Spring is in the Air

This weekend has finally felt like the end of winter.  I think it was something like 17 degrees this weekend, that's possibly an exaggeration, but the cold-acclimatised body certainly felt that it was that warm.  So in honour of the beginning of spring here's a sunset from our balcony.  Bring on summer!

The Lake District

Amazing views from Scarfell Pike

We have been very remiss in not getting up to the Lake District since we have been here.  I had the chance to go up recently for a long weekend of walking, and I gotta say, we have been missing out.  That region is aaaamazing, definitely better than the Peaks.  I can understand now why Wordsworth loved it so much.  Even in November, with not particularly great weather it was still so pretty.  The plan was a 3-day circular walk starting at Seathwaite, and visiting 3 of the best dales in the area with hopefully a shot up Scarfell Pike, the highest mountain in England, at a mighty 977m.

The views and the colours - wonderful!

High House Tarn - very misty and no path to speak of

It which such a great weekend, if only all walks could be like that, there were 4 of us, which I gotta say I enjoy.  It's funny walking in a group of 4, you just feel so much safer, even though the terrain is the same and it would still be a pain if one of you got injured.  I guess the idea that even if something did happen there would still be 3 people to share the load of getting everyone back to safety is a lot more reassuring.  When it's only 2 of you, if something happens, it's all up to the other person, which can be a heavy burden to carry.

Looking down on Borrowdale and Seathwaite

But this was like luxurious walking, first of all to have the safety blanket of 3 other people there, as well as staying in great pubs every night.  The Lakes are seriously set up for walkers, it was so easy.  There's all these trails, and if you stay off the Cumbrian Way you actually get up pretty high, well high for England, and you don't have to carry any bedding, because you are staying at a hotel that night.  And no need to carry dinner or breakfast either because that's all laid on, and since it's freaking cold you barely need any water.  So all in all a very easy pack to carry plus some nice beers at the end of each day.  Bliss.

We started off in Seathwaite - which is basically a farm house at the very southern end of Borrowdale.  It seems that the valleys are all called dales here, I think it's something to do with the Vikings.  In the Lakes it's all about the dales and the lakes, and we got to tour 3 of what I think are the best dales, though I've only seen 3. If there are better ones than what I saw, then I am definitely going back.  It was Borrowdale, Langdale and Wasdale, for those who have been there before.  

Looking out on Langdale - a knee crunching descent

Amazing views from the mighty summit

We started off on a pretty cold morning, this was mid November after all.  I was nice and overdressed for our ascent straight up out of the valley.  It wasn't long before we were all shedding layers.  The mists seemed to come and go, every now and again they would clear and you would get a great view across the valley.  The colours were amazing, even in winter the grasses and bracken were looking good.  Since there are no real trees to speak of up there you didn't have the depressing dead tree look either.  It started off pretty misty, but by lunchtime it had started to clear and we were getting amazing views.  I can see why poets were so inspired, it really is so nice up there.  

Looking along Wasdale - as the weather closes in

We couldn't dawdle too much, since the sun was setting at about 4:30pm at that time, but that was one of the best views, coming down into Langdale as the shadows were getting long.  The light and the blue sky was really, that alone, worth the whole weekend.  We were super lucky with our accommodation over the whole weekend, it was uniformly good, and all of them had walkers bars.  Just what you need.

The next day was in stark contrast to the calm, blue skies we had finished the day before with.  This was seriously blowing a gale, with some incredible gusts.  It's really a day that you think, hmmm perhaps I shouldn't be outside.  But we had to battle on, since there was Wasdale to reach.  Mother Nature certainly took her toll that day, there were a few things ripped out of bags and hands.  At some points we had to crouch down on the ground or else it felt like we too would be ripped from the hillside.  I've never had the wind so strong that it actually gets up your nose and pulls the mucus out.  That was both disgusting and fascinating at the same time.  Though it did save on hankies.

Wasdale Head Inn

My only shot of a lake - Wast Water

We were very much in survival mode that day, so it was onto the Cumbrian Way, this walkers super highway, but there was no way we were being blown off it at least.  We didn't stop for lunch either, it was just energy bars and head down.  But it's always nice to have one day of fear in a walk, at least nice when you are safe and warm in a hotel pub.  I think we all knew that it wasn't really strong enough to cause any troubles, so long as we didn't do anything too silly.  The other good thing was that my gear really stood up, at no point was I cold or uncomfortable.  It's always reassuring to know that your gear can handle whatever you might encounter.

The wall up to Scarfell Pike

The next day then dawned this amazing, crystal clear, day.  It's so strange how quickly the weather would change.  It was much colder this day, winter was really starting to roll in, but the skies were beautifully clear.  This was our last chance to climb Scarfell Pike, so it was nice that the weather obliged and gave us our best day for it.  You could not have asked for better conditions, well perhaps less ice on the summit, but otherwise perfect.  

This was the only day that we saw serious numbers of people.  I guess it being a Saturday and such a good day probably didn't help.  When I see all those people out in the wilderness I gotta say I'm glad I'm not a park ranger.  I suppose nothing was going to happen to them that day, but it was still winter and we are a fair way north, and up sort of high, and some people really didn't look prepared if it had started to snow.  I wonder how many rescue operations rangers do have to pull off, I haven't heard of many, but you do wonder if circumstances conspired against people what would happen to them.  Perhaps they are hardier than they look.  

We weren't going to make it too easy for ourselves, there's a long way and a short way to the summit, the long way involves a bit of a detour and follows contours more.  Whereas the short way goes straight up the wall.  Needless to say we took the wall.  It wasn't as bad as what it looks, when you got a bit closer you could see that it was no troubles at all, it just looks a little intimidating from further back.  Not many people were going this way up, and overall I think it may have been slower, even though it was shorter.  

Another view from the top - the rocks are all covered in ice

As we are getting closer to the top there is more and more ice appearing, and once we got to the top of the wall all the rocks were covered in it.  Even though the sun was blazing.  That old angle of incidence really has an effect on the temperature.  You really had to watch your footing up there.  I was impressed by all the people in worn out sand shoes, they must be like mountain goats to not slip over.  The views were incredible, it was like there were no towns for miles, even though you knew that wasn't the case.  It almost felt like proper wilderness.  It's good to know that feeling is still achievable in such a crowded little island.