There’s something about the Lakeland Fells that calls to me when life gets heavy. Not long ago, when the fog of grief was sitting on my shoulders, I knew I needed to go back to the Fells, just me. Mrs TimberMane, being the sensible one, gave me the nudge I needed. Left to my own devices I’d just keep plodding on, pretending I’m fine, when what I actually need is a reset.
For me, half the joy of any trip is in the planning. Leave me with my maps and wainwright books and I’ll lose hours tracing lines over valleys and ridges. This time I fancied an A-to-B kind of walk, the sort where you park up, chuck on the rucksack, and don’t look back. Trouble was the bus timetable didn’t fancy my route. So, plan B: a bloody big loop.
The idea was simple. Start at Honister Slate Mine, climb over the Buttermere Fells and drop into Buttermere Village for the night. Then, hopefully feeling refreshed, I’d push on across Buttermere Dubs, up Red Pike, along the ridge to High Crag, and drop down to Haystacks to pay my respects at Wainwright’s resting place. A quick skirt round the back of Fleetwith Pike and back to the car. A proper Lakeland adventure.
I parked at Honister Slate Mine as planned, locked the truck and set of up Dale Head, conditions were OK, a little bit cloudier than promised but hey, that’s the lakes! This is the easiest route up Dale Head, pretty boring in all honesty as it doesn’t offer much in the way of views, but the top makes up for it. I was joined at the impressive summit cairn by a guy who I passed earlier on. We both admired the view down the valley to which he said. “Theres only one thing to make this better…..” then pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and sparks up!! Ok pal, you do you I’m off to Hindscarth…. Little did I know he’d be the first of a few slightly odd people I’d be meeting.
Having said that I saw very few people on the rest of my trek across the Buttermere Fells, I enjoyed my sandwiches in the wind break on Hindscarth which offered stunning views out to The Coledale Horseshoe, Derwent Water and Catbells. I packed up my rubbish, remember “leave no Trace!” the sun started to burn through the cloud, and once I’d made it to Littledale edge I was delighted to feel the sun on my face and witness views of the sun glistening off of Buttermere below.
Robinson didn’t disappoint either, the views were next level, however I was getting a thirst! A thirst for ale, and the only place around here that served it was Buttermere Village. I had a slight problem, Buttermere Moss stood between me and beer. Buttermere Moss is somewhat pleasant compared the bogs of the Central Fells, but it is a bog non the less.
I squelched across the battlefield of moss and water, where every footstep was a gamble, jumping from mound to mound hoping that the lump I was jumping to was solid and not an over filled sponge full of peaty black water which would squirt up my leg on impact. Eventually I made it to High Snockrigg. (There are some bloody odd names up there!) Then Boom! The view hit me, looking down to Buttermere Village and Rannerdale Knotts and over to Crummock water… I will make a hash out of explaining it so here it is:
I lingered up there for a while, drinking in the view… before deciding it was time to drink something else… I practically bounded down the winding path to the road and jogged on like Forrest Gump with a thirst to quench. When I finally made it to the bar at the Bridge Hotel, there it was, a queue. Of course there was.
I huffed, sighed, and my eyes rolled so far back I briefly saw my own brain. Ahead of me, a group of walkers were ordering frothy cappa-frappa-mocha-chinos, or some other sort of nonsense that has no business being uttered in a proper pub. Just order a pint of ale and sit down. This lad wants a pint of Wainwright Gold!
It amused me to hear that the bar only served Americanos with or without milk which of course would not do for these walkers, they obviously aren’t real coffee drinkers, you’ll understand this if you’ve read my coffee blog. They had to settle for some zero-alcohol beer and wine. I eventually got my ale which I took to the garden and let the sun warm my face, eventually I allowed some strangers to talk to me, not something I usually do, I like to be left alone when I’m in these situations, unfortunately I seem to have an approachable face, so I get all the weirdo’s chatting to me. I’ve mastered the technique of giving a one-word answer and then carrying on with my activity. (Which is usually staring into space.) To be honest I’m glad I did let these strangers talk to me, turns out they were married once, but remained friends which was nice, however, they continued to berate one another as if they were still married!! Anyway, they informed me that the Buttermere Bash was on that weekend and that’s why it was so busy, they also informed me that there will be loads of paragliders flying in through the valley the next morning in a huge display that happens every year! I also learnt that her ex boyfriend was part of the Mountain Rescue, and that his ringtone when on call was tune from The A-Team! Fair play!
Anyway, after a couple of drinks and a nice chat it was time to find my digs! For this adventure I booked a bunk in the Youth Hostel. I’m a huge fan of the YHA, offering great beds at great prices in great locations! Buttermere YHA is no different, I checked in and was given my key to a shared bunk room where I would be sharing with 5 other blokes.
I found my room and took the last bed, the top bunk above a young lad who was reading potentially the thickest book I’ve ever seen. It looked like he was backpacking, sod carrying that around, get a kindle pal! I had a quick shower and change then hit the bricks back to the Bridge Hotel for Steak and Kidney Pie and Sticky Toffee pudding, it is the law to have these when in The Lakes! I needed to replenish expended energy stores ready for tomorrow’s ascent of red pike, a steep climb up to the summit which sits at 755 metres which would be the highest of the weekend… I washed the delicious food down with a couple pints of truth juice before the call of my bed was loud enough to call me back.
As I walked back to the YHA I could just about hear the frivolities of Buttermere Bash down the valley, I made a note in my mind to set my alarm early enough to see the paragliders coming through the valley.
I quietly opened the door to the bunk room, said a quiet hello to the lad reading his big book and quietly and respectfully climbed into bed, I set my alarm for 6.00 to see the paragliders, then I checked the weather…. Then cancelled that 6 am alarm… Fog, rain and high winds all morning… Brilliant, no paragliders and a rough time for TimberMane tomorrow! I shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep, which lasted about 2 hours……
Tomorrow wouldn’t bring sunshine and easy miles. It would bring Red Pike, sideways rain, high winds and a test of both legs and headspace. But that’s the beauty of the Fells, they don’t just give you the views, they make you earn them. Be sure to look out for Part 2 Next week as the clouds roll in, the climb begins, and the real adventure unfolds.
Take it easy.
TM
