill we decided we'd take the alternative route back via Wasdale Head Inn rather than heading straight back to the campervan.  We deserved a good pub meal after that climb today.  A real fire welcomed us followed by Steak and Ale Pie and Slow Cooked Belly Pork, yum yum. 

We were watched constantly whilst eating by Billy the pub dog (we felt quite at home just a different dog!) but unfortunately for Billy he had a little tag around his neck saying 'Please don't feed me - Otherwise I go home and fart a lot'.  Nigel sneaked him a bit of pork crackling!

From the pub it was about a mile back to the campsite along a level path that warned 'Path can flood - alternative route via road'.  We followed the path and of course after all the rain we've had came to a stream bed that would normally be quite dry but was now a shallow river.  We managed to wade across quickly without getting too wet and then dodge another flooded area by jumping a fence back into the campsite!

A thoroughly enjoyable but very challenging day.

Stats:  9.4 miles in 4 hours 45 mins.  Average speed 1.9mph.  Total ascent 911m

We were very pleased with our time - Wainwright says to allow 5 hours and that's not on a snowy day!

Day 10 -  Unplanned Day Off

Our campervan had a flat battery again this morning so instead of a planned day hiking we needed to sort the van out and get it back up and running again.  Nigel managed to jump start the van from our leisure battery and then we needed to take it for a drive to re charge the battery again.  We headed to Whitehaven up the coast, a northern seaside town.  It had a lovely harbour with a C2C statue marking the start of the Coast to Coast cycle route.

It turned out to be a decent day with nice views over towards Galloway.

A bit of a shame as we could have been hiking, but we enjoyed our additional rest day.  We called into a local cafe for brunch, all day breakfast, and then had a wander around the south harbour area which had many old landmarks, plaques and statues relating to the towns past mining era.  A visit to Morrisons to stock up on groceries and then we drove to St Bees where a couple of years ago we started the 'coast to coast' walk before heading back to our campsite.

Day 11 - Mosedale Horseshoe

A beautiful, clear, dry, sunny day at last!
Today we completed one of the Wasdale rounds, the Mosedale Horseshoe! We were heading for the snow capped hills in the distance.

A sedate track ascended to Black Sail Pass, turning left here brought both sunshine and hard packed snow.

A great opportunity to test our newly purchased YakTrax Pro's, which proved excellent on the easier angled slopes leading up to the summit of Pillar (892m).  Great views from the summit in all directions and looking back down to the Wasdale valley where we started.

From Pillar a steep descent over slippery rocks required care to Windy Gap.  From there the ridge continued on excellent hard neve (rock hard snow) to Scoat Fell (843m), the top covered in snow drifts.

With such good conditions and even windless sunshine, easy work was made of Red Pike (828m).

 Once off the snow an icey path descended the hillside to Dore Head. 

 We were looking for an easy descent to our campervan at Wasdale Head, instead we had the descent from hell!  A steep slippery descent down frozen scree back down to Wasdale valley.  It seemed to take forever to get down.  It did get easier and the scree looser towards the bottom.

  
 Stats: 12.2 miles in 6 hours 20 minutes.  Average 2mph.  Total ascent 1096m.
A fantastic winters day walk (until the scree!)