Date: 29-09-2016
Starting Point: The Fish Inn, Buttermere
Distance: 7.13 miles (11.5km)
Height: 807m
So…After being forced to take an unwanted break from conquering the Lake District due to a drunken accident in Ibiza, I was back! On 29th September I headed over to Buttermere with new climbing side-kick Glen. Despite a poor weather forecast of gale force winds and hail, we went anyway to tick off the Buttermere Edge from my list.
Starting in the village of Buttermere we set off on the route below
Heading south from the Fish Inn you are greeted by an impressive view of High Stile (to the left) and Dodd (to the right) with Sourmilk Gill flowing violently down the centre after the recent heavy rainfall
After a brief spell walking along the banks of Buttermere lake you reach the woods and a serious set of calf warming steps – game on!
With this being Glen’s first crack at a mountain, this first section was make or break. Luckily he relished in the challenge and soldiered on (Now he’s hooked and we have some awesome climbs planned!)
Breaking from the treeline, the climb steepens as the path winds its way up towards Bleaberry Tarn
Looking back towards the start
Crummock Water to the West, at this point the weather started to close in.
Me being me couldn’t resist climbing into the waterfall for a few shots, great fun…I didn’t even get wet!
The climb continued towards Bleaberry Tarn, with the ridge looming above
From the tarn we began the ascent up towards Dodd and Red Pike, it was at this point we encountered the only other person we saw up there that day, and he was heading back down!
Dodd didn’t look too big so we ran up it…that hurt but we made it, peak No.1 for the day done.
Onwards to the summit of Red Pike! Quite steep in places, made all the more exciting by the ominious sound of the wind howling above us!
Time for a quick food stop in the last bit of shelter before braving the elements…what a view!
Here is the summit of Red Pike ( No.2 for the day), complete with 50mph hail in my face, happy days 🙂
Walking along the ridge from Red Pike to High Stile we had on off rain/sleet/hail, relentless high winds and the occasional break in the clouds, it was absolutely spectacular. It doesn’t half make you feel alive!
Above shows firstly the view from High Stile along the Honister Pass with Fleetwith Pike on the right. The second is Glen at the summit of High Stile…No.3 for the day.
Next on the list was High Crag and it looked bleak..beautiful but bleak.
And we made it! No.4 – Done! Time to descend and head back to the pub 🙂
Following the ridge East towards Haystacks we made our way down
**Even time for a brief Lion King moment**
The path snaked back towards Buttermere, we were now heading in the right direction for beer and the sun even came out
However, typically, with only 20 minutes of walking to go the heavens opened again..
Guinness and Burgers at the Bridge Hotel sorted us right out, just what we needed before the final twist in the tale…A puncture picked up on Honister Pass leaving us being towed all the way back to Newcastle! Never a dull moment eh?
7.13 miles (11.5km), a puncture and pretty much every variation of British weather later and we’re done. Next in our sights, Catbells.
