Easter Sunday on the High Stile Ridge

Day 24 – 12 April. As we got up on Easter Sunday the weather wasn’t as good as yesterday. It was even better! – blue skies without a cloud in sight. Ian Hardy arrived at the hut at 8.45, above and beyond the call of duty as he’d only arrived home the previous evening from a family holiday on the Isle of Mull, so today’s party consisted of Me, Mike, Michael, Ian, John & Catherine. Val had to go home for a family birthday party (Happy Birthday Auntie Susan) while Liz had decided on a more easy-going day. Because today was to be one of the hardest of all, a 15-mile Buttermere Marathon.

Starting at Honister (where the new Via Ferrata was publicised by Julia Bradbury on TV just last week) we climbed easily to the summit of Fleetwith Pike (2126’) with its stunning view down Buttermere. Then on to one of Wainwright’s favourites, Haystacks (1900’), where the Easter Sunday weather was clearly bringing out the crowds. It’s a long trek across the top, but Innominate Tarn, where AW’s ashes were scattered, was more charming than ever in the sunshine, and the view from the rocky top was worth the walk.

Usually, once you’re on top of the fells the ups and downs are fairly moderate, but the route from Haystacks to High Crag (2443’) involves an ascent of 1100’ up the very steep Gamlin End. With a long day still ahead we took it easy and enjoyed our first lunch at the summit. I should explain: it’s important to keep up one’s calorie intake on these walks (especially when it’s one day after another) so I take enough food to have a small lunch around noon and another at about 2pm. Well, it works for me. John & Catherine’s daughter Helen, a keen paraglider, had sent a text to say she was on Blencathra today, so with the aid of binoculars they were able to see her in action!

Next came an easier walk to High Stile (2644’). The tops were beginning to resemble Blackpool and only lacked an ice-cream van. Red Pike (2479’) really is red; Michael found himself the subject of a young Australian lady’s admiration when she spotted his wellies and stylish Panama hat. If she hadn’t been with her husband / boyfriend we reckon Michael would have ‘pulled’. Incidentally, the Panama hat wouldn’t stand closer examination, being old, battered, torn and generally moth-eaten, and Liz was offering good money for it to be ‘disappeared’ over the course of the weekend.

The next two tops were, in contrast to the craggy hills up to now, more rounded, softer fells: Starling Dodd (2085’) came up after 1¼ miles, with Great Borne (2019’) another 1½ miles on. Incidentally, Starling Dodd was the very last fell to be ‘surveyed’ by AW in the final book (7) of the Pictorial Guides. The views to the Dumfries Hills and the Isle of Man were crystal clear and much admired whilst eating lunch no. 2.

It was a steep drop from the top of Great Borne and, having left my walking poles in the car, I took it very steadily as soon as my knees started to complain. There followed a long, long walk out to Buttermere – at least four miles (it felt like ten) across swamp and then the roughest, most uneven path in the Lakes, from Scale Force to Buttermere – simply awful. On one section a massive recent landslip has removed a section of path which took a bit of negotiating to get around.

The final section of woodland was very spring-like, with buds bursting into leaf and recently arrived summer visitors like Willow Warblers and Redstarts singing away. Then (you’ve guessed) a pint at The Bridge before getting back to the hut for a fine repast of melon & sorbet, lamb shank and raspberry pavlova. With seven fells today that’s 20 for the weekend so far, 138 altogether.

Photos: 1. View of Buttermere from Fleetwith Pike - (the exact opposite view to Photo 5); 2. The team on top of Fleetwith Pike, L to R: Michael, John, Mike, Catherine, Ian; 3. Innominate Tarn on Haystacks; 4. Buttermere and Grasmoor from near High Stile; 5. Looking back along Buttermere to Fleetwith Pike after a long day.