Cofa Pike Fog and Crampons - Photo Gallery

It was a foggy morning on the motorway, but it was clear enough as I drove over Kirkstone Pass, the remnants of snow at the side of the road are still four feet deep. I parked at Deepdale Bridge and walked to Patterdale village, I walked up the path behind the paper shop and made the steep climb up to Thornhow End. It was bleak and frozen as I walked up the rising path towards St Sunday Crag; the fog was quite dense by the time I started to climb the frozen path up to the summit. I put crampons on to descend the airy snow-covered ridge, I could have managed without them on the descent but I wouldn't have liked being without them for the exhilarating climb of Cofa Pike.

It was a steep and treacherous climb directly up to the narrow ridge, but I wasn't the only one enjoying the challenging conditions. The final ascent of Fairfield was no less of a challenge, especially because I ignored the path and climbed up the icy slope to the ridge. Fairfield was its usual unwelcoming self, bleak and cold; even though I know the place well I had to use my compass to find my way off the unforgiving summit in poor visibility. The usual scramble down to the col was unfamiliar, deep snow had evened out the undulations and I walked down the plain slope without any hint of boulders.

Hart Crag looked an intimidating climb ahead, and brief glimpses of the crags were spectacular; the snow was deep across the col and would have been difficult to walk on if it had been softer. The zigzag ascent of Hart Crag was also hidden by snow and replaced by a steeper, if quicker, mode direct climb up the steep slope. It was an unfamiliar walk across the snow-covered plateau leading to the summit, and I had to get my navigation right to get to Hartsop Above How. The steep snow descent was quite intimidating, and would have been very awkward without crampons.

The snow ended suddenly after the steep descent, the walk to the summit of Hartsop Above How was longer than you would expect, and the summit was so insignificant that I almost missed it. Because the ground was frozen, it was an easier than usual descent, but still just as long and awkward through the woods, down to the road for a short walk back to the car.

© Andy Wallace 7th February 2010