Loweswater Fells

Keswick skyscape

Tuesday, 27 February

Ascent:      625 metres
Distance:   10 kilometres
Time:         2 hours 58 minutes

Burnbank Fell       475m
Blake Fell.             573m
Gavel Fell.             526m

The day had broken with grey fells outlined against a greying sky. The forecast was not auspicious, just terrible, even for the Lake District. We had decided to climb four smaller hills near Loweswater, some of the least visited hills in the far northwest of the Lake District. We had never abandoned planned walks and we saw no reason to change the habit of the past thirty-five years of hillwalking days.

It was a thirty-minute drive over Whinlater Pass to Loweswater. The rain that was steady as we left Keswick had become full flow by the time we parked at the Maggie's Bridge empty car park. Even putting on boots and waterproofs was an act of pre-soaking. Keith had his two phones with route maps safely encased in waterproof cases so I left my phone and maps in the car. Within minutes of starting water was seeping through my recently reproofed jacket and into my gloves. 

We reached Watergate Farm on Loweswater and found a path that ran steeply through the afforested Holme Wood and eventually brought us out at Holme Beck. We were now exposed to the full force of the wind-driven rain as we began to climb the pathless east ridge of Burnbank Fell. It captured all the ingredients that can make hillwalking such an exercise in advanced purgatory. Water running down the cuffs of my jacket had filled my gloves, a cold finger bath for all ten digits. Water had penetrated my jacket and all three layers of Merino vest and thin fleece tops, my shoulders were shivering but at least I didn't have to faff about looking at map and compass, Keith was doing that as we plodded on unaware of anything in the poor visibility..

Burnbank Fell was where some fence posts met, what was Wainwright playing at by describing this as a hill worthy of carrying his name? We took some bearings for the next hill, Blake Fell, we were on the summit ridge now and could follow the fence which occasionally would shift direction by a few degrees. Keith decided the weather was too bad to be bothered collecting a Birkett top at Sharp Knott. We knew this meant it was really bad, he never misses a top no matter what their classification in the lexicon of hill lists. The wind seemed to have shifted so it could continue to hit us in the face. This is where we decided that our fourth hill of the day, Hen Comb, should be deleted from the planned route. I could pick it up in more clement conditions with another three hills.

That left us with another kilometre and a half to Gavel Fell and the rain kept coming. Keith stopped to add another waterproof over his existing four layers. There was no need to stop for drinks, you could lick the rain running down your face. Reaching Gavel Fell was the highlight of the day, if only because we were about to descend from the wind and horizontal rain. We followed a fence down to the bridleway and stopped by the gate, the rain had abated and it was a chance to empty my gloves of water, take a drink and attempt a conversation. It was only 25 minutes from the car park and we charged down the short grassy track, minds bent on a hot shower and respite from one of the wettest and windiest days I have encountered. Keswick was pleasantly dull and dry.

Watergate Farm, Loweswater