CtC3 Borrowdale Fells

CtC3 Borrowdale Fells

Honister Hause to Grasmere

RFM Blue Line

Walking with Peter

30/04/26

We arrived at the meeting place in Grasmere on a wonderful clear sunny day. Typically we were both 25 minutes early. Then it was in to my car and on to the slate mine parking area at Honister Hause to pick up the CtC from last year.

We started at the slate quarry and though it was little windy and cool as it was still only about 8.30 the day promised to be a perfect Lakeland walking day. There were other walkers around mainly CtC'ers and we were expecting a lot more through the day. The first couple we talked to were Dutch I think, young and very fit.

Looking back to the mine it was a steep descent along a CtC prepared route. There were plenty of Herdwicks about and quite a few lambs.

The low sun was blotting out the details of the landscape in front of us. We would be walking over the horizon we could see. On our left the slope to the ridge was almost vertical.

We passed through a small wood on the way to Seatoller. The descent so far had been pretty uneventful. The view back up to Great Gable especially with the tree in the foreground was a joy. You don't often get the weather to get shots like this in the lakes. We still had a way down to go to get to the valley floor.

                              

We had to check the map a few times as our route was different from the sign-posted route. We realised that the sign posted route did a big u turn to get to Seatoller so we were happy to follow it. You can never be sure if the route marked on the map would still be passable so its always better to follow the signs.

It wasn't strictly on the route but when we came into Seatoller we had to go on the bridge over Hause Gill  just for a look. The size of the boulders tell you its a mountain stream which will have a lot of power when in flood. The protective wall in the right hand photo is made up of huge dressed blocks of stone which would have been a massive undertaking to put in place but no doubt protects the village below.

                                

We had our first stop in the woods down from Seatoller. As we sat resting we could hear a Cuckoo calling from nearby. As we recommenced the walk I heard the Cuckoo call coming from 2 different directions. What a treat on this warm sunny day.

                

We still had a long way to go before we started today's ascent. Its better to get the main climb over with early but on the CtC you do not have a choice, its however it comes. The views were post card picturesque.

The signed path was again different from the map but was pretty easy to follow. It involved a little bit of scrambling and a chain to hold onto whilst traversing this high river bank.

We crossed the bridge at Roshwaite just after the Youth Hostel, a popular over night stop for many CtC'ers. We were feeling by now that this long walk was just that, a walk. We were eager to get up on to the fells.

From the lane out of Peat Howe we got our first real view of the route ahead along Borrowdale.  We would follow the valley all the way to the top on the horizon. It looked very steep in the far distance. However that wasn't the top of the climb but only about half way up as we had more hills to climb not visible from here.

There were plenty of hikers around heading in various directions and we chatted to quite a few. Its the first time I've see Herdwick lambs, they are very pretty. I believe they are left alone to lamb without human intervention, easy farming. They are a nordic breed introduced to the area well over a thousand years ago and ideally suited to the fells. To be fair they are deservedly a Lakeland icon.

We passed through the pretty village of Stonethwaite and crossed the bridge over Stonethwaite Beck on to the bottom of the ascent. 

 

We had met a guy at Stonethwaite getting ready to go up Eagle Crag the hill pictured here across the beck from our path. It was a great looking crag but looked like an impossible hike without climbing.

It was an easy start to the ascent along a rocky path. We met a few CtC'ers one couple with blister issues and only on day 3 so we sympathised but secretly hoped they'd turn back and get the blisters sorted before continuing. We didn't see them again so maybe they did just that. As we started to ascend much more steeply, Eagle Crag in all its glory provided the back drop for our climb. What a great name for a hill. 

      

The route became very steep and rocky and we slowed considerably and started having stops to catch our breaths. We came across a group of Aussies having a break and exchanged greetings and stories. We put them right when they called this God's own country explaining that God's own country was actually Yorkshire as everybody knows. All the way to the top we swapped places with the younger members of the group and had many chats along the way.

If you look closely you can see the guy we met earlier, climbing Eagle Crag. He is in the bottom right hand corner.

The streams on our left up the sheer hillside were thankfully almost dry so we were able to pass them with ease. Looking back we were quickly gaining height and the valley bottom was already just about out of view.

On we trudge, up and up. The view back is getting even higher and the view forward doesn't even give a hint of what is over the horizon but we know there are more hills above. As we get closer if anything it looks even steeper. Its hard but its fun.

Looking back the view is starting to get bigger but there is a lot more to see. Looking up the rocky terrain is unforgiving and typical of our CtC experience so far, lots of rocks.

As we followed the beck up there were quite a few waterfalls, these being 2 of the best.

This is a long valley to climb but we are getting nearer to the top. Its always a good sign when you can see hills in the distance beyond the valley you are in. Another waterfall and even bigger rocks to negotiate.

Higher and higher we go and the valley bottom just disappears completely. Eagle Crag was towering above us and now we are level with it. The hills in the distance are overtopping the valley.

As we walk out of the valley we enter another world with more crags and hills to clamber up and over.

The valley now looks insignifcant but was a beast to get out of.

Towering above us is the daunting sight of Lining Crag. The only way to pass is up the waterfall on the left hand edge of the crag. This is what Wainwright calls a scramble.

 

The more we ascend the longer the views. Going up the waterfall we followed 3 of the Aussies but to be fair you had to pick your own route. I didn't take a photo before we stopped at this stepped part at the top because I was too scared to get my camera out. It was part climb, part scramble part balancing on rocks. It never felt safe and it was super steep. But if you want to get to Grasmere it is the route. I loved it really but it was scary.

We had a break on the top of Lining Crag which was quite a small area and it was a bit windy. The views are now upland views where in all directions you can see the tops of the fells.

We started our descent almost immediately but it was reasonably gentle in nature. It would be a fair walk to Greenup Edge where the descent to Grassmere began in earnest.

These upland areas are just so beautiful, wide vistas and long long views. 

As we descended towards Calf Crag we met many walkers passing us in the opposite direction. Much greeting and chatting ensued. We then realised than many of the walkers had stopped for lunch and it seemed a good idea so we also stopped a little way off the path on suitable rocks. Not a bad view for a lunch time stop.

We came to the point where the high level route diverges from the CtC towards Calf Crag so of course we took the hard route whilst the majority of walkers took the easier valley route. All the walkers we met on this section were day walkers not CtC'ers. The views down this valley were wonderful from our high point and well worth the extra effort.

The path up to Calf Crag was steep but relatively short. The views behind us in the area called The Bog included many tarns. I am not sure what the dark hill was called but it looked magnificent. On our side of the valley the line of crags stretched away down the spine of this little range.

After Calf Crag we were on to Pike of Carrs. Looking down the valley Grasmere Lake is in the distance and Windermere in the far distance.

We passed Moment Brow and headed further down the range. We chatted with everyone and most were doing the horseshoe shaped route from Grassmere up and along this range and then back down the valley following the CtC.  A challenging couple of hours.

Somewhere near Horn Crag we stopped to chat with an elderly couple who had paused for a cuppa. As we were chatting I noticed the old boy looked bushed and had grazed his knee. I was guessing he was late 70's so I asked him how he found the walking as Peter was 73 and I wondered when he should look to shorter walks. It was a bit of a faux pas as it turns out he was only 72 so as he said he had another years fell walking in him to catch Peter. We glossed over the unintended insult and all was well. His wife by the way looked fresh as a daisy which we commented on later as we struggled down the descent at the end of the walk. The locals round here are made of stern stuff.

As we crossed Gibson Knott, another wonderful name, we came across a group of young ladies and a bit older lady lounging on the path. We got talking and they had charming Geordie accents. They asked us some silly questions about collecting Wainwrights, the term for the 214 hills described by Wainright. We pointed them towards Calf Crag and the way back down via the valley. And we suggested that perhaps all the peaks on this range were Wainwrights. But as is the way on all walks we had to proceed so we left them there resting and know do not whether they continued or not. It was nice talking to the girls and I was reluctant to leave but my brother kept me in line.

We left Gibson Knott and approached Helm Crag which we could climb as an extra. Peter left the decision to me and I decided we had done enough for one day so we headed down off the hill.

The descent off the hill was a ridiculously steep slope but sensibly it was a series of zig zags which seemed to go on for ever but did make the descent doable. The route again did not follow the map but we just followed the signs and the way was good. At the bottom we crossed a bridge over Green Burn.

After the Burn we went through a field of the gentle Belted Galloways a breed of cow that always puts a smile on your face.

                                              

The range we had just clambered over looked really high from here but from the top of Greenup Edge it looked quite small. Its all in the perspective.

Over 12 miles and 2600 feet ascent with a 3600 feet descent over rough stoney ground is tough on the knees. The views were just magnificent high and low level. Its also another 12.3 miles nearer to Whitby.

OS Map

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/31759686/ctc3-borrowdale-fells-?lat=54.50155&lon=-3.15923&zoom=11.6657&overlays=os-obstacles-layer&style=TopoAuto&type=2d