Arnison Crag & Birks - A few misty photos

The weather forecast was dreadful, storm force winds and heavy rain would arrive later; as I was driving to the Lake District it was dull but not raining, I was hoping I might finish my walk before the storms came in. It started to rain just after I had parked the car in Patterdale near the Post Office; I was hoping it was just a shower, although it was a heavy one, I put my gaiters on because I knew it would be wet underfoot.

I walked up the track by the side of, and around the back of the Post Office; there is a small footpath marker sign on the left that is easily missed and you will soon end up in somebody's back yard if you are not paying attention. After walking for a short distance between the trees, on the wet path, you have to turn left at a small footbridge across a stream. From there you have a rough, if not rugged, path to follow that leads to gate; don't go through the gate but turn left uphill.

There is a rough and very wet path following a wall uphill; it is very soggy and boggy in places, good reasons to be wearing gaiters. It started to rain and it was obviously not a shower; I put on my waterproof trousers and gloves, my latest pair of gloves were about to undergo a waterproof test. The steep paths follow the wall upwards until you come to a crag almost at the crest of the slope; turn left here to walk up steep grass before a big step up to the rocky summit platform of Arnison Crag.

It was very windy by that time, my waterproof rucksack cover had blown off and was flapping wildly in my face while I tried to hang on to it and take a couple of quick photographs at the same time. Ominously, the clouds were racing across the higher fells. As I descended from the summit I could see faint paths in the small depression below; when I got there I turned left to follow one of the paths but I was concerned that it was taking me in the wrong direction. Instead I climbed straight up the steep green subsidiary summit in front of me; I was thankful again for wearing gaiters as the steep ground was exceedingly wet in places.

From the top of the subsidiary summit I could see Trough Head below me; I could see the start of a path that didn't seem to be connected to the ruined wall that isa guide for the route climbing up the steep side of Birks. I walked along the small ridge, following a small path until just before reaching more swampy ground; then making my way downwards and around the head of the trough. A small trodden path slants upwards and leftwards on the steep green slope before veering right, heading towards the ruined wall. The barely discernible path heads straight uphill rather than follow the contours across the steep slope.

I reached the wall and followed the steep, wet path uphill by the side of it. The wall is in worse shape the higher up the hill you get. Almost at the top of the wall there is very little height left and a gap has appeared where the stones have fallen away. I walked through the gap and tried to stay on the faint path but I soon lost it, yet again; I decided again to go straight up towards the skyline. By this stage the gradient had eased a bit as I was walking over rough grass and I eventually reached the ridge. It is possible to reach the ridge by following the line of the wall but you will bypass the summit of Birks.

I turned left to walk along the ridge path; on the ridge the wind was very strong, I was walking at forty five degrees and it was difficult to keep on my feet at times. I passed a low, eroded cairn that told me I was heading in the right direction; the wind was at the limit of what it is possible to walk through but I was determined to carry on, being beaten up by the horizontal rain until I reached the summit of Birks. I decided that the conditions could only get worse and would be impossible on the higher ridges so I decided to turn back.

I retraced my steps down the easy grass slope; once you get past the flattened cairn the path becomes difficult to see but keeping to the crest of the broad ridge keeps you going in the right direction. There is a more visible path as you reach the steep, grassy descent of Thornhow End; it takes you down to the main path coming up from Patterdale heading to St Sunday Crag.

In the shelter of Thornhow End the conditions were calmer and I was wondering if I hadn't been too hasty in turning back but it started raining heavily well before I got back to the car. My jacket was soaked through but my gloves had passed their first test because my hands were dry. The rain and strong winds I experienced on the drive back home made me feel that turning back was the right thing to do.

Andy Wallace 31st December 2006