TimeOut Adventures: Days 12 - 16 - AT Training Hikes - Lake District National Park

AT Training Hikes - Lake District National Park - Braithwaite

Days 12 - 16, Friday 31st January to Tuesday 4th February 2014

We had another change of location, and moved to a campsite in Braithwaite, a couple of miles outside of Keswick, where we finally had some TV and mobile signals again!

We had a fantastic 16 days in The Lake District managing to get out walking on 14 of those days. The weather threw everything 'wet' at us (mist, rain, hail, sleet, snow, ice) plus strong winds which resulted in some challenging but still enjoyable days. We didn't do particularly big mileage days or long days. Over the fourteen days we walked 161 miles in 70 hours, 15 minutes, our total ascent 12,224m (40,104ft). This averages 11.5 miles a day, 2.29 mph, 873m ascent, 5 hour days. (These figures include snack breaks, toilet breaks, photography stops etc.)

When on the AT we are aiming for our average to be 15 miles per day, walking for roughly 7 - 8 hours a day. Although we will be carrying heavier packs and the mountains are twice as big, we hope to build on the fitness we have gained in The Lake District and not take too long to get our AT trail legs!

We have been very impressed with our new Panasonic Lumix FT-5 camera. We bought it because we wanted a camera we could use to record our journey come rain or shine. It has performed well in all the wet weather thrown at it, constantly stored in my wet backpack hip-belt pocket, it has produced some great photo's. Everything we would expect from a tough, waterproof camera.

To summarise days 12 - 16: We walked 48 miles over 5 days (11 Wainwrights). Average 9.6 miles per day. Average speed 2.3 mph. Our total ascent, 3915m (12,844 ft).

Details of each individual day are below:

Day 12 - Barf

The beautiful weather we had yesterday in Wasdale was the 'calm before the storm'- back to wet rain, sleet, snow again today with strong winds just to add to the fun.

We walked through Braithwaite village and along a wooded path to Thornthwaite. (We managed about half an hour again of dryness before having to put on our waterproofs when it started snowing, the snow falling at much lower levels today). From here it was a steep uphill path through Beckstones Plantation to Barf (468m). (Nigel's joke was that if he was running a outdoor stag weekend he would take the lads for a hike up to 'Barf' the morning after the big night out!)

It was wild, wet and very windy on the fell top.

From Barf we headed to Lord's Seat (552m) where we met another bunch of hikers also battling the strong winds, which had increased to about 40mph. We descended back into the woods for a bit of shelter from the wind, along a forest track and then a path through pretty snow covered pine trees before heading back onto the open fell again.

Braving the sleet and strong winds again, which were now gusting about 50mph, we ventured out on to the open fells for our last peak of the day, Whinlatter (526m). Today was definitely the wettest and coldest day so far because of the strong winds. We quickly headed back to the shelter of the woods which apparently, according to informative signs, has a large red squirrel population,

We continued down through the woods to Whinlatter visitor centre, which surprise surprise was closed, and then road walked in the slushy snow backed to Braithwaite.

Stats: 10 miles in 4 hours 45 minutes. Average 2mph. Total ascent 833m.

Day 13 - Keswick

Guess what?... ...Another very wild, wet and windy day! Heavy rain, sleet (and snow above 200m) plus 50mph winds were forecast again for today.
We decided to do a lower level walk into Keswick for lunch and a bit of shopping. From the campsite we walked up High Coledale to Barrow Door (446m) walking head on into the sleet and wind (not very pleasant) but we plodded on. We need to get used to walking in all sorts of weather whether we like it or not! We descended down Stoneycroft Gill, a very pretty valley that we only saw glimpses of every now and again - we constantly had our heads down looking at the ground a few steps in front of us, protecting our faces from the sleet and wind. Onwards across Newlands Beck to Swinside, then along quiet lanes to Derwent Hill and then on into Keswick.
We arrived dripping wet at The Oddfellows Arms, leaving a nice puddle on the floor where we removed our waterproofs, luckily the staff didn't seem to mind! A bargain 2 for £10 meal deal, Nigel had Giant Yorkshire Pudding with roast beef and veggies and I had Lasagne, salad and garlic bread. Warmed us up nicely.
The rain had eased slightly after lunch, so we hit the outdoor gear shops. We invested in some Extremities 'Tuff Bags GTX' waterproof gloves each! Very expensive but we believe, from our experiences this week getting through 2 to 3 pairs of gloves a day, lightweight waterproofness is better than wet insulation that gets heavy and takes ages to dry. I also bought a pair of Sealskinz waterproof socks. Nigel has been trialling a pair whilst we've been in the Lakes, he's not had wet feet at all, and rates them very highly. We had a nice conversation with the Cotswold Outdoors shop assistant about the AT, PCT and Te Araroa trails.
A quick stop at the Co-op for some grocery resupplies then we walked the quickest route back to the campsite - along the road. The rain had eased but the winds not, at one point we were almost blown back to Keswick! We just made it back in time - about 10 minutes after we arrived back, the heavy rain and winds increased again, our campervan has been rocking from side to side, the wind is that strong!

Only one photo taken today as we were passing a farm, it was just too wet and miserable, but the photo sums up today - great weather for ducks!

Stats: 8.5 miles in 3 hours. Average 2.8 mph. Total ascent 462m.

Day 14 - Coledale Circuit

Thankfully a dry day today, albeit very windy still. Leaving Braithwaite campsite we walked into a head wind up Coledale Beck, an easy, gradual ascent up a mine track to Force Crag Mine.

We crossed the beck and headed up a steeper path to Sail Pass.

Turning left at the top, the wind behind us now, onto the ridge path to Scar Crags (672m) and then on to Causey Pike (637m) where Nigel (not just to be romantic) held my hand to stop me blowing away! No real gusts of wind but a constant 40mph, reaching 50mph+ at compression points.

Being a Sunday we passed lots of other hikers out on the hills today and there were great views from the top.

From Causey Pike we retraced our steps slightly before descending across High Moss, then ascending Outerside (568m), down to Barrow Door (a path intersection we passed through yesterday, but saw nothing!) and up again over Barrow (455m). We thought we'd get into the AT spirit with a few 'PUDS' (an American trail term for 'pointless ups and downs'). Sorry Nigel, even if they are Wainwrights*, they are still PUDS!
It was then down a grassy slope back to Braithwaite - we could see home - our blue campervan down in the distance.

A great walk, quite tiring though fighting the wind all the time.

*The Wainwrights are 214 fells (hills and mountains) described in Alfred Wainwright's 7 volume guide 'Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells', visiting all Wainwrights is a common form of peak bagging.

Stats: 9.2 miles in 4 hours. Average 2.3mph. Total ascent 1064m.

Day 15 - High Spy Ridge

Another dry overcast day, but still very windy. We had a late start from the campsite this morning, setting off around 11am. We took a track from the village towards Newlands Valley passing below Barrow. The easy track up Newlands Valley, along side Newlands Beck, went on for about 7 miles, where we were heading for the col at Rigghead. It was a head on battle against the wind again, which gradually got stronger the further up the valley we walked - the valley acted as a big wind funnel. It felt like a 3 hour resistence training session - you don't get that in the gym!

We passed some cobble stones on the path, remains of an old copper quarry.

We passed Carlisle Mountaineering Clubs club hut, no one was in so we took advantage of their porch to shelter from the wind and have a quick snack.

Not long after leaving the hut, the path started ascending up to Rigghead.

From the top of Rigghead there were nice views back down the valley and looking south towards Great End.

The wind was blowing about 40-50mph again on the top. Our plan was to walk back along the ridge, Nigel did have a plan B to go back down a different valley. The wind was that strong that if I hadn't got my backpacks waist & chest straps on, I think it would have blown off me! I was all for wimping out and going the valley route, but Nigel encouraged me to continue with the ridge route, saying the winds should die down a bit once over the first and biggest peak. Nigel held onto me again to stop me blowing away until we were out of the worst of the winds - I need to perfect my balancing skills in the wind - I too easily get blown sidewards! He was right, by the time we got to the summit of High Spy (653m) we were out of the worst of the winds. We did have a strong tail wind though for the rest of the ridge, but the ridge walk was well worth battling the wind for.

From High Spy we continued to Maiden Moor (576m), nice views of Derwentwater from there. A bit milder the last couple of days so only a few patches of snow left on the tops.

and then on to Catbells (451m) at the end of the ridge, a very popular hill, small but perfectly formed, nice views from there too.

A steepish descent down to Stair village, along the road a short while then we rejoined a nice path along Newlands Beck to Little Braithwaite

where there was an attractive newly built slate bridge, which was rebuilt in 2010 following bad floods the year before.

It was starting to get dark, but we just had another half a mile to go down the road back to our campsite.

Stats: 14.9 miles in 6 hours. Average 2.5mph. Total ascent 1072m.

Day 16 - Derwent Fells

Our last morning in the lakes, another windy day and our old friends 'rain' and 'sleet' joined us again! We took a short drive from Braithwaite up towards Newlands Pass to a parking spot at Birkrigg, normally quiet. Not today, the local hunt were out exercising their dogs on a scent trail, so there were lots of cars, locals and farmers out spectating.
There was only time for a short walk this morning before we drove back south. We got the road walking out of the way first, walking along a quiet lane following Keskadale Beck up the valley passing a sheep with amazing, perfect, curly horns.

Once we reached Keskadale Farm we ascended up a horrible steep, slippery grass and muddy path up onto the fells. The view once we hit the top was worth the climb though.

We followed a path through the heather and a fresh sprinkling of snow up to Knott Rigg (554m).

From there we had great views along the ridge to where we were heading, Ard Crags (581m), and down into the valley, the sun occasionally breaking through the clouds.