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Easter Bank Holiday gave me the chance to spend three nights in Ravenglass, and climb some old Lakeland favourites by routes not so familiar to me previously. I also took the opportunity to make some first time visits to a few of Wainwright's Outlying Fells (OLFs). So on a sunny Good Friday morning, I joined the holiday traffic and headed up from Yorkshire to Wasdale.
Friday 18/4/2014: Seatallan and BuckbarrowDistance: 8 km
Ascent: 660 m
Time: 3.6 hGreendale Tarn and Middle Fell (with the Scafell range peeping over), from the ascent route to Seatallan:
On Buckbarrow, looking to Whin Rigg:
Saturday 19/4/2014: Red Pike, Yewbarrow, Great End, Scafell Pike, LingmellDistance: 25.1 km
Ascent: 2170 m
Time: 11.5 hYewbarrow from the path alongside Over Beck:
Great Gable and the Scafells from Red Pike:
Approaching Yewbarrow, ready to take on Stirrup Crag:
Moving along Yewbarrow's summit ridge, looking down to Wast Water:
Ready to take on Great End via The Band:
A snow cornice at the top of one of Great End's gullies (the footprints are not mine, I hasten to add):
On Scafell Pike's summit, looking south to the Coniston range and Harter Fell:
Great Gable form the cairn north of Lingmell's summit:
Sunday 20/4/2014: Whin Rigg, Illgill Head and some OLFs
(Wainwright's Outlying Fells included: Irton Pike, Boat How, Muncaster Fell (Hooker Crag))Distance: 36 km
Ascent: 1328 m
Time: 11.8 hRavenglass:
On Irton Pike, looking towards Wasdale Head:
Looking down the screes to Wast Water, from between Whin Rigg and Illgill Head:
Burnmoor Tarn and Scafell from Boat How:
Approaching Boot, in Eskdale:
On Muncaster Fell, looking towards its highest point, Hooker Crag:
Monday 21/4/2014: Green Crag and some OLFs
(Wainwright's Outlying Fells included: Great Worm Crag, Hesk Fell, The Pike)Distance: 15.2 km
Ascent: 729 m
Time: 5.5 hGreat Crag from Little Crag:
Moving towards Green Crag from Broad Crag:
Approaching White How, en route from Green Crag:
Devoke Water from Great Worm Crag:
The view SE across the Duddon Valley from The Pike:
On Easter Monday afternoon, it was time to drive back from the Birker Fell road to Wakefield, and once more become part of the bank holiday crowds on the M6. The weather had been fine for all four days: just one bit of drizzle between Illgill Head and Boat How, and the wind only really picked up on the final day.
Most conventional routes on the Lakeland Fells involve gaining height and keeping it. Some of my routes on this trip had a lot of descent and re-ascent. This is because it's interesting to climb hills by direct ascent that you've previously only 'hopped' onto via a link with another fell. Also, this amount of ascent helps in maintaining fitness for climbing the higher and more remote mountains in Scotland, which those of us who live in Northern England can't get to as often as the Lake District.
It had been a most enjoyable four days, and another good experience to add to that of the previous Sunday, and the walk on the Helvellyn range with the team organised by Anthony (johnkaysleftleg). Even after climbing every Wainwright at least twice, there's always something new to do in Lakeland.
