Tuesday 4 May 2010

Eskdale Backpack



Went for a 2 night backpack , starting Friday night . Zoomed home from work , got ready, no time for tea so I stopped at Whitehaven Morrisons for chicken tikka and naan. Consequently I was quite late parking at the cattle grid lay-by above the road end for Brotherikeld. Always slightly worrying leaving car for 2 nights, especially when its the only one there. Walk went via Tow House and Scale gill to a shelf above High Scarth Crag. A longish walk in the dark to find water that looked drinkable was needed as I forgot to fill the Platypus earlier. I awoke the next morning to a grey start.
A breakfast of crushed oatybix and dried milk saw me away and over the col to the Great Moss. The weather started to clear so I decided on Scafell Pike via Cam Spout.

Instead of heading for Mickledore I went right to look for a previously unvisited tarn. Broadcrag Tarn seems to be just a puddle, but is named on the OS map.



A quick zoom across the tops and I was filling the platypus in the stream in Calf Cove above Esk Hause. A dinner of rice , oatybix and chocolate was had on Pike de Bield after dropping down from Esk Pike.

After dinner I dropped down to Lingcove Beck below Bowfell. I just got the tent up at 4pm when the wind and rain arrived . So instead of a balmy evening looking at the view I was confined to the Hillleberg for 14 hours. I spent the first few hours making tea and cooking stew.





Sunday was a better day and I walked out over the beautiful ridge of Hard Knott and Border End.

This must be the most beautiful place in England...... The car was still there and knowing that the Laal Ratty station cafe opened at 10 o 'clock I was in the door at 10 seconds past ordering the best bacon sandwich this side of Pluto.

6 comments:

Martin Rye said...

I remember the second camp spot well. Fantastic spot in the most likely the best part of the Lakes. The photos are superb and what camera did you take.

Mike Knipe said...

I like the pictures - very moody clouds. I wish I could do that...!
I'm not sure about the stew.... they always taste better than they look on the blog...

Greg said...

Martin, had camera a long time its a Pentax ist ds DSLR. Its small and light but only 6 meg pix. I have a polarising filter. Im looking to change it this year. I was thinking of the Panasonic four thirds, theres anew one out soon. I personally would not get a bigger camera. My son has a fantastic Canon DSLR but never takes it anywhere as its too big.

Greg said...

Mike. Food is a big issue with me. I once ate a dehydrated pasta thing , shop bought and threw up. My wife made a lean beef mince stew and I dehydrated it myself. Not the same as fresh stuff but eddible.

AlanR said...

Hi Greg, Thats a lovely walk done quite a few times myself as Gosforth is my main starting point to the interior.
The area never fails to inspire me. (unless you can't see it of course which happens quite a bit.)

Photo's are really nice. Keep the camera, the quality looks good. You only need more megs if you are enlarging bigger than A4 and unless you are a pro how many times does that happen.--Alan

Jamie Bassnett said...

Great blog, added it to my Blog Roll! As someone else said quality of your photos great, the polarising lense is great for clouds. I've had a few cameras that are 7mp and above and none take photos for blogs and websites sizes better than a 6mp with a good sensor size, much better than a large mp camera with rubbish sensor.