I Spy Ice Fly - Photo Gallery

Listening to the radio whilst driving up the motorway it sounded as though there might be too much snow on the roads and I might have to turn back. As it happened there was some wet snow in the middle of the roads but I didn't have any problems getting to Borrowdale and parking the car near to Grange.

From Grange I took the footpath signposted to Seatoller, through the trees at first and then along the snow covered old quarry road to Castle Crag. The smallest of the fells that Wainwright wrote about it certainly has an impressive appearance, its steep high crags make it look invincible. After making my way up the initial steep slope I came across the path that zigzags through the remains of the old quarry, the snow covered stones needing some care as some of them are not fixed in place.

The summit platform is a most splendid place, an excellent viewpoint and crowned with a neat little rock outcrop bearing a memorial and last years Remembrance Day poppies. The bad weather that I saw coming in reached me and it started to snow heavily, crampons and ice-axe had to be deployed in order to get down from the smallest of the fells!

Having got back down to the main path, by the time I removed my crampons and put on waterproof clothing it had stopped snowing. I continued southwards along the path and within half a mile had come across a post bearing a yellow arrow pointing towards the fell on the right, the start of the path through the Rigg Head quarries. Except that the covering of ankle deep snow hid any path that might be there so I set off directly up the fellside, kicking into the snow as I climbed the steep slope.

If I had remembered that this was a quarry path I might have realised sooner that I was nowhere near a quarry. It is strenuous work, kicking into the snow and making sure that you have a secure foothold and steadying yourself with your ice-axe before kicking the next step. It seemed to be a long haul before I got to anywhere near something resembling a ridge and when I did the wind was full on, the loose snow was being blown into my face making my eyes sting. I was convinced that I was going in the right direction but the lack of landmarks and visibility on my first visit to this side of the fell had me wondering if I was lost.

I eventually found traces of a path that was going in the right direction that I was able to follow until I came across the first of a series of cairns. I had actually got to within a short distance of where I wanted to be, close to Dale Head Tarn. I had intended to climb Dale Head but this is not the day to try and do too much so I headed up the well-cairned path to the summit of High Spy.

As I got to the ridge of High Spy I was hit by a hail shower, the ice particles being driven horizontally by the strong wind, stinging my arms through my jacket and my face when I dropped my hands. Having been battered by wind and hail as I walked the High Spy ridge, the wind suddenly stopped as I dropped down from the ridge. There were views as well, most notably Catbells looking very attractive in its winter plumage.

Easy walking now along the edge of Maiden Moor making sure to visit the summit cairn, Catbells now in view looks a lot bigger than you would suspect when looking at it from a distance. The easy climb upwards to Catbells summit ends at a rock outcrop that can be bypassed but deserves to be climbed even today. The normally interesting path downwards from the summit is slightly more interesting when covered in snow and slightly exhilarating looking down from the narrow path into the valley a long way below.

Instead of walking over Skelgill Bank I took the footpath going steeply down the snow covered fell and on to the long path above the road back to Grange.

Andy Wallace 3rd February 2003