Easy on the Ice - Photo Gallery
Five years ago, during my first winter's walking in the Lake District I had to make a very uncomfortable and frightening descent down a steep valley where all of the rock surfaces were covered in ice. It has haunted me ever since but now with the benefit of five years experience and a set of crampons it is time to go back to the valley when it is likely to be just as icy.
From Grasmere take the Easedale Road, walking on tarmac past Goody Bridge until you get to a small footbridge signposted as going to Easedale Tarn. The path is easy at first but even in the early stages there are places where the path is covered in sheets of ice. The path steepens as you pass the attractive waterfalls that probably give Sour Milk Gill its name and then as you approach Easedale Tarn there is flatter ground that looks as though it might have contained a tarn at one time.
The path is normally very wet and it has created ice sheets in several places, getting around them becomes increasingly difficult especially where the surrounding ground has become a single sheet of slippery ice. Hands and knees are required to make the most of the tufts of grass showing through the ice that provide the only things to hang on to. I could have made a wide detour in order to avoid the path but that would be too easy.
Easedale Tarn seems to be completely frozen with a wrinkle across the the breadth of the ice that looks like a small wave that got caught out be the cold. From here the distant view improves with the snow covered Seat Sandal and Fairfield visible behind the Helm Crag ridge. I did take a wide detour higher up the fellside in order to avoid the path by the side of the tarn that looked impassable. Back on the path and the going was easier until I reached the start of the climb towards Codale Tarn, Belles Knot looks increasingly impressive from here onwards.
Usually this place contains a main water slide and the whole fellside is covered in small streams of water desperately trying to get down hill. Today, it is all ice, not one drop of liquid water is to be seen, this is what I came for and I feel rather intimidated but I put my crampons on and start the climb uphill. Flat sheets of ice, boulders covered in ice, I can just walk over it although it is a bit disconcerting not to be able to hold on to anything while being close the edge of the steep drop. Crampons are good but they are not without risk, at one stage whilst measuring a step up a boulder I brought my left leg down and spiked my other leg – ouch!
The climb up the ice was an excellent experience and on reaching the ridge between Blea Rigg and Sergeant Man the sun was shining brilliantly. The views of the eastern fells were stunning, shining brightly in the sun, Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle looked mean and moody. Walking along the ridge towards Sergrant Man was very warm work, the sun wasn't that strong for all its brilliance but in full winter clothing it was strong enough.
Even Sergeant Man looked attractive today and the pleasant looking snow covered plateau leading to Codale Head denied the existence of the shallow tarns that are there. From the summit of Sergeant Man it made a change to be able to see where High Raise is, the path was hidden so I made a beeline for it through soft ankle deep snow. Still wearing crampons I had to walk as though I was riding a bike so as not to trip up in the snow, it was a change not to have to keep avoiding the mud in between peat hags but I was aware that there is a substantial tarn there under the snow somewhere.
At the summit of High Raise, called High White Stones, I was greeted by a delightful snowman, I think some people have too much fun when they are on the fells. The views from this very central fell were magnificent, as well as the eastern fell Skiddaw looked fantastic and the north western fells just looked extremely mountainous, the only blot was that the southern fells were covered in clouds. The views stayed with me as I walked over to Low White Stones and Skiddaw stayed in view all the way down to the col with Ullscarf. The Greenup Edge path is one of those best done on a cold day, wet and muddy usually, easy walking today except if you don't have crampons those icy sections could be awkward.
The path over to the head of Far Easedale is shown on all four Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure maps covering the Lake District because of its central position, it makes navigation a bit awkward if you need three maps to find your way!
From Far Easedale onwards the conditions were gradually less icy although I didn't take my crampons off until I reached the summit of Calf Crag. The ridge from Calf Crag over Gibson Knott to Helm Crag if full of interesting undulations if you keep to the ridge and less interesting for the majority of walkers who keep to the path on the Far Easedale side of it. The eastern fells were still putting on a fine show as I walked along the ridge and by the time I reached the summit of Helm Crag the sun was setting to end the day with a final bright flourish.
The summit of Helm Crag is a surprisingly interesting place, especially on the side hidden from the path, the little parallel ridge deserves to be explored next time I am there.
Finally back down to Grasmere, not dark yet as the days start to get a bit longer again.
Andy Wallace 11th January 2003