Winter Wainwright Challenge Day 3: The Dodds and High Rigg.

A clearer day again today and the cloud base remained above the summits all day.  Our route for the day was The Dodds and High Rigg.  We began the walk from St John’s in the Vale Church dropping down into the valley and then climbing very steeply up to Clough Head at the start of the Dodds Ridge.  The ridge was a rolling whaleback taking us over Calfhow Pike, Great Dodd, Watson’s Dodd and Stybarrow Dodd before dropping down to the head of Sticks Pass.  Views from the ridge were expansive from Bencathra and Skiddaw in the north to Helvellyn and Thirlmere in the south.  The wind had increased to gale force again, though nothing like as bad as Tuesday and was merely invigorating.

To view large, please click on an image.

Winter Wainwright Challenge Day 2: The Greater Fairfield Horseshoe.

Different weather today.  Gone was the wind to leave us with low cloud.  The itinerary today was the Greater Fairfield Hoseshoe; the basic horseshoe with a diversion to pick up the insignificant top of Stone Arthur, perched above Grasmere.  Insignificant, but a Wainwright nonetheless.  Once we had bagged this it was on up to Great Rigg and into the cloud which continued until lower down on the far side of the horseshoe.  Visibility on the summit of Farifield itself was very poor and with the pristine white snow, it was difficult to tell where ground finished and cloud began and, with the edge being corniced, navigation needed to be spot on.  We continued from the summit, up and down over, first, Hart Crag and then Dove Crag before dropping down to High Pike and then, finally out of the cloud , to Low Pike.   From here we dropped steeply towards Ambleside, but turned off to return to our starting point of Rydal Mount through the grounds of Rydal Hall.

To view large, please click on an image.

The Winter Wainwright Challenge Day 1: The Glenridding Circuit.

Up early for an excellent breakfast and then off over the Kirkstone Pass to Glenridding for our first route: A Glenridding Circuit.  This was to take us from the village up to the minor summit of Glenridding Dodd and then on over Heron Pike, Sheffield Pike, out to Hartside and then back to Raise, Whiteside and Helvellyn Lower Man before tackling the descent of Swirral Edge and the ascent of the final Wainwright of the day, Catsye Cam and then descending back to the car.  However, due to ice and severe avalanche risk, we had already abandoned any thoughts of Swirral and Catsye Cam.  As we set off from the car it was already windy and the weather looked ominous.  We reached Glenridding Dodd with clear skies for it’s magnificent views along Ullswater and across to the Far Eastern fells, but by the time we had reached Heron Pike we were in cloud and driving snow and spindrift.  Time to don snow goggles and crampons.  From the relatively sheltered position of Sheffield Pike we headed across wide open, exposed fellside to Hartside.  Steep hard snowslopes prompted us to get out ice axes in case of slips.  Once exposed to the wind we appreciated it’s full fury; it was living up to the forecast of steady 40-60 mph.  On Hartside, however it suddenly increased dramatically in strength and began to snow and hail.  The only thing to do was dig in our axes, kneel down and cling on until it passed.  Even then driving snow and spindrift meant we were trying to operate in whiteout conditions.  I remember that only the top half of each of us was visible through the spindrift.  The only sensible decision was to retreat, which we did as quickly as possible, soon reaching lower ground and calm conditions.  A late lunch and finding our way back to our starting position completed an epic day.  All that remained was beer o’clock and sustenance in the hostel.

To view large, please click on an image.