Thunder In The Hills!

Day 33 – Saturday 25 April. Seathwaite, at the southern end of Borrowdale, is a favourite place for walkers to start the ascent of Scafell Pike, and you’d better get there early if you want to find a parking space. From Cockermouth we took the scenic route past Crummock Water and Buttermere, and left a car at the National Trust car park in Seatoller: there was an NT person at the car park trying to persuade people to join and save the parking fee. Talk about being in the wrong job - this Happy Harry would have had no trouble passing the interview for the Gestapo.

It was sunny but the wind was strong. We followed the crowds for a while over Stockley Beck, but then left the main path to head up for the summit of Seathwaite Fell (1970’) – something fewer than 1 in 500 do, I would guess, as there is only the merest hint of a path. At a short rock pitch in the gulley we were following, I stretched on to a projecting piece of rock and just at the worst moment it broke off, giving me a jolt and a grazed elbow.

From the windy summit we turned south, past Sprinkling Tarn, to rejoin the pedestrian motorway, where the hordes streamed along in every garb imaginable, including T-shirt, shorts, and no sign of spare clothing. Considering the weather forecast gave thundery showers pm, one wondered…

At 2984’, Great End is the highest Lakeland mountain under 3000’, but it didn’t seem to take long to reach the top – in fact it took almost as long to decide which of the three cairned mounds was the top! Satisfied, we headed on down, and whilst having a bite to eat I looked across at nearby Esk Pike and suggested we should do it today rather than next Friday after Bowfell. The logic was that a match won is better than a game in hand, as you never know what might happen. On the other hand, if we took the time to go up, it would probably rain before we got back, but if we didn’t do it, it would be fine all afternoon and we’d regret the decision. Head or tails? Heads.

So we took what turned out to be an interesting path up to the top on what turned out to be only a 45-minute add-on. As we were standing on the rocky 2903’ summit, who should appear but Roger Spensley from Clitheroe, out on a solo walking day, getting away from the stresses of work and organising the forthcoming Round Table National Sporing Weekend! So after the usual pleasantries we walked down to Esk Hause together and started the short climb to Allen Crags (2572’).

It was at this point that a few spots of rain appeared, and as the view down the Langdale Valley opened up, it looked very black indeed. On with waterproofs. By the summit it was hailing heavily, with flashes of lightning and long crashes of thunder. Roger left to head back to the Old Dungeon Ghyll; we carried on towards Glaramara as it got worse and worse.

At one point we sheltered behind a large boulder until the lightning passed over to our other side. Last night I’d discovered my first blister so had started the day in my lighter summer boots, which aren’t waterprof, so of course by now my feet were sodden. We met a couple emerging from a storm shelter that they carried with them – I bet there weren’t too many of those on the fells today! It’ll probably be another twenty years before they use it again!

The route to Glaramara (2560’) seems never ending, with lots of ups and downs, but if you think that’s bad, wait till you try to get to Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot). 1¾ miles of absolute torture, over undulating, craggy, sometimes boggy ground, with no line of sight and some of the most difficult navigation of the 214. The heavy showers came and went, but it must have taken over 1½ hours to cover the distance, and I was getting a bit of earache about Esk Pike as Mike wanted to get back to Clitheroe this evening! We finally reached the 1807’ summit in sunshine and the fine weather continued as we made our way down to Seatoller. The ground was slippery though, and I had one slip resulting in a heavy bum-landing. Fortunately the Gestapo had left the car park as we reflected on an eventful day with another six tops done – total 186, 28 to go. Getting nearer…

Photos: 1. The bridge over Stockley Beck; 2. Summit of Seathwaite Fell; 3. Sprinkling Tarn and Great End; 4. Tarn at Leaves from Rosthwaite Fell.