Gray Day - no photos today
A typical grey December day, the lower hills are clear enough but great masses of mist sit on top of St. Sunday Crag and presumably everything else of similar or greater height.
From the car park at Hartsop set off towards Hayeswater, taking the right hand branch of the path over the footbridge, through a wooden gate and almost immediately begin to climb directly up Gray Crag.
The path such as it is can be made out as a flattening of the grass with occasional muddy foot holes up a steep slope, very steep in places. The small crags can be avoided by going around to the right but I decided not to avoid them and found a grassy route through the outcrops of rock. I like this much better than the consistently steep plain grass alternative but you have to be confident of you fitness and your ability to hang on to the smallest, greasiest handholds in the rock and tufts of grass.
Having reached the false top and then the real top, the splendid view from this excellent ridge soon disappears as more general and widespread mist covers everything. Following the scant path isn’t really necessary as following the ridge brings you to Thornthwaite Beacon.
Over to High Street, making sure that I follow the wall rather than the wide path so that I don’t miss the summit, then drop down to the path for the walk to the Straits of Riggindale.
Take the right turn up to Kidsty Pike, the mist is starting to lift in Riggindale and Kidsty Pike summit is clear enough for me to see my next objective, High Raise which is an easy walk. High Raise summit sees the mist beginning to clear, Low Raise is inviting but there’s no time to explore with the day being so short.
From High Raise there is another easy walk over to Rampsgill Head, the summit here holds a promise of excellent views on a clear day. Back down to the Straits of Riggindale and then over to The Knott for the short climb to its summit, slight disorientation occurs here – always believe the compass.
Down a wet and muddy grass slope and up the opposite steep grass slope to the summit of Rest Dodd, a partial view shows the extent of the bog in the depression between Rest Dodd and The Nab.
Descending from Rest Dodd I am determined not to miss the path directly to Hayeswater so that I don’t have to go all the way to Boredale Hause. When I reach Angle Tarn it is obvious that I am on my way to Boredale Hause, but it isn’t a problem with great views over the valley of Patterdale. In any event I get back to the car before it gets dark which is what I was concerned about.
Andy Wallace 15th December 2001