Julia Garner : Borrowdale round

Sunday 22 September 2019

Borrowdale round

Yesterday was an absolutely splendid day - 20 degrees plus and full sun ....and 50mph winds on the tops, so a breezy walk all the way! We parked up at Seathwaite and then walked up on the left hand side of Sour milk Gill and out into Gillercomb before ascending to the col and turning left for Base Brown. Sour milk Gill is always a nice ascent that gets you up quickly and the path through Gillercomb was nice and gentle - distinctly cooler though as in the shade and as was the rest of the walk - windy with strong gusts. From Base Bown it was a short step onto Green Gable which afforded fantastic views - especially down over Buttermere, Crummock Water and Ennerdale. Then down to Windy Gap which seriously lived up to its name before ascending on to Great Gable - that lovely little scramble before the walk to the summit where we struggled, at points, to stand. Good views over Wastwater. Photography wasn't easy in the gale and the light was incredibly bright. Then down to Styhead for lunch at 12.30 where it was a completely different day - sunny and calm! We then went onto Seathwaite Fell from Sprinkling tarn - a new Wainwright for the dog. On the summit the rocks were superb - lovely layers of ash showing clearly in the volcanic rocks. Then on up to the path over Allen Crags and a deceptively long, rough and up and down, ridge walk to Glaramara. This time superb views over Langdale and across to the east. Coming off the end of Glaramara was a bit of a scramble and not very easy for the dog, but good fun! Then down over Thorneythwaite Fell which was a very gentle way of descending to the valley bottom at Seatoller for a pint of shandy sat in the sun outside the pub! A short walk back to the car completed out 17 mile walk with 4 new Wainwrights for Rocky bringing his total to 136. A cracking day out!