Spring to Winter and Back Again

There’s been much recent ‘talk’,

quite rightly so,

about how many people have been rescued this year in the Lakes. 

Going out in the mountains without the right winter kit.

Caught by snow, or early end to the day and having to call out Mountain Rescue.

Friday made me realise how easy this could happen to  to the uninitiated.

Leaving the car park at Brothers  water it was distinctly spring.  

Blue sky.

Blue water.

Warmth.

A few white streaks of snow on the Dodd in front. A lazy lenticular hanging on the top of the hill.

And so it remained – for a while. 

Through the valley. 

Past fast flowing water falls and over clear, ‘fix the fells’ style tracks.

Dove crag beckoned as we slowly ascended the valley.  Lowering cloud and perhaps a little more snow. Not appearing at all onerous.

But it was getting colder.

Fast flowing falls became static.

But there really wasn’t much snow –

There was still a path – after all

Or was there?

Snow trapped in the gully quickly obliterated the trail.

A smooth, iced sheet of white replaced steps and we donned our spikes.

Reaching the top, cloud joined the party. 

Spring had decidedly left.

Lunch – well there was a stone.  With an appropriate drift to sit on behind.

We were effectively in a ‘white out’  and it was easy to see how even if someone with only boots, no compass etc had made it up the slope disorientation would quickly set in. Trying to get down the same way would be hazardous to say the least.

We’d had half a plan to go on to Fairfield but as there was northing to see and no wind to shift the enveloping grey, so we didn’t even bother to go up to the top of Hart Crag.

Hoping that the mist was just hugging the tops we headed off to Hartsop Above How, contouring round to avoid the drifts in the gullies and were, thankfully rewarded by the return of spring sunshine as we dropped below the cloud line.

Still in snow this meant I had to play with my camera and try to capture it all! 

Very difficult to believe what a small drop in altitude can make to the conditions

As we wandered across Hartsop Above How, almost beyond the snow line, we met a large group of walkers who had planned to follow our route in reverse. 

They were out with out winter kit and thankfully took very little persuasion that it would not be a wise thing to do. 

Before long it was spring again and we were back down by the clear calm of Brothers Water

Route

 

  

 

  If you’d like to explore this area or any of the others on my blog please   contact me.