Route: Perhaps foolishly leaving the car at the Grisedale Pike car park at the foot of Whinlatter (thus adding a pointless final uphill end to the walk) and descending towards Braithwaite but taking the ‘Buddhist’ footbridge (seeing the back of a departing red squirrel) to pass the Coledale Hotel and footpaths past Braithwaite Lodge and the road past Little Braithwaite to join a riverside footpath to Stair. Ascending initially steeply to gain a contouring path before it turned sharply left up Rowling End (some use of hands necessary on slippery rock). Then along the ridge to climb Causey Pike (again hand work needed at the end) and now in intermittent mist along the ridge over Scar Crags to Sail Pass and down this and then across very marshy ground to climb Outerside. Gingerly down a slippery path to gain the final summit of Stile End and down its northwest ridge joining the outward route just south of the Coledale Hotel, flanked by drifts of snowdrops.
Conditions: initially some warm sunshine and dry if largely cloudy. Later climbing into low cloud and then rain,
Pub: The Royal Oak, Braithwaite for Jennings Cocker Hoop and Sneck Lifter.
