The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Lakeland Lockdown, Part 1:

The Southern Lake District

More than two years ago (it scarcely seems so long!) I wrote a short blog post based on nine days spent on the Eastern edge of England’s Lake District, unsure of when or even whether I would return to explore in more depth this amazing area. Last month, with no end in sight to the Lockdown and Hastings having lost its interest, I followed in the footsteps of Melville’s Ishmael:

Some years ago–never mind how long precisely–having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world

Certainly the Lake District can be considered one of the watery parts of the world. For the past 5+ weeks I have rambled over much of the more southerly portion from my base on Lake Windermere, exploring its fells and dales. This coming month — once the rains subside — I will continue my explorations of the northerly portion from my new base in Keswick.

During these trying times of armchair travels, enjoy with me some of this amazing scenery. . .

Morning mist in Kentmere Valley. I did two hikes from Kentmere, this one circling the valley, and a second mainly up on the fells.
A black-faced lamb in Kentmere Valley. Overgrazing has degraded much of the Lake District. Indeed, George Monbiot called it a “sheepwrecked” landscape.
Dry stone walls and bluebells in Kentmere Valley
A wooden bridge across Easedale Beck, virtually William Wordsworth’s back yard when he lived in Grasmere!
Helm Crag from Easedale
Grasmere from Helm Crag. In late May I did the first of several horseshoe hikes here.
Waterfalls along the Sour Milk Gill, heading up to Easedale Tarn and High Raise, the second of two hikes from Grasmere/Easedale
Easedale Tarn, on my way to High Raise
Codale Tarn vista from the High Raise loop
Atmospheric view descending from High Raise (762m, 2500ft)
Columbines (Aquilegia vulgaris), one of my faves
Vista of Lake Windermere from Brant Fell, a 10 minute walk from my apartment. At more than 10 miles long, Windermere is the largest lake in England.
Home Farm Pond along the Dales Way near Brant Fell. My weekly local 5 mile loop hike passed this picturesque spot.
Clouds and Windermere from School Knott. This high point was about 2 miles from my apartment.
Wood Cranesbill (Geranium sylvaticum)
High Green, Troutbeck. Troutbeck village was only a few minutes’ drive from my apartment. I walked a couple variants of the Wansfell Pike loop from here.
Perhaps Tree-mallow (Malva arborea)
Rydal Mount, Wordsworth’s house from 1813 until his death in 1850. It was a convenient starting point for several hikes I did, ranging from an easy circumambulation of Rydal Water and Grasmere to the iconic Fairfield Horseshoe.
Rydal Water (l) and Grasmere (the lake, not the village!), from the climb up above Rydal Mount and then traversing two minor peaks known as Sour Howes and Sallows.
Cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum)
A view towards St Sunday Crag from Fairfield. The Fairfield is a classic 10 mile horseshoe route popular with both hill walkers and fell runners.
The Vagabond Hiker on top of St Sunday Crag (841m). This extension was a bit more than I had bargained for, with my knees paying the price the next day.
Steps End, Rydal. I simply love the palette of greens here on a sunny day.
Grasmere
A gorgeous Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea) along Grasmere
Dove Cottage, Grasmere, where Willam Wordsworth wrote many of his best-known poems.
Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus)
Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea). Beautiful, but the entire plant is toxic.
Windermere from Loughrigg Fell, just west of the outdoor mecca of Ambleside
Coniston Old Man from Walna Scar Rd, the trailhead I used for this iconic traverse
Coniston Old Man summit vista showing the path down to Low Water
Coniston Water from the Old Man summit. Ruskin’s house is along there somewhere. . .
Malodorous Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)
Old (l) and New Dudgeon Gill (r) Hotels and the Langdale Fells seen from Side Pike. Some of the most rugged topography in the southern Lakes, I hiked here four different days.
Oxendale Beck, Langdale. A beck is a stream through a valley whereas a Gill (from the Norse Ghyll) is a stream cascading down a ravine.
The Langdale Pikes and Valley from the Crinkle Crags
Harrison Stickle. The red line denotes my route, the highlight of a day of scrambling in Langdale.
Pavey Ark and Stickle Tarn. Pavey Ark features several climbing routes and a popular, easy scramble known as Jake’s Rake.
“The Band, ” heading up on the traverse of Bow Fell (r), partially obscured by clouds
Bow Fell summit block and black lamb
The Vagabond Hiker on Bow Fell summit (902m). Scafell Pike, the highest point in England, is just above my right knee.
My lunch view on the Bow Fell descent showing the Pike of Stickle (the clear protuberance). Some challenging scrambles on the Pike of Stickle remain for a future endeavor.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Lakeland Adventures next month.

Mountain Light,

The Vagabond Hiker

Comments

  1. Very cool! I always enjoy the plant pics too. What’s up with your knees? AR? 🙂

    • Nothing much. After 14 years of supplements they are not as effective as I might wish. Still, nothing like the last couple years of my tennis “career!”

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