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Weathered off on Wetherlam

Weathered off on Wetherlam


Postby The English Alpinist » Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:05 pm

Wainwrights included on this walk: Wetherlam

Hewitts included on this walk: Wetherlam

Date walked: 17/01/2016

Time taken: 4

Distance: 10 km

Ascent: 768m

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1 carpark.jpg
Safe to assume there'd be lots of snow on the mountain.


A mere 2 days after my humbling on Old Man Coniston, I endeavoured to bounce back. This time 'cloudy' was forecast, which could mean anything from just that to a freezing blizzard again. On the plus side, I had no expectations. I reckoned I would probably do a lower level walk - Black Fell, Lingmoor Fell and Holme Fell - but on arrival there was visibility on all the high summits. Thus, I decided to be positive and make a second attempt at doing the whole Coniston range (5 left). I'd start with Wetherlam, take in Swirl How, Great Carrs and Grey Friar, and finish with Dow Crag. Well, that was the plan. I set out from the same snowed-under car park in the village.

2 approach.jpg
Approach route.


3 dogs.JPG
Quite a few other walkers around.


4 Tarn reach.jpg
Reaching Levens Water,


The early stages were well populated, up the old miner's track towards the youth hostel. It was a Sunday, which despite the grey and the snow (or because of them) had brought out all levels of walkers. Some were going only as far as Levens Water, but there were a few figures high up on Wetherlam too. It wasn't all that easy to climb even this civilized track without crampons, but I couldn't be bothered to put them on until I got to the tarn. Already I'd made my first little blunder of the day. I should have turned off way before this to climb Wetherlam by the long south ridge, but missed the start of the path. No matter, this way was was just as good... maybe....

5 Tarn.JPG
I strike out boldly from the tarn.


6 lookback.jpg
Progress a nightmare, but good views (so far).


7 higher.jpg
Hereabouts I almost turned back.


I had 2 options: the main way was alongside the tarn and up to Swirl Hawse, but an alternative went up Erin Crag and the long bumpy ridge to Black Sails. I chose the alternative. It got some ascent out of the way quicker and would emerge closer to the summit. Also, I was encouraged by definite signs a fellow human had already gone up that way: footprints. However, soon I was cursing those footprints and the person who made them. Whoever they were, they were an idiot for choosing that way, and I was a bigger idiot for following it. I was slogging and plunging through deep snow all the way, even where trying to stick to the trail already plunged for me. Worse still, though, the clouds were inexorably sinking onto the level of the summits. I couldn't believe it: moment by moment, everything was being continuously swallowed, greyness sinking lower and lower as if on a slow timer. I told myself not to take it personally.

8 people.JPG
The summit had people!


9 Tenzing.jpg
My Tenzing Norgay impression on Wetherlam summit, 2499 feet.


Clearly this day was going to hold no pleasantness, and plenty of route-finding dodgyness. With the cloud came wind and icy specks of precipitation. I might have turned back, but could see a group of walkers high up on the Wetherlam ridge (the way I had intended), and I would obviously cross their path around the summit. It would not be quite the scary lonely experience of Old Man Coniston. Not to attain at least one peak would be an abject failure and a waste of a trip. I persevered. I was glad I did, not least because I discovered amongst that party were several preteen children. Jeez. Brave things. They were with adults mind you (otherwise I'd have been worried!). Everybody looked pretty urgent to get a move on. I was surprised by the numbers up there, going in both directions.

10 frozen.JPG
Inset: frozen trouser leg and rucksack.


Wetherlam is quite a broad summit, with several possible wrong routes off it. There was a lot of compass checking going on! Once again, this magical little bit of metal was totally needed to find the way down. I descended by the ridge I should have come up, so this at least made a neat little horseshoe day. It meant I'd written off the rest of the Coniston Fells once more, though. This day brought a further mountaineering bonus: injury! Shortly after leaving the summit, I was puzzled by a very slimy feeling inside my big mitts. A quick inspection revealed blood, plenty of it, but not life-threatening. I had no idea I'd done it at the time, but I reckoned I caught my finger on a crampon spike when struggling to get waterproof leggings over them at the summit. Blood doesn't half show up well on snow. Well, anyone lost on the way down needed only follow the red specks! It would have worked. I exaggerate not.

11 injury.JPG
INJURY!


12 descent.JPG
Emerging from the clouds on descent.


13 pose finger.JPG
Inset: sliced finger detail.


This time the weather did not improve once down in the village, so quitting was probably the right decision. It's left the overall Wainwrights campaign in tatters though. Dow Crag is at the opposite end of the range to the other 3 Conistons left to do, so I'm probably looking at 4 missions to accomplish what was supposed to be one! It's a pig's ear. The English Alpinist is definitely behind schedule now. One consolation, aside from good coffee in the cafe in town, was that I escaped parking fees from 2 days ago. The machine did not seem to have logged my number plate, so good tourist that I am I enquired about this. They told me of the error, and basically I'd got away with it. I don't know how it failed, so I'm afraid I don't have any tips!

14 coniston cafe.jpg
Consolation coffee in Coniston.


Note to self 1: take crampons off before putting leggings on, then re-attach them, it doesn't take long.

Note to self 2: useful lesson learned - cold water is used to soak out blood, very efficient.

15 gloves blood.jpg
Not blackcurrant juice.



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Last edited by The English Alpinist on Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
The English Alpinist
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 296
Munros:56   Corbetts:11
Fionas:22   Donalds:18+10
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:136
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Oct 27, 2015
Location: Lancashire England.

Re: Weathered off on Wetherlam

Postby ChrisW » Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:05 am

Dammit TEA, you're not exactly having the best of luck :roll: You're going to have to get your skates on for completion by the due date (maybe literally as well as figuratively :lol: :lol: ) The finger looks like one of those 'not serious but damn painful' little things that you keep catching on everything for the next 4 days :shock:

Anyway, let's stay positive - that's another one done :wink: :clap: :clap:
User avatar
ChrisW
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Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

Re: Weathered off on Wetherlam

Postby trailmasher » Wed Mar 02, 2016 2:01 pm

150 done only 64 left :clap: keep at and up 'em TEA. It's a pull up Wetherlam on a good day never mind what you went through to get up there :crazy:
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trailmasher
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 1302
Munros:13   
Hewitts:179
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Nov 26, 2014
Location: Near Appleby - Cumbria

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