Deepdale Horseshoe

What a cracking round this is! On New Year's Eve we parked up in Patterdale, opposite the hotel (parking £4.50 - cheap for the Lakes), where the path to Arnison Crag goes through the back of the property and out onto the open fell. A quick step up onto the crag affords good views down Ullswater. Then a nice path down and across and up the wall to Birks - a steep ascent. Then following the obvious path along to St Sunday Crag with great views across to Helvellyn - plenty of people on Striding Edge! The wind was strong and pretty cold, but there was a lovely spot coming off St Sunday Crag where there was a lull and the opportunity for lunch. Then down to the col before a really nice scramble onto the summit of Fairfield...apparently there was an easier route. The top was pretty cloudy though, with plumes and swirls of cloud coming over the top from the southwest. As we dropped onto Hart Crag we began to get the feeling it was worth while keeping the camera out of  its bag incase of brocken spectres and we weren't disappointed - one appeared about 5 times phasing in and out - spectacular! After Hart Crag we had to descend onto Hartsop above How, but the cloud was freezing onto the rocks which made it treacherous underfoot, so a slow and careful descent down to Deepdale. This was a really gentle and pleasant route down. We arrived back at the car just as it got dark - 14 miles and 3495 feet of ascent with a good helping of great views and scrambly bits!

Arnison Crag looking over Ullswater; looking across to Birks; Striding Edge and approaching St Sunday Crag.

Arnison Crag.

Looking across to Striding Edge and Catstye Cam.

Cloud pouring over Fairfield summit.

Spectacular skies....

Brocken spectre! Yeh! 

Looking back to Deepdale; back to Fairfield; Fairfield NE face and Rocky on the last summit of Hartsop above How.