Helm Crag to Steel Fell - no photos today
The sky was clear when I left home so I was expecting it to be cold on the hills but by the time I got to Grasmere it was wet and it looked like staying wet all day. I was fully waterproofed as I set off and after walking a short way up the Easedale road I realised I had left my ice axe in the car, I reckoned it would be wet on the tops so I probably wouldn't need it. My new jacket had kept me warm in the Cairngorms, could it keep me dry in the Lake District? I was also going to try the waterproof mittens I bought, could they solve my cold hands problem?
Walking along the road ignore the footpaths on the left leading to first Easedale and then after walking up a gated track to Far Easedale. There is a small disused quarry where you start to climb uphill on a manufactured quarry path that becomes quite steep by the side of a wall. When you get to the top of the path the gradient eases and you have a good view of Grasmere and of Easedale Tarn. The clouds thinned a little and over Grasmere there were signs of the sun coming out. In the direction of Sergeant Man there was no sign of the weather getting better, was that white stuff I could see through the mist?
As I got onto the Helm Crag ridge it became colder with a fresh northerly wind blowing the rain in, the promise of sun didn't last very long. I wasn't tempted at all to climb the rocks of the Lion and the Lamb and the Howitzer, I know I can do them and will do so again when I want to. I put my waterproof mittens on, they seemed to be keeping out the wind and rain but I couldn't do anything with my hands. I'm not sure I could have held my ice axe properly even if I had it with me and looking in the direction of Sergeant Man an ice axe would be very useful.
The path down from the summit ridge of Helm Crag has been repaired and it is a good path for descent, it was the strong wind that made it difficult to get down. I would normally walk along the crest of this ridge but this cold wind was strong and the rain was turning to sleet, I'll just keep to the path today. The ground still looks as wet as ever but it is solid, an indication that it has been fairly cold recently and another reminder that I should have my ice axe. The path below the ridge is easy enough, it brings you onto the ridge just at the summit of Gibson Knott before dropping down again. The wind again made things as awkward as possible getting off the summit onto the path.
As you reach the col before starting the climb to Calf Crag the ridge broadens and with not being on such a steep slope the path crosses wet ground. Usually soft and muddy it seems to be holding my weight with being mainly frozen apart from the one place my foot went into a hole, thank goodness for gaiters. As I was steeping over a large puddle my foot slipped off a rock, I would normally have just put out my hand to steady myself. With having the mittens on I couldn't or didn't spread my fingers and ended up landing with all my body weight on my thumb which bent awkwardly. I'm going to have to think of another way of keeping my hands warm, the mittens just take away too much control.
The sleet turned to snow and the path became more icy, I decided I wouldn't be able to complete my planned walk without an ice axe, going up would be alright but I have done too many precarious descents sliding over icy rocks. At the summit of Calf Crag having not seen anybody else there were a few other walkers, it's funny how you seem to only meet other people at the summit. In order to get the most of the day I decided to walk across to Steel Fell rather than just descend to Far Easedale. From the summit of Calf Crag if you head in the direction of Steel Fell you will find the muddy path.
The path rises and falls over grass, the muddy parts are generally frozen and can be crossed with care. Then it all gets a bit confusing, faint paths in different directions and Steel Fell lost in the mist, if my hands hadn't been cold and wet I might have looked at the map. The path I was on seemed to be contouring around the front of Steel Fell, I thought I should be higher up and I seem to remember a fence. After a few minutes climbing upwards towards the skyline I saw the line of old fence posts and sure enough a more obvious path running by the side of it.
After another couple of undulations I came across a large cairn, I can't tell if this is the summit or if the rise with a cairn is it. From here the other cairn looks higher, by the time I got to the other cairn the first one looked the higher. From both cairns there are faint paths heading in the general direction of Grasmere, I followed one that in a short distance disappeared and reappeared a couple of times. The appearance of another couple of walkers on the path probably saved me wandering around for a few minutes trying to find it. Once on the path there is no further need to worry about navigation, it is quite obvious even though it meanders a bit too much for comfort sometimes.
The meandering of the path is only to bypass the steeper sections of the ridge, the path gets steeper in places but it is easier than keeping to the crest of the ridge. The path takes you eventually to a tarmac road, you still have a mile or so to get back to Grasmere.
I must get more gloves and I must remember that my ice axe is always worth a ten minute walk back to the car.
Andy Wallace 26th November 2005