The Helm

A tiny after-work Outdoor Day set against the background of C-19 and T's neuroma with two variants.

Route: from the house, up the road past the station - the western gates currently locked - L detouring to the postbox at the top entrance - and then onto the road in front of the Helm and up the end crossing onto the eastern side and walking along, initially on the path below but eventually at the height of the ridge to the end. There T returning on a path on the western side about 2/3 of the way from the road to the ridge, descending close to the end and back. L descending the steep southern end and down almost to the gate at the southern apex of the lane, there turning left to follow paths along the field edges, within the Helm boundary but just above and parallel with the lane. Keeping by the wall on intermittent paths and up the rock just beside the northern summit of the back lane to the final fence. Here forced left to follow the fence up, then down into the valley between the two ridges, and back up the gate in the corner (where we first crossed into the eastern side). Going through this and turning immediately right to follow the fence back down to the hollow on the other side and then follow the wall left (north) and finally bend left to the northern entrance to the Helm, and back down along the road through the Glen and round the station, home.

Conditions: 10C, grey but high clouds.

Pub? Nope!

Scout Scar 5km run

An Outdoor Day because run during the the Covid-19 shut down.

Route: From the layby (at GR 494899), a short ascent then bearing left to reach and then descend the escarpment and south across the fields before bending right onto the green track with views of the estuary. Bending left below Pooks Peak, through a gate and then along the cliff edge of the Scar. Along this to the trig point and then back though the gate in the wall corner to descend, past the spooky building and along the edge of the escarpment to the start.

Conditions: Cloudy with a hint of sun, blustery and much colder than of late.

Pub?: Bo because of C19 so a shared bottle of Abbot in the summer house with the just-arrived pub display of peanuts.

Brackenthwaite Hows tootle

A 5km run meriting an Outdoor Days entry because it may have been the last jaunt for the duration of the coronavirus shutdown. Despite the full car park, it was easy to maintain social distancing.

Route: leaving the full car in the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park and taking the steep shortcut to reach the start of the small path up Roger’s Steps to the summit plateau of Brackenthwaite Hows. Descending south and picking up the path within the wood by its eastern wall to join the small path descending to the boat house. Thence round the lake to the water pumping station and heading right along the stream/river to Park Bridge and along the very minor road towards Muncaster House but turning left on the footpath to Gillerthwaite, across a couple of fields, and following the drive out to join the Loweswater road at the defibrillator, turning right back to the car park.

Conditions: a delightful, warm sunny day.

Pub? on the second day of the coronavirus shutdown, cans of Hawkshead Lighter Times (0.5%) and Fyne Ales Workbench in the cottage garden in sun.

Wandope via the Sail Beck valley

A 9km walk on a blustery spring day on the first weekend of social distancing (first walk for Tim since having a neuroma diagnosed in his right foot).

Route: leaving the car at the National Trust car park at Buttermere (free and packed because of COV-19) and immediately taking the footpath round High House Crag to the south keeping a fence to the right above Mill Beck. Just before the final section of wall, forking left up on the shepherd's drove towards a first unnamed gill to cross and continue on a balcony path on the lower slopes of Bleak Rigg. Reaching Third Gill where turning left up the ravine to find a crossing point and carry on on a yet higher path and traverse for a kilometre to Addabcomb Beck. Here turning left just before the ford to struggle steeply and pathlessly up to find a path and a more pronounced ridge at the edge of Addacomb Hole and take this to the summit. Descending via Whiteless Edge and Whiteless Pike but detouring on a quickly fading path round the eastern edge of Whiteless Breast. Later rejoining the main descent path and returning to the car park via the northern edge of the quarry under High House Crag.

Conditions: good visibility, with some high cloud with occasional warm sunshine when the strong and icy wind dropped

Pub: Kirkstile Inn to pick up bottles of Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale and Loweswater Gold (because of the first full day of the COVID-19 pub closures) to drink indoors at the cottage.

Midtown to Buttermere at mid-height

A 12km solitary run for Lois (Tim re-resting his sore foot at home) from the cottage to the Bridge with the promise of a lift home

Route: Leaving the cottage and running down the road south to the corner at Boonbeck to take the road up to the farm at Scales and turn right and then left up the much-re-engineered track past the cowsheds to the (waterlogged, naturally) balcony path to High Swinside. Running up the track from the farm to join the fell road and turning right to run down through the gate past the Hope and go through a gate on the next bend in the road to head south, pathlessly, through more gates (and over a puddle filled with frogspawn) across two soggy fields to join the bridleway heading south-southwest all the way to Lanthwaite Green above the intake wall. (Detouring mistakenly a little further on on a higher path leading across but not out of two walled fields and having to retrace steps back to the beck crossing and the narrow walled corridor above Miller Place and High Hollins to continue.)

Contouring on for several kilometres, opting for higher and drier paths where possible, to reach Lanthwaite Gate, Lanthwaite Green and Cinderdale Common and there cross a final beck (Cinderdale Beck) to join the main path into Rannerdale. Crossing the footbridge to keep with the bridleway path up the west side of the valley, eventually crossing back over Squat Beck to rise to the saddle between Low Bank and Whiteless Breast and running down to the road under High House Crag, bearing left (east) to keep out of strong winds. Turning left along the road to run down to the Bridge (and struggle to call home for a lift - no phone signal and Bridge wifi pathetic!).

Conditions: Very wet, muddy and flooded paths in places but also stretches of dry path amazingly. Brief hail shower shortly after starting out, following by odd moments of sun, closing in with an extended heavy, sleety shower just before Rannerdale and strong winds on emerging from the valley.

Pub: The Bridge, Buttermere, with Tim, for Tractor Shed Mowdy and The Bridge.

Under Talkin Fell

An experimental 8km walk to test T’s foot post (unsuccessful, it turned out) treatment and to visit Mark and Helen.

Route: leaving the car outside the Blacksmiths Arms, Talkin, following a pint and heading south east, bending right to pass Talkin Head Farm and then uphill on a stony track with views over Geltsdale. Taking the first right hand turn down hill on another clear track to arrive at Low Hynam for coffee with Mark and Helen. Afterwards, continuing along the river past High Hynam and then climbing on a sometimes very muddy track onto open fellside, bending left to pass the Greens and return underneath the summit and down a better, straight track downhill to rejoin the outward route.

Conditions: surprisingly dry with some sun though a cold wind on the top.

Pub: beforehand, the Blacksmiths Arms, Talkin for Hawkshead WPA and ITI.