Hi Folks, the weekend before last the club had a regular weekend meet to Patterdale, just at the end of Ullswater. There where members there, myself, Annie, and three new members, Carlo, Martina, and Luke. As the hut is enormous we could easily have had a room each! Just enough time for a pint in the White Lion.
The first day saw particularly nice weather, as we were in Patterdale it seemed a shame not to introduce our Italian friends Carlo and Martine to the classic Striding Edge – Swirral Edge walk. We set off with beautiful blue skies, and for once the story of a trip to the lake doesn’t end with the skies opened, on the contrary the sun remained out but so did the crowds. Striding edge was at standstill by the time we arrived at the exit onto Helvellyn. Never mind, after getting to the summit we took in a few of the tops along the Northern section of the Helvellyn range, as we had already done the hard work getting up there, then headed back to the hut via Swirral Edge and Catstycam. Then to the pub for a pint (or several).
Day two wasn’t so nice, however, Luke and I were keen for something a little harder than Striding Edge so we headed for the classic grade 3 scramble on St Sunday Crag, Pinnacle Ridge. Given that the clouds were covering the summit we were quite please to find the star of the route with little trouble, although quite a lot of effort getting to this point. The walk up from Patterdale, via Birks, is quite steep. The route had only one other group of two on it, a consequence of the weather I guess. Pinnacle ridge its self is interesting although quite short. None of it proved too demanding and we completed the scramble as a solo route. The rest of the day consisted of walking in the clouds towards Fairfield then down towards Grisedale tarn. Luke decided to head back to the hut from this point and I headed over Dollywagon and Nethermost pike to head back via Striding Edge. This was a complete contrast to the previous day, the crowds were gone, as was the sun, replaced by rolling clouds that provided an atmospheric descent. Meanwhile Annie, Martine and Luke had headed of to Howtown by the lovely path that runs along the south-east shore of Ullswater. The return journey took them over the summit of Place Fell. Both parties found the station markers from the Great Lake 3day MM, which some of the more energetic members of Yac were involved in, Alan, Simon and Carmen, I believe. Well, we found 214 amongst others on Sunday, when did you find it Simon?
Being a bank holiday weekend we had the hut for three nights, on Monday we headed off towards Dovedale. Luke and I went to climb Westmoorlands Route on Dove crag whilst Annie, Martina and Carlo headed up to Fairfield via Hartsop above how ridge and Hart Crag. It wasn’t a fast start to the day, it may have something to do with staying in the local listening to a band, who can say! Westmoorlands route is graded and MS but in my opinion in more like VD as in Very Dirty. The route would have been better climbed with wellingtons and a garden fork. The climbing was easy enough, once the vegetation had been cleared away a little, but the really pleasure of the route were the views down Dove dale from the belay ledges. This combined with the location made the whole day feel quite adventurous and isolated. Definitely one away from the crowds. And thats our weekend in Patterdale,
214 (near Grisedale Tarn) wasn't on our course, but we did pass it on Monday on our way to controls on St Sunday Crag, Boredale Hause, Place Fell, and the lakeside path near Howtown, I expect you saw all of these at some point.
We saw the one on St. Sunday Crag but we had to send out a second team to find the others you mentioned.