| Name of walk | Greenburn Round (Wetherlam to Wet Side Edge) and Cathedral Quarry |
| Date of walk | 2010-04-04 |
| Distance walked (miles) | 9 |
| Duration of walk | 7 hours 20 minutes |
| Weather | Mixed |
| Peaks on walk | Wetherlam, Black Sails,Swirl How, Great Carrs, Little Carrs, Wet Side Edge. |
| Walked with | Brendan |
| Parking | Tilbertwaite |
On Sunday Brendan and I decided to do the Greenburn round. We went from Low Tilberthwaite (hoping to miss the Easter Holiday crowds) up to Birk Fell (1750ft), Wetherlam (2502ft), Black Sails (2443ft),Swirl How (2630ft), Great Carrs (2575ft), Little Carrs (2300ft), and along Wet Side Edge. Then down to Greenburn beck along to Little Langdale Tarn following the path along by the quarries to Cathedral Quarry, then back to Tilberthwaite. A walk of over nine miles.
It was exactly three years to the day since I last did this walk, but it was new to Brendan. We arrived early at Tilberthwaite and went up into the quarries.
The bridge over Tilberthwaite Gill.
It was sunny, but the mist was down over the Old Man. A hint of a rainbow can be seen below the tree. We headed for Birk Fell which is straight ahead in the photo
Wetherlam in the clouds. The rainbow would follow us all the way up! We stopped off at the waterfall to look at the abandoned buildings and mine shafts.
One of the old buildings.
As we headed up to Birk Fell the view back to the Yewdale Fells.
The view up Wetherlam Edge. It is a steep climb!
Looking across our route off Wet Side Edge over to the Langdale Pikes.....Stickle Pike, Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark. Below right is Blea Tarn.
The climb up Wetherlam with Birk Fell in the background. Some sections involved a bit of hands and knees climbing. No slipping allowed!
On the way up it had started to snow and was very windy. By the time we were on the summit it was shrouded in cloud so we continued over and down towards Black Sail on the left. It was very windy and the bits of snow that were falling were stinging our faces. All the other fells were also in cloud. Once we get to Swirl Hause we had the option to head down into Greenburn Valley if we needed to.
A brief glimpse over to Crinkle Crags and Bowfell.
Route up the Prison Band.
From Swirl Hause we decided to continue on up the Prison Band to Swirl How as the weather was due to improve. Gradually the clouds left the summits and we got a good view over Levers Water to Coniston Water.
On a cloud free Swirl How summit looking towards Brim Fell and beyond that is Coniston Old Man. On the right is Dow Crag.
The summit cairn.
Greyfriar beyond the Halifax Bomber Memorial on Great Carrs.
Approaching the summit.
Cold Fell, The Crinkles and Bowfell on the left, Pike O` Blisco on the right with Red Tarn in the middle.
The Scafells on the left.
Looking back to Swirl How from Great Carrs.
View down the Greenburn Valley to Greenburn Tarn and Little Langdale Tarn. Clouds are starting to come in again..
We stopped for lunch up on the left behind some rocks to get out of the wind and then headed down to Wet Side Edge. There were still patches of snow around.
Looking down on the Wrynose Pass.
The hills in the distance were no longer in cloud and the sun had come out as we headed down Wet Side Edge.
Pike O` Blisco. The Three Shires Stone is where the cars are below.
I zoomed in........My camera has a good zoom, but not quite good enough to make out the writing on the stone!
Looking back up the valley at all the mountains we have walked along.
It is a steep descent down to the bridge and the path back.
Heading towards Little Langdale Tarn.
A little remote, but good views!
The entrance to Cathedral Quarry.
View from above via one of the other tunnels.
Absailers at the top and bottom shows how high these quarry faces are.
One of the cottages at Low Tilberthwaite. It has a spinning gallery.
Part of Andy Goldsworthy's Tilberthwaite Touchstone Fold. Tilberthwaite sheep are spoiled!
On the way home we stopped off on the side of Coniston Water.
