Tuesday 15th October 2019
Wainwright's Way - near Crook to Troutbeck (Limefit Park) approx. 8 miles
We thought parking may be a problem at the Troutbeck
finishing point because access to the road from our path was limited. Limefit
Holiday Park was the only realistic possibility. We rendezvoused there
and all was quiet at this high class holiday chalet complex. The lady in the little shop had no hesitation in giving us permission to park, and off we drove to our previous finishing
point, and we were walking by 9:20 am. The two car method should work ok
on the next section but after that we may be relying on BC's
ingenuity with logistics.
To Windermere and beyond we had delightful fringe of the Lakes walking on undulating cropped sheep pastures, with small outcrops of Lake District rock hinting at rock climbing days.
It is an old cliché
to say the camera doesn't lie when we all know it does. A mini tarn promised prettiness on the map but on arrival it was largely overgrown and not attractive
, but I took a photo so I could grumble. but when I saw the result back home prettiness was undeniable.
Approaching Windermere our route coincided with the Dalesway in places and also a pleasantly remembered day with BC during our campaign climbing all the hills in Wainwright's Outlying Fells back in February 2016.
CLICK TO SEE POST
We followed a number of folk up Orrest Head and I remembered granddaughter Katie walking all the way to the top unaided in January 2014 at age 2 years and 3 months:
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| Katie on the way up Orrest Head - Jan 2014 - note my shortened walking pole |
CLICK TO SEE KATIE POST
Going back to the veracity of camera and photos I took two shots of Windermere from Orrest Head and when I saw the result decided they were not good enough, but then converted them to black and white producing what I think are quite attractive views.
The descent from Orrest Head was followed by Longmire Road, an old bridleway with superb views all the way of the Coniston hills and Weatherlam out to the west and our way ahead for the next section up the Troutbeck valley.
Definitely worth clicking first photo to see as slideshow
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| Off to a good start on cropped sheep pasture |
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| School Knott |
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| The photo makes this look much better than it appeared in real life |
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| Windermere (town and lake) |
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| Plodding up Orrest Head |
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| Windermere from Orrest Head |
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| Windermere south from Orrest Head. Original photo was not good but as b and w not bad - same with next photo - they look much better if click to enlarge |
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| Zoom to Morecambe Bay from Orrest Head |
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| Weatherlam and the Greenburn Horseshoe |
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BC looking down to our finish at Limefit Park holiday complex - see next photo.
Our route will continue up the valley ahead to ascend the distant Thornthwaite Beacon and High Street over to Patterdale |
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| Blue route is a small diversion we took to avoid some of walking on main road |
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| Correction to diversion om map below |
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Blue route shows our diversion from Nick Burton's route
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Making progress.
ReplyDeleteA different set of pictures.
PS Your diversion route on the map should have been the footpath to the west from Crosses Farm.
ReplyDeletePicking nits.
BC - we have certainly travelled through a wide variety of terrain so far. Thanks for the correction - update posted.
ReplyDeleteWhat led you to take an alternative route to the north of Windermere? A specific problem with the defined route or just preferred something different?
ReplyDeletegayle - I'm not sure exactly apart from logic and avoidance of walking on sections of busy thoroughfares and main roads.
ReplyDeleteFrom the main Kirkstone pass road, the valley up from Troutbeck over to Hartsop has a very grand appearance and always surprises me with its beetling depths and 'vast' distances - seems hardly Lakeland, more Alpine - although I'm sure it must be popular, I've never heard anyone speak of walking it.
ReplyDeleteI've been through that 'hidden' country above the Windermere road, across and down to Troutbeck, a few times recently - as you say, charming and almost untouched: tiny ancient settlements and mysterious rambling 'great houses' hidden in woods and deep folds of the land - and it misses all the traffic going along the main road. Coupled with the views across to the Langdales and the central fells are - quite startling - so close and dramatic compared with the dullness of low level Windermere - rewards indeed, tinged with reminiscence and longing.
I hope good weather blesses this 'coda' of your expedition.
gimmer - I have walked up there once to Thornthwaite Beacon. A friend had an enquiry from a chap who wanted someone to walk with and he was passed on to me. We walked up there but I have no memory of the route after Thornthwaite, nor of the chap I walked with, suffice to say I never saw him again - I'm not sure who that was down to.
ReplyDeleteHardly a coda by the way. We still have a significant proportion of the route to complete involving several more outings and all over hills not to be taken lightly. We are probably starting the third movement of a four movement opus.
Well, it won't be 'the ninth' now - for me anyway - one used to enjoy the fourth movement but the almost fascist fervour of the EU 'anthem' usage has ruined it for me.
ReplyDeleteI always imagine climbing the Peuterey ridge when hearing the fourth movement of the Fifth - I know one is not 'supposed' to be too programmatic but as B himself made the imagery of the Pastoral specific, as did others, in e.g. Fingal's cave, I cannot see why one should not associate one's own imagery with particular music . . . not keen on 'war' music though, so your 'favourite' soviet composer is not really in my bag.
gimmer - I think there is no reason whatever to avoid having one's own interpretation of any work of art. Once the artist (in the broadest sense) has put his work into the public domain he has no further rights over its interpretation other than his/her own.
ReplyDeleteI shall continue to enjoy S's widely varied music which was not all written to avoid the wrath of "the powers that be" and even if it was it had interesting subtleties which actually criticised (according to respected biographers.)