Name of walk | Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks (Frozen Tarns) |
Date of walk | 2010-03-16 |
Distance walked (miles) | 5 |
Duration of walk | 5 hours 0 minutes |
Weather | overcast |
Peaks on walk | Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks |
Walked with | Ged and blind Kas |
Parking | Roadside on Honister Pass just beyond Gategarth. |
Yesterday Ged, Kas and I went up Fleetwith Pike (2126ft) and Wainwright`s favourite, Haystacks (1900ft). A walk of five and a half miles. It looked to be the best weather day of the week. The forecast said that the hill fog should clear by mid morning.

We parked in the parking space on the Honister Pass and headed up the side of Fleetwith Pike to meet the ridge at Fanny Mercer`s memorial, who fell to her death here in 1887.

This is not the top, but one of the four sections that looks like it is!

View from the top of the first section looking down on Gatesgarth Farm and out to Buttermere and Crummock water.

Only a short climb now to the summit. The last time we did this, this was the point we headed off up into the mist, so it was good to still have a view today. It was warm too. I only have a hat on to keep the hair out of my eyes!

View from the summit. It took us an hour and twenty minutes to reach it. The weather is improving, we are now in sunshine. Loweswater can be seen in the distance.

The mist has yet to clear from Great Gable on the left, Haystacks in the foreground and Kirk Fell behind on the right.

We continued west for Honister Crag which gives good views down to Honister Pass and the Slate Mine. The ropes below are part of the Via Ferrata.

How to scare the tourists!

I headed down to the disused mine workings and the end of the Via Ferrata. The ropes are for clipping on to. We only had five hours to do today`s walk so we had to leave the exploration of the tunnels to another day....Ged had to be at the theatre for 7.30.

We joined the quarry path which took you all the way to Dubs Bothy.

So we stopped here for lunch.

It is a big room with slate seats and will take quite a few walkers, we had it to ourselves.

We headed on up to Haystacks.....every so often you would be exposed to the valley view.

Close-up.

Kas leads the way towards Blackbeck Tarn.

A half frozen Blackbeck Tarn with Green Gable and Great Gable behind.

View down into Warnscale Bottom from the climb up to Haystacks.

Haystacks is very craggy....our route up with two guys ahead.

A frozen Innominate tarn where Wainwright`s ashes are scattered. We walked around the other side where there were no people. The path opposite is the route towards the summit.

Lots of people on the other side, a favourite lunch stop.

We headed back to the path. Looking back across Innominate Tarn to Green Gable and Great Gable and our route up from Beck Head to Windy Gap from last week`s walk.

On the way to the summit there is a spot where you can look down into the Ennerdale Valley.

In fact, you can look into the Buttermere Valley from the same point. My camera can just about get Ennerdale and Buttermere in at once with Seat, High Crag and the Red Pike range inbetween.

Looking in the opposite direction gives you the head of the Ennerdale Valley, Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell. Looking down on the right is Black Sail Hut.

The frozen summit tarn. We climbed around the rocky summit area for a while.

Took a last photo of the view and then made our way down. This is more easier said than done as some of the sections are awkward going down, especially with a blind dog.

Heading down to Scarth gap. Seat ahead.

Looking back up the way we came, but with nothing to give a sense of scale it doesn`t look too bad!

Looking back across to Fleetwith Pike ridge.

Finally at the lake!

Looking back up to Haystacks from Peggy`s Bridge.


