Lake District Day Two. St Raven's Edge. Stony Cove Pike. High Street. Hayeswater. Hartsop

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The next day, Saturday, dawned bright and clear over Patterdale in the English Lake District so we planned a big hill outing to fit the predicted spell of good weather. This is a view of Helvellyn from the climbing hut window.

And one taken on the road outside.

As a group we travelled in one car from Patterdale,  8 km or so up the same road above to the Kirk Stone Car Park (free) then walked from that spot uphill onto St Raven's Edge, our first peak of the day at 593 metres. This was a new area of rugged summits for everyone with a great range of different views to admire.

The hills on the opposite side of the road. Raven Crag leading around to Fairfield area.

With easy paths over a switchback high level ridge, Stony Cove Pike,763 metres, then the iconic and elaborate cairn of Beacon, seen here, on the summit of Thornthwaite Crag, 784 metres, was soon reached. Graeme, David and Bob Rob were all happy with this outing and turned back to follow the same route back to the car but ace bagger Alex had worked out beforehand that it wouldn't take much more effort to walk back to Patterdale and the hut from here by continuing over High Street, 828 metres, then The Knott then Angletarn Pikes. A distance of around 14km but relatively easy considering the chain of high summits covered. As an outing it's up there with the best hill walking day trips I've done in this district both for views and fine roller coaster ridge lines with only mild scrambling in one place coming off  Stony Cove Pike. Allow 6 to 8 hours at an easy relaxed pace, depending on stops and inclination.

Views of wild ridge lines opened up in all directions as we climbed higher.

As I've mentioned before Cumbria does seem to cram in an incredible number of classic high and low level walks suitable for every age group and taste, from easy valley strolls to serious mountain routes.

And all of them very different.

A landscape chameleon. Hart Crag, The Step, and Fairfield summit at 873 metres seen here I think.

A view down into a busy Windermere. As one of the most commercialized and seething honeypots in the Lakes this is the only place where I've really noticed too many cars, people and general tourist throng that put me off somewhat but it's probably this small district around the A591, the main road running along the east shore of Windermere that gives the impression of being overcrowded and too developed as the rest of this region has handled tourism and large foot traffic padding over the hills really well. Scotland could learn a few lessons here as regards path construction as many popular highland beauty spots are getting badly trashed these days with an increasing volume of  visitors, waterlogged muddy paths, and general year by year erosion. Somehow they seem to have managed that better down here... or had longer to maintain and improve the tracks and more income and resources available. You can see the large number of yachts and other craft  in the photo above yet Thirlmere, Ullswater, Derwent Water, Bassenthwaite Lake, Haweswater Reservoir, Crummock Water, Wastwater, and Ennerdale Water are not like that at all and still retain both a peaceful tranquility and romantic allure.

It was shortly after this point Alex and I parted company on our ridge walk. He was heading on from Kidsty Pike to Angeltarn Pikes but I'd noticed on the drive up the pass how lovely the surrounding countryside was between Hartsop village and Patterdale. I'd also noticed the minor track on the OS map leading between Hartsop and Rooking villages and as I like variety and capturing a range of different landscapes, both low and high, I was determined to return via the Haweswater Gill track instead.

Haweswater and this valley descent, seen above, was a delight but became slightly less scenic and more industrial looking lower down (small dam reconstruction by the looks of it)... then redeemed itself with a stunning low level walk through Hartsop Village to Rooking. An easy level path through a rural setting of pretty farms and cottages but an absolute cracker of a quiet low level valley walk.

Both Hartsop, Bridgend, Crookabeck,then finally Rooking were a delight to pass through and photograph. A bonus treat was that the twisting but easy to follow path did not have many other walkers on it, being late afternoon by now, and around every new corner was a further delight. Entrancing, especially when I was bombarded by falling acorns in a local oak wood rest stop, puzzled at first then looking up to discover squirrels were the culprits high in the canopy above. If Capuchin monkeys had appeared above me at that point I could not have been happier with the day.
 'Eden' it seems is a very wealthy place generally, when transported into reality and out of myth, as you probably need that steady capital income to look this good. A landscape equivalent of a high maintenance female at the top of her game perhaps, pulling out all the stops, as it takes many years of practice, commitment, effort, money and an assured sense of style to produce such 'natural'  elegance and charming surroundings. It certainly doesn't happen with poverty very often as you can tell this effect immediately if you drive out of this golden bubble a few miles west towards the coast, containing less attractive scenery and a noticeable drop in housing standards, job opportunities, and a much more downmarket feel and atmosphere passing through these very different, post industrial  towns and villages. Personally, I like both areas but it did feel like a genuine and real privilege to walk through such an enchanted landscape that anywhere else would normally be out of bounds or not so open of access.

A truly lovely landscape to encounter and a low level valley walk I'd thoroughly recommend in its own right.

Evening sunlight hits Patterdale.

It was a weary old me that arrived on foot back in Patterdale just in time to catch the shops before they shut around 5:30pm. A large bottle of coke and a mint chocolate bar were my longed for carrots to spur me on and a short time later I'd reached the hut and a well earned seat.  After dinner and a rest we all went out to the pub (yes, this one) which is fast becoming my favourite, although they are all pretty good down here. Excellent food as well and I like the informal table layout inside.

A quiet Keswick in early evening the previous day. It was busy and thriving until we arrived... honest... they just seemed to vanish... maybe it's a Glasgow accent thing :o)


I've been a fan of the extraordinary world of Bioshock for years now and there's several complete films in one go of this award winning game. I never play computer games myself but this imagined world completely swept me away with it's vivid landscapes, characters, plot lines, back story and ending. Easily as entrancing as the Lake District and the first sight of the floating city of Columbia is one nobody with a pulse should ever forget. Entrancing- mind-blowing- and visionary in its scope and details. Few mainstream films are as good or as continuously interesting as this. Even if you just watch the first 10 minutes of this you get some idea of the scale and complexity involved. PS... Columbia is also a real place built in Maryland in the late 1960s, a garden village community that ranks in the top ten best places to live in the USA. So not that far removed from the Lake District after all. Another 'golden bubble' locality... as is this.