Best Laid Plans in Longsleddale

 Saturday 23rd February 2019

February 2019 had been a very strange month weather-wise. The month started with thick, heavy snowfall, as would be expected for the time of year, but this was followed by a fast, rapid thaw. Towards the end of the month, a mini-heatwave had hit the UK, bringing record breaking temperatures (20.6°C in Trawsgoed, Wales) for this time of year!

I was hoping to get my first wild-camp of the year on the weekend of the 'heatwave' - my earliest ever camp!

My camping rucksack loaded, I decided I would head back to Kendal, and up the valley of Longsleddale to the small hamlet of Sadgill at it's head. My trip here was thwarted a few weeks earlier by a BT engineer who had closed the single track road for telegraph pole maintenance.

It was looking promising. I passed the point where I had to turn around last time, and continued on the narrow country road for a further 4 mile to Sadgill. It was a lovely drive up the valley. Blue skies & green fields. The valley was dotted with whitewashed farm houses & old stone barns. There were even snowdrops flowering in places by the side of the road.

I finally reached Sadgill, which is basically a bridge crossing the River Sprint. On the otherside of the bridge were two farms, with a large yard separating the two.

Surprisingly there were quite a few cars parked up on the near side of the bridge. All the walking guides I had read advised there was probably enough room for about 10 cars - and there were already more than that on the junction & leading a short distance up the unpaved Gatescarth Pass road. As I was sat in my car, wondering where to park, a farmer drove over the bridge, and said I could park infront of a gate to a pasture, which I was very thankful for. However, just as I had parked, and booted up, I spotted a couple returning to their car, which was in a more sensible location, so after they had gone, I quickly took the spot.

I hauled my heavy rucksack onto my back, and began the climb. Heading through a gate and into a field, the path didn't hold back as it climbed steeply up the field. The was a small outcrop about half way up the field which gave fantastic views along the valley, especially to the mountainous pass to the north between the mighty cliffs of Goat Scar & Buckbarrow Crag.

I carried on up the steep grassy field to the north western corner where there was a stile onto the open fellside. The path continued upward through a wide rocky gully before reaching another wall at the top. The path swung right to follow the wall, circling the base of the crags of Great Howe.

Continuing round, I was keeping my eye out for a piece of industrial history. Longsleddale is just a few miles south of Haweswater reservoir, and as I know from my hike over Branstree & Selside last year, there are old survey pillars in the vicinity which were built by the Manchester Corporation to mark the route of the aqueduct taking the water to Manchester.

Rounding Great Howe, I spotted it, jutting out from the landscape.

This was smaller than the one I had discovered on the descent of Branstree. This one was about 6 foot from ground level to top, and was made of concrete, whereas the previous one was stone brick.

From my location, looking north north west, I could see the summit of Tarn Crag, and its own survey column on the skyline. But that would be a couple of hours off. I had another crag to bag first.

From the survey pillar, it was quite a soggy trod following the faint path through the grassland of Sleddale Fell, heading north before turning east to meet, and cross a fence.

After the fence, the ground became rockier, and more solid on the climb to Grey Crag. Topping out onto the summit, there was a marked increase in wind speed, and with it wind chill. I took shelter behind the cairn on the summit outcrop to put on my down jacket & grab a quick snack. (#175 - Grey Crag - 2,093 ft)

From the summit of Grey Crag to the north east I spotted another, tall cairn about a third of a mile away or so. This was Harrop Pike, not a Wainwright in itself, but was only 3 foot shorter than Grey Crag. I decided to pay it a visit as it was only short walk across a relatively flat grassland.

Dropping down off the Grey Crag summit I soon reached a right-angled fence bordering the outer perimeter of Mosedale to the north. The path turned right to follow the fence.

It soon became apparent, that the flat grassland was also home to a bog. Parts of the path were water-logged, and I had to divert round the deeper pools & over less soggy ground. I soon reached Harrop Pikes quite impressively built (or should that be 'balanced') cairn.

Wainwright described this far eastern edge of Lakeland as the place where the Cumbrian Mountains meet the Pennine Hills & Dales.

From here, the view east was of long undulating grassy hills & ridges. To the west, the contrasting high fells & rocky crags of Lakeland.

I turned back the way I came, and headed back west to the right angled corner in the fence. From the corner, I had to head across the wide grassy depression of Grey Crag Tarn. Its name didn't conjure much confidence that this would be a dry crossing.

After first descending down some peat hags, I picked up a faint path which ran parallel to the fence across the grassland. In very wet weather, a tarn appears within this grassland. Luckily the mini-heatwave meant it hadn't rained for a week or so. Even so, the ground was sodden & water-logged from the melted snow from the start of the month & the crossing, although mainly straight forward, still involved a bit of bog trotting over some of the streams & pools.

Up ahead, the path began to ascend as it reached the lower slopes of Tarn Crag. The path then vanished within heather & grass. I knew the direction to head, so made a bee-line diagonally up the fellside. Soon enough I reached a path running across the top of the fell, which lead to summit #176 - Tarn Crag (L'sleddale) - 2176 ft.

Tarn Crag, along with its small summit cairn, is also home to yet another Manchester Corporation survey pillar, this one more in keeping with the one on Branstree, at being a good 14 foot (or so) tall, and had a small tarn / pool next to it.

High level cloud had crept in overhead to obscure the sunshine & strong winds were blowing on the top of Tarn Crag - as evidenced in the waves on the pool of water next to the survey column.

I wandered around to find a place to pitch my tent. There were a few spots of note with views down Longsleddale, however the wind was gusting, and it didn't feel very accommodating - I wouldn't have got a good nights sleep (or any sleep at all!).

Sunset was still two hours off though, so I decided to plod on and see if I could reach the top of Kentmere Pike before nightfall. I think this was an overly optimistic decision!

Right....first step: Descend Tarn Crag.

Heading north from the summit area, trudging across grassy tufts I soon reached a fence running across the fell top blocking the way ahead. On the other side though I could see a path leading down the hillside adjacent to another fence, running north westerly down to the Gatescarth Pass some few hundred feet below. I hopped over the fence where it met a post, and headed downhill.

I took it steady, the path was grassy and wet, and quite steep in places which meant it could be slippy. A small stream developed to the right of me as I descended. Further down it became a babbling beck, and then a little rocky ravine.

It was slow going heading down the wet grassy slope, and look a little longer than expected. On reaching the small stone bridge at the bottom, I took stock of my position. Grey clouds had blown overhead, and it was just over an hour off sun down. Dominating crags surrounded this part of the Gatesgarth Pass, and the opposite slope up onto Kentmere Pike - a ridge known as Steel Rigg - was just as imposing as it sounded...but my Wainwright guide had mentioned there was a route up it from the pass. I decided to follow the road in the direction back to Sadgill to see if I could pick up the path, although I was becoming doubtful I would make it to the top of Kentmere Pike before nightfall. Could there be a place to pitch on the ridge up though?.

Between the pass & Steel Rigg was a rocky ravine, with a beck running through it. The early stages of the River Sprint was in full flow from the water coming down off the fells.

I couldn't locate a suitable spot to cross the river or the route up Steel Rigg. With daylight now ebbing away, I decided to call it a day. I followed the Gatesgarth Pass for the next mile and a half - through some impressive, towering rock scenery, back to the filed & furrows of Sadgill & my car, just before it started spitting with rain.

By the time I had driven back down the valley & met back up with the Kendal road, my headlights had turned on & the night had drawn in.

I was still determined to get my first camp in earlier than the previous year.... and still had four weeks left to meet my goal....

Mark