Haystacks from Buttermere

Hello again,

With legs not fully recovered from the away day, it was time for another trip to the Lake District. This time I was going with my long term best friend and walking partner, Michael (aka Walshy).

I am keen to keep the videos to our new YouTube channel updated regularly, so took along the GoPro with plenty of spare batteries.

Alarm waking me up at a relatively normal 06:20, a quick coffee and Michael had arrived. The car was loaded and we were soon heading up the now familiar M6 North towards our favourite place. I had decided to go to Buttermere as it has been some time since we last visited. Unfortunately with the A591 STILL being closed at Thirlmere, we had no option but to go the long way round and head up to Keswick remaining on the M6. This adds over half an hour however it was such a nice day with views over to the Howgill fells and beyond that we didn't mind. I hope the road gets fixed soon for the sake of the local residents and their businesses.

We arrived at Keswick and parked in the large Booths car park - I wasted £2 in the meter (my own fault for not reading the sign) for a parking ticket which wasn't required until 10:00.

We like to stop for breakfast and found a lovely cafe open on Main Street called "Laura in the Lakes". The food looked amazing and the place was already very busy with fellow walkers and mountain bikers.

I had a full english whilst Michael played it safe and went with marmalade on toast. Breakfast was quickly finished and we were back on the road heading through Borrowdale towards Buttermere. The road took us over the Honister Pass and we were soon descending into picture perfect Buttermere.

We arrived at Syke Farm camp site and picked a nice spot to pitch next to the stream. The tent we were using was the Vango Equinox 250, an old version over 10 years old and still going strong.

Our pitch

We got the air mattresses and sleeping bags in and were soon walking to the lake shore of Buttermere.

Buttermere

Our route followed the east shore of Buttermere and then up to Scarth Gap, a col along the High Stile ridge.

Scarth Gap selfie

The wind was beginning to pick up which didn't help Michael as he had forgotten his gloves. After an interesting scramble up the final section of Haystacks, we arrived at the summit cairn. Being Good Friday, I was quite surprised that the mountain was so quiet. We dropped down to Innominate Tarn and ate our lunch.

As is customary, we had each brought a bottle of real ale to be enjoyed on the summit. I chose a Hawkshead Brewery "Red" whilst Michael had a "Summer Lightning". We drank our beer whilst watching over Innominate Tarn which is of course Wainwright's final resting place.

It was too cold to stay for long, so we followed the path and began our descent along the flanks of Fleetwith Pike.

As we reached valley level once more, the wind was now gusting very strongly; easily 40/50 mph. Our concerns turned from cold hands to whether our tent would still be standing. A nice little surprise was a small ice cream kiosk which was selling Lakeland Ice Cream near the south shore of the lake. We couldn't pass by without buying one each.

We followed the same path back to the camp site and were relieved to see the Equinox 250 had held its ground. We had intended to grab a post walk pint at the Bridge however time was pressing on and we needed the light for our barbecue.

Our trusty Weber "Smokey Joe" was lit and soon we were full with Aberdeen Angus beef burgers and nice pork sausages. We had a few small beers and retired to the porch of the tent to share a bottle of red wine. The wind was still picking up so we fastened all the TBS (tension band system) cords within the tent. These provide increased lateral rigidity in the event of strong winds in which tunnel tents can sometimes suffer.

As it began to get dark, a man arrived with three young children who were absolutely terrified. They began to set up the tent in the dark and strong winds, refusing any assistance. The tent they were using was really tall so they struggled in the cold and dark for a good hour before finally getting it pegged down. Probably not the best experience for the kids but character building nonetheless.

Wine exhausted, we walked over to the Fish Hotel for a few pints. I tried some "King Star" lager from Wychwood which was a first for me. A lovely beer which was similar to a pilsner in my view. After our pints were finished, we headed over to the Bridge Inn and I had a "Whistling Pig Pilsner" by Tractor Shed brewery which was very nice.

As usual, Michael was on the verge of falling asleep so we walked back to the tent and turned in for the night. My sleep can only be described as awful. The wind made it impossible to fall asleep and when I finally did, I was woken by the sound of our neighbours in the tall tent having an emergency peg hammering session at 3am........ We awoke to the sound of heavy rain on the flysheet. I unzipped the door to a scene of devastation; our neighbours tent was completely collapsed at one end. The fly material on our tent had leaked and our gear and clothing was soaking. We had brought some bacon to cook however spirits dampened, decided to pack up and head for home.

We popped into Syke Farm cafe for a lovely home cooked "Silver" english breakfast with a home made potato cake - the staff were great and we received £1 off for staying at their camp site.

Another brilliant trip with lots of good memories.

I have uploaded a full HD video of this one, so please check it out on our YouTube channel, the "MCM Outdoor Show" - the link is below, see you on the next trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw6R2eqzG74

Buttermere, March 2011

Pre Walk Stop at Thirlmere, Helvellyn behind. From left to right; Me, Michael Walsh & my uncle, Peter Cottle

In all my years walking in the Lake District, I had never paid a visit to Buttermere. Having read most of Wainwrights' Fell Guides and knowing about his final resting place on Innominate Tarn; I decided that we had to go. 

It was March, 2011. The weather was mild and we had persuaded Pete to come which would mean hilarious laughs in the Pub that night. 

Looking towards Haystacks with High Stile Ridge to the right

I had chosen Syke Farm Campsite as our base. The location was excellent, nestled in the heart of Buttermere and conveniently placed for the both the Fish and Bridge Hotel. This is one of the most scenic camp sites I had ever experienced. Facilities however were pretty poor, a small outhouse type building served as a toilet block. As always, that didn't bother me however may cause problems if you are camping with a family. 

We pitched our tent next to a stream which was very picturesque. I had brought along the Vango Equinox 350 for some extra room if the weather were to turn bad. 

We got the tent up in no time. My cousin Matthew was meeting us a bit later on so it was time to get down to serious business - beer. 

Pete in his element

Natural Fridge

This stream was literally five feet from our tent. We had left the first beers in it to cool down whilst we were putting up the tent. Now it was time to savour the first one in the fresh Lake District air whilst taking in the amazing views. Sheer relaxation. 

Heading to the Fish Hotel

With the first beers drunk, it was time to sample the local pubs. Matthew still hadn't arrived so we had some time to kill. I'm always excited to visit a new Lake District pub. Surrounded by high peaks on all sides, this was one of the most atmospheric parts of the Lakes I had visited so far. 

First Pint in the 'Fish'

As I'm writing this nearly a year on, I can't remember what this first beer was. It was nice and pale, with a lasting hoppy finish. We were however struck a blow by the barman who told us after the first pint that he was closing ! It was about 2pm ! Apparently at this time of year, there are limited opening hours, something to bear in mind if planning to eat here. The views from the pub are great, looking out across Buttermere and beyond. There is also a nice beer garden which I can imagine is extremely busy in the Summer months. 

Matthew, Pete & I

Matthew arrived and set up his tent. They can be seen in the background, the stream providing a relaxing soundtrack. It was too early to start serious drinking so we decided on a short walk to explore our surroundings. 

We headed towards Crummock Water. The steep west flanks of Mellbreak can be seen in the above picture.

Pete, with Mellbreak rising from Crummock Water

An interesting lake side copse 

Shortly after the taking of the above picture, my uncle Pete fell unceremoniously into Crummock Water in sheer panic at watching his Son in such a precarious and life threatening situation.

Clearly it was time to head back to the tents and dry off (for some of us). 

Bridge Hotel, "Walkers Bar"

With the Fish closed, we headed to our only option, the Walkers Bar of the Bridge Hotel. Very nice it was too. Slate floors, real fires and a fine selection of real ales from many local breweries. I started off with a couple of pints of Black Sheep. We were all hungry by now and the menu had a good selection of local dishes. 

After a nice evening in the pub listening to Pete's funny tales, it was time to head back to the tents. Since changing roles in my job, I have trouble with my lower back which makes sleeping on an air bed nearly impossible. That could only mean one thing, consult Pete and ask for some medication. Pete is an avid tablet fan. You name it, he has it. He recommended some dihydrocodeine 

What followed was sheer terror. I woke up an hour later drenched in sweat with a feeling that I was going to die. It was horrendous. Every time I closed my eyes it felt like I was plummeting into the depths of hell. This continued for about two hours until the effects wore off. Not recommended and wont be repeated. 

The next morning, I awoke with a sore back, having had about three hours sleep to an amazing scene:

Buttermere

It was a perfect morning. The air was cold and crisp and the above picture was the view out of my tent. 

Campers Breakfast

After a quick breakfast we set off. The route I had chosen was to head along the shores of Buttermere and climb up to the summit of High Stile. We would then walk south along the ridge to High Crag and Haystacks.

Team photo at the start

Soon we began to ascend the flanks of High Stile. We followed the path as it turned right and steeply up into  Burtness Comb.

Approaching Burtness Comb with Fleetwith Pike in the background

Southern Shore of Buttermere

Pete needed a medication stop and we took advantage of the break to take in the amazing views across Buttermere.

Crummock Water 

We soon reached the summit of High Stile

White Cove from High Stile summit

The views today were amazing with high cloud levels and excellent visibility.

Eagle Crag on the right, looking down towards Buttermere

Pillar

Looking across Ennerdale, snow still lingered in some of the gullies on the western face of Pillar

Lunch Time

We walked south along the ridge and on reaching the 744m summit of High Crag stopped for lunch. Wayfarers Beef Stew & Dumplings cooked nicely in my MSR Reactor stove.

Ennerdale Valley looking towards the Gables & Scafell group

We were rewarded with amazing views across Ennerdale looking toward Great Gable to Scafell Pike.

Haystacks

Time was running away as we had spent so long admiring the views from the ridge. Our plan had been to continue to the summit of Haystacks however it was decided that we would save this for another time. We turned left off the ridge and headed down Buttermere Fell back towards the lake path.

The Buttermere Pines

In the above picture, you can just about make out the famous 'Buttermere Pines' on the far side of the stream.

The final section of path down to lake level. Haystacks can be seen in the background. We stopped for a customary post walk beer at the Bridge Hotel. The late afternoon sun was surprisingly warm in the beer garden as we talked about the great walk we had just completed.

This remains the only time that I have visited Buttermere. It is a very atmospheric part of the Lake District and I would like to complete the ridge walk in full winter conditions. Everyone really enjoyed this walk. Excellent views, scenic camp site and good pubs made for a great experience.

It is time to plan my next trip and I feel a map of Buttermere coming out  .........

Thank you for reading