Langdale Winter Warmer

Langdale Winter Warmer, 16th January 2016

Hello all,

It was time to head out and blow off the post Christmas cobwebs. Michael and I had been planning on visiting Wasdale, however the weather had taken a turn for the worse with heavy snow forecast and we were concerned that the roads would be impassable.

I was in work the night before, so the alarm clock signalled a dreary start which was soon rectified with a strong cup of coffee. I had chosen the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 tent, which I knew would shrug off anything that a British Winter could throw at it. Our backup plan was to travel to Great Langdale and camp at the National Trust site.

I arrived at Michael's house and was soon expressing my disbelief as an Everest expedition-like array of bags and boxes was loaded into my brand new car. Michael, as always was erring on the side of caution should we have to face an end of world scenario. Our journey up the M6 was quick and painless, with the car temperature gauge hovering around zero - a good sign.

As we approached Morecambe, we were greeted with an almost Alpine array of peaks on the horizon, covered in snow. After a minor road rage incident whereby another driver decided to gesticulate to me because his vehicle was slower than mine, we were parking up in Ambleside. We paid a visit to the Apple Pie bakery which, rather disappointingly didn't open until 09:00. This delayed our start so we walked around and looked in the closed shop windows at the extravagantly priced outdoor clothing and equipment.

I paid for an English breakfast which aren't the best in this particular establishment. Michael played it safe and had toast with jam. I wanted to purchase a Cornish Pasty for my lunch, however they were not ready, not exactly the best business sense here then. This cafe although clean and pleasant enough, probably thrives on its location alone.

We were soon back on the road and driving up the valley of Great Langdale. The scenery was absolutely stunning; trees seemed to be in high definition and the majestic peaks were covered in a fresh white blanket of snow. We arrived at our campsite, paid our fees and set up the tent.

Soon, we were walking along the Cumbria Way, past the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and loosely following Mickleden Beck towards our target, Rossett Pike. I cannot emphasise enough how spectacular the scenery was. We were so lucky to have picked such a great day to enjoy full Winter conditions such as this.

Looking towards Bowfell, walking the Cumbria Way

The weather started out fine and sunny, however a band of snow moved in from the west and soon, the spectacular views were replaced by near whiteout conditions. We stopped about 3/4 of the way up Rossett Pike and ate our lunch. The temperature at this point was -7.4 which was perfect to enjoy a bottle of Wold Top 'Anglers Reward'.

Ski goggles had been donned by this point as the glare was starting to bring on a headache. We decided to retreat back down the valley to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

Post walk pint at the 'ODG'

The pub was very busy but the fire was roaring. Walkers jealously guarded their seats and positions by the fire as damp clothing dried out. It was almost like a sauna inside. After a couple of pints, we walked back to the tent to find it completely buried in the snow. We cleared some off to relieve some of the weight and then, to many strange looks, fired up the barbecue. This is the first time we have cooked on a barbecue in the snow which was falling heavily. We cooked by the light of our head torches, sausages and burgers. Michael had purchased some Birch logs and after we had eaten, these were soon ablaze and providing some much needed warmth.

The New Dungeon Ghyll was calling and after a bracing walk in the ever increasing snow, we were soon inside eating sticky toffee pudding and drinking a nice bottle of Merlot. We met some fellow walkers and 'YouTubers' - Julie Liddle and Graham of Wild Camp UK - two really nice people who share in our love of the great outdoors (see links to their channels below). It was soon time to head back to the tents with a whiskey inside us for the road.

By the time we arrived back, the tent was literally covered in a thick blanket of snow. A second clearing of snow was required, followed by a frantic scrabble to get into our sleeping bags. Once again, my sleep was in fits and starts. This has been the case for a few years now due to severe lower back pain whenever I sleep in a tent / on an air mattress. If anyone can suggest a cure for this, I would be eternally grateful.

We were awoken by the morning light and the muffled sounds of other campers. The scene outside the tent was amazing, a fresh Winter wonderland. We broke camp and fired up the stoves. The MSR Reactor performed well, although the Campingaz stove was woeful meaning our bacon was wasted - not however for a cheeky Robin who paid a visit and filled himself up.

Tent and equipment packed away, we stopped at Brambles Cafe in Chapel Stile. This place is a hidden gem and we had never been before. The cafe is upstairs and has wonderful views across the surrounding fells. We both ordered a full English breakfast which was very reasonable and much nicer than that of the Apple Pie bakery. We will be back and would recommend it to anyone.

Unfortunately, our trip had come to an end and soon we were travelling back down the M6, heading for home.

It was a shame we didn't make it to Wasdale, however it was the right decision as we would have no doubt been trapped by the snow. We are planning on heading up to climb Scafell in March, so please stay tuned. Thank you for reading and see the links below - please view our video which we hope does some justice to the amazing scenery. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel - we appreciate all views and respond to all comments.

See you on the next trip

Below is the link to our video "Langdale Winter Warmer" - take a look !

https://youtu.be/TCBgSgvQAtw

Trango 2 by Mountain Hardwear

Julie Liddle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0nibgKgk_P_avxW877k_0g

Wild Camp UK: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGo517LsDw2_Fm6EroF_Gpw

Jack's Rake - 12th September 2015

I've been writing this blog for a few years now. Thank you to those that take the time to read the posts. I felt it was time to embrace some new technology and therefore invested in a GoPro Hero 4 Silver.

I'd spent quite a bit of time researching the various options and decided the Black Edition was too much for my needs, the battery life seemed poor also.

Purchase complete, it was time to get out and test the new kit - we decided on a scramble up Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark.

We've done this route twice before, however this time was the most testing. We set off early on the Saturday morning, it was Michael's time to drive. First stop was the Apple Pie bakery in Ambleside. We got there early and I ordered a full English breakfast; the right start to the day.

After breakfast, we began the drive into Great Langdale. The weather was awful, with very heavy and persistent rain. We decided to stay at the National Trust camp site. We have stayed here on many occasions. It can be very busy during the Summer months. Upon arrival we booked in and paid our fees. There was a folk festival on at the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel so the site was busy.

Pitching in the rain was unpleasant - getting soaked before even setting off on the walk. We had taken the Vango Equinox 250, an old model which has served us well over the years. The integrated ground sheet proved useful in the wet weather. Tent pitched, it wasn't worth getting our kit inside as the weather was forecast to improve later on in the day.

We set off in the rain, camera rolling. The rivers and streams had been transformed into raging torrents due to the surface run off. Stickle Ghyll was now an impressive and powerful force, with Ghyll Scramblers having to cancel their planned activities. The cloud base was low and visibility poor. I filmed throughout the ascent and our usual path was impassable in places meaning that ad-lib scrambling was necessary to follow the route. As we reached the level of Stickle Tarn, Pavey Ark was obscured by the cloud. We were the wrong side of Stickle Ghyll due to the water level so had to traverse the Tarn in an anti-clockwise direction.

As we reached the foot of Pavey Ark, the imposing Jack's Rake could be made out; winding its way into the murk. With the rain and thick cloud, the normally agreeable scramble seemed both imposing and intimidating. I had bought a Cornish Pasty from the bakery and this was still warm, so we ate our lunch at the foot of the Rake.

We began the scramble, taking care over the wet and greasy rock. Streams of water flowed down the route and made progress genuinely treacherous in places. I felt a lot more exposed than on previous occasions. As we got higher, the wind picked up. Fuelled by adrenaline, we slowly picked our way up the face of Pavey Ark and after a good half hour of careful foot and hand placement, we were on the top.

Visibility was down to a couple of feet so we found somewhere out of the wind and cracked open a bottle of 'Old Peculiar' each. After a relaxing beer and some more filming, we began to descend via Easy Gully. As soon as we were out of 'danger' the cloud lifted and the weather improved. As we reached Stickle Tarn, the sun was shining and the stark, black face of Pavey Ark stood out against the blue sky.

An easy descent back into Great Langdale brought us back to the Stickle Barn Tavern. We had a few pints outside and it was fairly busy due to a marathon which had taken place earlier on. Beers drank, we headed back to the camp site and prepared for our tea. We had brought the Weber Smokey Joe barbecue and some burgers and sausages. With perfect timing, the heavens opened midway through cooking requiring some frantic and comedic adjustments.

Full with hot barbecued meat, we filmed an introduction to our new YouTube channel, the "MCM Outdoor Show" and then headed off to the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel. The walkers bar was rammed as the folk festival was in full swing. A few pints downed and then a walk across the valley to the New Dungeon Ghyll. We must be getting old, as the live music here was too loud to be able to speak so we escaped back to the Stickle Barn Tavern and wasted £20 on the most appalling bottle of red wine I have ever tasted.

Wine finished, we headed back to the tent for some much needed sleep. The next morning, the weather was dry and sunny. I have recently purchased a Campingaz Bistro single burner stove, so we had brought along some bacon to fry for breakfast. This went down well with a nice coffee and soon we were packing up the tent and all of our gear.

This was another great trip to add to the list. Jack's Rake is a serious Grade 1 scramble and on this occasion, earned further respect as it took on a whole new guise in the wet. Take care when ascending, be prepared and know what it will entail.

Please take a look at our YouTube channel and stay tuned !

Thanks for reading.

Pavey Ark in the background

Great Langdale, December 2012

It was the first 'cold snap' of Winter. Temperatures were predicted to fall below freezing and there was even a weather warning on my iPad weather app. An ideal time to pack up the tent and head to the hills.

National Trust Great Langdale campsite

The drive up was easy as it was midweek. As is tradition, a quick stop off in Booths for breakfast meant there was a small delay in setting off. I purchased a bottle of 'Pendle Witch' beer by Moorhouses. This is usually on tap at the Pendle Inn in Barley, Lancashire and is very nice indeed. 

We arrived at the campsite just after ten, paid our dues and set up camp. The campsite was very quiet as is to be expected at this time of year. The only intrusion was from a Robin which proceeded to empty its bowels every minute using my tent as a toilet. Every year I visit an NT campsite in December and there is always a cheeky resident Robin.

Looking towards the Langdale Pikes. New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel on left

There was a stiff breeze which had a good bit of bite to it even at valley level. Exposed ears suffered immediately so it was hats on from the start today. We headed up past Stickle Barn Tavern and began the climb up following Stickle Ghyll. 

Stickle Ghyll

Path to Stickle Tarn

The path remains as in the above photograph, simple to follow to the level of Stickle Tarn. Views today were spectacular, with visibility to the Irish Sea & beyond.

Contender for Trail magazine Face of Fatigue ?

Looking back down towards Great Langdale & beyond

A little bit of scrambling on the way up provided some amusement and comedy pose opportunities......

Stickle Tarn

We soon reached a very cold Stickle Tarn. The wind chill was horrendous and the right clothing was definitely required. Anyone in the 'jeans brigade' would have quickly been in serious trouble up here.

A light dusting of snow can be seen on the tops

A quick traverse around the Tarn was needed to reach our lunch spot.

The Beast of Stickle Tarn

The above picture provides irrefutable evidence that the Beast of Stickle Tarn had been roaming the night before.

Pendle Witches Brew

We found a dry patch to sit whilst letting the beers chill further in a natural fridge. There is nowhere better to enjoy a beer than up here on a day like this.

Ice cold

Stickle Tarn to Pike O Blisco

Jacks Rake looked very tempting from our view point, however neither of us had crampons and there would have definitely been ice up there. We decided to take the route up 'Easy Gully' and skirt around the face of Pavey Ark.

Path to Easy Gully

The path to and up Easy Gully is well defined. There were spectacular views across Thirlmere to the Helvellyn range which were covered in snow. We soon began to encounter the white stuff ourselves.

Me with the Hevellyn range covered in snow in the background

Dark clouds began to drift in from the north, I'm pretty sure they were depositing more snow on the higher ground.

Starting to enter the freezing level

The cold and frozen summit plateau of Pavey Ark

We had originally planned to walk up to High Raise, however due to our late start, the light was beginning to fade and I decided to cut the route short and begin to descend via Harrison Stickle. Thoughts of the fire at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel also triggered the internal descent clock.

The Tarn of Doom

Being the immature 30 year old that I am, I decided to 'test' the ice on this small frozen summit tarn. I only stepped on it near to the edge but had clearly underestimated the thickness. My right foot plummeted through the sharp ice into freezing cold mud and peat below. Punishment.

Hosky looking cold

Looking North West

I'm not totally sure (maybe someone can confirm), but I think the above shows Crinkle Crags to the left and Great Gable to the far right ? In any case, the light had fallen, casting a frozen hue on the surrounding landscape. The temperature was really dropping now and the sound of a distant RAF Sea King made me wonder if people had misjudged the temperatures and conditions.

It was time to start our descent which was via the path which skirts past Harrison Stickle.

Harrison Stickle

The route down follows the slopes of Harrison Stickle back towards the NDG hotel. As can be seen above, it is steep in places and you would not want to slip to the right. On some sections, frozen puddles made it treacherous in places.

Light beginning to fade and temperatures plummeting

We soon arrived at the infamous Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. There were quite a few walkers inside and as always, the real fire was burning away in the hearth. A good selection of real ales were on tap for much needed post walk refreshment.

Hosky at the bar

After a few pints, we went back to the campsite before heading to the Stickle Barn Tavern for something to eat. It is now owned and run by the National Trust. There were a good selection of beers on tap and the fire was lit in the snug. I ordered a 'Stickle Burger' for tea which I have to say was awful. It was not cooked and the chips were cold and hard. Disappointing as I have eaten here on other occasions and the food has been fine. There was only one other person in the bar and after he had left, we got the impression that we had outstayed our welcome. The staff put all the chairs on the tables, it was only 8pm.

We left and went to the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel next door. A much better atmosphere and a good selection of beers on tap too. Unfortunately I succumbed to red wine and after four large glasses, we went back to camp.

I woke up at about 02:00 half inside and half out of my tent, I had literally collapsed whilst trying to get into my sleeping bag! My feet had frozen but it serves me right for drinking too much. It was a clear night and the temperature was well below freezing. I climbed back into my bag, zipped the tent shut and enjoyed a good nights sleep for the remainder.

All in all, a great days walking. I look forward to more snow and think that we're in for a proper Winter this year.

I'm hoping to get another walk in before Christmas, maybe in the Peak District.

Thanks for reading.