Mon 9 May 2016
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| Derwentwater with Skiddaw beyond from Castle Crag (Photo: Gordon Jack) |
I hadn't visited the summit of Castle
Crag with Andrew on 20 June last year and I have been regretting it ever since so decided to remedy the omission. Off by about 0630 but because of road works
near Dockray it took about two and a half hours to reach Rosthwaite. The the
sky was blue, the sun was hot, but the breeze was nicely cooling. What a
gorgeous day!
Being
a member of the YHA I was able to park at the Longthwaite hostel - a beautiful
place, with drinks and snacks available. Youth Hostelling has
altered a great deal since Nick's Lakes Tour in 1955!
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| YHA Longthwaite |
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| I set off on the riverside path |
I then climbed up to High Doat, a fell that AW shows on his
map but doesn't mention in his text. The OS map indicates a cairn but there is
none there. There is a superb view of Castle Crag from the summit.
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| L to R: High Spy, Castle Crag, King's How from High Doat |
I
descended and went to have a look at Scaleclose Force but it was invisible among
the tree foliage even from the bridge over the beck. On the way I heard a cuckoo and called
back, but although it responded and flew back and forth I never actually
saw it.
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| Scaleclose Beck |
I joined the track to Castle Crag, along
which Julia Bradbury had walked on one
of her programmes, but could not identify the exact spot shown on televison
where she spoke to a sheep!
On reaching the little col between High Spy and Castle Crag I ascended the first path to the top of the field below the wall around the crag,
and tried to photograph the gate. Panic! My camera stopped working! I had
nothing to record my visit to the summit! How I wish I had put the smartphone
in my rucsack!
I
ventured up the zig-zag path of the slate spoil heap which I hadn't
attempted when with Andrew last year, and found it wasn't too bad, but I
wondered how it would feel getting back down. I explored some of the quarry on the
summit, and on the memorial plaque tried to read the names of all those
soldiers from Borrowdale who had been killed in the First World War.
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| Summit! (Photo: Gordon Jack) |
As
I was sitting eating my lunch a couple arrived, and I asked them if they
could take a photo of me and send it by email as I needed proof of having
attained the top of the fell. They agreed. A few days later, true to their
promise, they sent me three photos of excellent quality, one of which is above and the other heads this post.
I
was dreading the descent on the slate path, but it proved very stable and I
made it without having to use my backside! I set off down to the
river and turned left to enter the wood, intent on searching for Millican
Dalton's cave. It is about two thirds of the way through the wood, at a
signpost for Grange and Rosthwaite, and I took the track up on to the edge of
the quarry. I was able to identify the cave easily from AW's drawing. As I had
run out of Lucozade I tried to catch some water dribbling down from the high
roof, and managed to collect about a couple of inches. What an uncomfortable place
to live!
Unfortunately I had no way to visually record my visit, so I am hoping that AW won't mind if I insert here a copy of his page from his guide book.
Back
on the riverside path I found it a pleasant walk back to the YH where I had a mug
of tea and some delicious cake.
After
that I still had enough time to drive up to the car park just north of Grange
to explore Troutdale, a valley I had never heard of until I read Walt
Unsworth's book recently. AW waxes lyrical bout it, but I found it rather
unattractive. I had thought it might be possible to go up as far as King's How,
but it was so steep and my legs were too tired. I found a tiny little sappling
of a mountain ash right in the middle of the path, in danger of being trodden
down; so I placed four large stones around it. I hope it survives!
A
wonderful day. A long drive, but I am glad I made the effort to climb the fell
and to find and explore Millican's Cave.
[NB ALWAYS carry a spare camera if you can!]
