Thwaite Fell by Sea - No photos today

The weather forecast is bad but I am optimistic because the skies are clear on the drive up the motorway, reality asserts itself when I see the mass of cloud over the fells. However, it is bright and clear as I arrive at Seathwaite although I can see that it is misty at the top end of the valley.

Today I take the popular path to Stockley Bridge, there are quite a few other people there but they all set off up Grains Gill whereas I take the path straight up the fell in the direction of Sty Head. It is my intention to climb Seathwaite Fell from this direction using Wainwright's "A" route. The way upwards isn't clear from the intake wall so I carry on up the path to the level ground just beyond a rock outcrop where I can see the rocky dome at the northern end of Seathwaite Fell.

I make a beeline towards the base of the crags of the rocky dome noting that there seems to be grassy routes around the boulders on the steep slope. At first it is a matter of walking on grass to find a way around the rocks, there are some traces of previous use but there is no path.

Then as the ground gets steeper there is a wet, grassy gully that seems to be the most natural route of ascent, the ground is very wet and I have to be careful to avoid slippery rocks and slippery mud. The exit from the gully is even steeper wet grass, this section requires the use of hands as well as feet to get up the to the ridge. The end of the ridge is an excellent viewpoint down the valley, down into Grains Gill and over to Base Brown with its un-climbable gullies.

I set off up the rising ridge and the mist rolls in before I get to the wide summit plateau, pleasant walking full of interest with many tarns and small rocky summits. I found three cairns, one of which must have been the summit but in the poor visibility I couldn't tell you which one it was. After the third cairn a faint path materialised and soon led me to Sprinkling Tarn, looking much larger close at hand than I had anticipated.

I had planned to climb Great End from the Sty Head to Esk Hause path but I couldn't see the mountain from the path never mind the gully I was going to climb so I had to leave that for another day. I carried on along the path towards Esk Hause, stopping at the cross shaped shelter to check the map whilst out of the wind and then proceeded up the easy eroded path to the summit of Allen Crags. Shortly after I had passed the summit on my way to Glaramara it started to rain, the cold, horizontal stuff so I didn't see very much of the ridge as I buttoned down the hatches.

When I got to the summit of Glaramara it was cold, wet and windy the visibility was very poor and I was glad that I had checked the map earlier. I had originally intended to head over to Rosthwaite Fell but I decided that today was the wrong day for that. The descent north starts with a scramble over a rock step that is an enjoyable climb in dry weather but I make no apology for using five points of contact on the way down.

The path along the ridge is clear enough and the visibility improved almost immediately after the climb down from the summit although I had to lose some more height before it stopped raining. As I got below the cloud base there was an unexpected view of Fleetwith Pike's Honister Crag apparently bathed in sunshine.

From that point onwards it is a pleasant walk with a couple of small rock steps that need a bit of care with cold hands on a wet day. Eventually I reached the tarmac farm track but instead of turning r ight towards Mountain View I turned left to see if I could get back to Seathwaite without having to finish off with a two mile march along the road. I was right and although the path was wet in places it was much pleasanter that the road and passed close to some impressive boulders at the foot of Glaramara.

The path ended at Seathwaite Farm, passing the curious bullocks in the farm yard, to my car parked adjacent to the farm gate at the end of the road.

Andy Wallace 23rd November 2002