Fairfield and St. Sunday Crag • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Fairfield and St. Sunday Crag
Date of walk	2006-08-30
Distance walked (miles)	5
Duration of walk	7 hours 0 minutes
Weather	overcast then rain
Peaks on walk	Fairfield, St.Sunday Crag
Walked with	Ged and blind Kas
Parking	Dunmail Raise lay-by.

The weather was not looking too good so we chose to go the the Eastern Fells, even though when we set off mist was all over them. By the time we got there the mist had lifted. Rain was due in the late afternoon so we had about 5 hours of clearish weather.Ged, Kas the dog and me went to Dunmail Raise and took a walk up Raise Beck to Grizedale Tarn. Then up Fairfield (2863ft) and on to St. Sunday Crag (2756ft) via Cofa Pike. I was in search of a view of Grizedale Tarn that I have in a favourite painting on my wall at home.

Steel Fell on other side of Dunmail Raise.

Raise Beck Cascades.

First view of Grizedale Tarn. Fairfield right and Cofa Pike and St Sunday Crag to the left.

View down Grizedale Valley to Ullswater. Dollywagon Pike on left.

Route up Fairfield. Lots of lovely scree (not!)

View down Grizedale valley.

View back. Can see the route to the top of Dollywagon.

View down Tongue Gill to Grasmere. Coniston Water to left. Wetherlam and Coniston Old Man in cloud.

Ged, small, blue blob walking up scree. Ged stopped for lunch. I kept going as I had no coat, just a waterproof and I`d have gotten cold if I had stopped, so I ate on the hoof. I walked slowly up with Kas only to be passed by a fell runner.

Easedale Tarn with Harrison Stickle behind. Very glad we went east as Crinkle Crags and Bowfell in mist too.

Pillar on far right soon to be in cloud. Another possibe choice for today`s walk.

Summit view to Ullwater and to Haweswater on right.

Summit shelters. Quite a few people about. Most going in different directions

Deepdale Valley leading to Patterdale. St. Sunday Crag on left. Place Fell behind.

View down. Clouds building up and getting closer!

Dollywagon Pike leading on to Nethermost Pike and then Helvellyn.

Looking down from Cofa Pike to the start of the ridge route to St. Sunday Crag.

Top of St Sunday Crag.

Summit of Fairfield had been in mist for the last ten mins, but clearing again now. So our leaving it was well timed.

Striding Edge route from Glenridding to Helvellyn.

Setting off back to find the path down to the tarn. An artist at work? Looking for that painting shot.

This is the painting I have by J. Burrows 1989. Looks very bleak and isolated. Very atmospheric.

This looks to be around the right spot! The proportions are not the same. Artistic license!

Time to head down as the clouds are getting nearer. It started to rain once we got half way back to the tarn. Ged and Kas looking a bit soggy.

We spent 7 hours on this walk. Time really flew past! Dried off a bit in the car on the way back. Definite smell of wet dog!

Jo.