C2C Wainwright’s D5 Patterdale to Bampton, last day in the Lakes

A reasonably early start this morning as going to go for Kidsty Pike!

More Wainwright books than you can imagine

A gentle lull on a calm morning

Then the inevitable ‘up’ started. Shame that this bench was only at 100 m

…but looking relaxed

Some of our fellow wanderers had decided to take the steamer along Ullswater to then walk to Shap from there. Not a bad idea if you want a quieter less hilly day but still 19km that way.

The views became more dramatic as the track headed upwards and the weather became typically ‘Lakeland’

Good for some moody photos later on.

A few fungi made an appearance

And then Angle Tarn appeared

It is after this that Wainwright wrote “with Angle Tarn left behind and out of sight, the immediate surroundings become dreary” (ref ‘A coast to coast walk, aWainwright, p49). I suppose it depends on one’s point of view . I quite like it.

Thought we had veered slightly off piste following the bigger path across Satura Cragg but then noted the proper one just to the right and got back on it. Easy to do. Important to ‘Hug the wall to the right’ when going through the gap in the wall’ through a broken down gate post (ref Coast to Coast path, Stedman and Butler p 140)

Red arrow top left corner of page shows area of minor ‘misdirection’ 🤪

Definitely needed a snack and cup of tea after that

…and then the climb up the Knott

..and then the sharp left just as you get over the top and round to the right past The Knott- nicely sign posted

It looks like a ridge… but isn’t really as path is wide and no sharp edges

The last 50m gets a bit ‘breezy’ as the wind is channelled to the top

Standard view from the top of a windy Hill- the Pike.

… and then important to stick to rule No 1 of hiking = ‘don’t assume those walking with you or around you are going the same way or following the same path’… as we conferred with an Australian who had chosen the slightly easier descent which meant he took the 90 degrees west path from the Pike along the Roman Road to High Raise, whereas we were going down the steeper descent along Kidsty Howes.

At risk of “teaching my grandmother to suck eggs“ some downhill suggestions (disclaimer – The author takes no responsibility for any injury caused by trying any of the below suggestions!)

The biggest battle is with gravity and slipping
To counter this there are a number of techniques you can use

a) Go slowly – sensible

b) Use the slalom technique taking wide semi horizontal paths back and forward

c) Lean slightly forwards at the hips with your weight more onto the ball of your feet, so that your centre of gravity (especially with a backpack) is over your feet, rather than leaning backward onto your heels, reducing risk of slipping backwards

d) as you head downward, instead of looking for gaps between the rocks and stones to land in (giving a risk of catching, twisting etc) try ‘walking on the tops of the rocks and stones’ with the ball of your feet landing on them.

e) when really steep/ ragged steps there is no shame in going down on your behind!

…

We made it💪

Time for some lunch

Then along the reservoirs, as strictly not a lake anymore since a Bill was passed in 1929 authorising the use of Haweswater as a reservoir for the population of Manchester. The Dam built is 470 m wide and 35 m high

Which meant that settlements such as Mardale Green had to be relocated , although when water levels are low, remnants of the old village can be seen ( water was low today)

…so we progressed along the side of Haweswater … the first couple of miles still being considerably up and down along Bampton Common, the biggest Common covered by bracken we have ever seen. Begged the question “is Bracken useful for anything? “

RHS.org says :

…BUT same website says;

…past an honesty cool box just before the reservoir ends which a kindly person has kept filled with snack bars, and drinks for anyone who may have run out of goodies at that point

…and then finally to the end of the Reservoir where we turned left to Bampton at Burnbanks, rather than head off to Shap like most other walkers today, I guess.