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Published: August 4th 2012
It was a beautiful sunny morning, although torrential rain and thunder was forecast for later in the day. Hence, it was necessary to do a shorter walk in order to get back down before the heavens opened.
And so it came to pass that the thin ridge of Fleetwith Pike beckoned, the steep climb being broken by a visit at Fanny Mercer's memorial on the way up. The climb was broken into four distinct portions, with climbing certainly on the cards and the summit being hidden!
After an hour, I made the summit and stopped for water before beginning the descent down to the bothy in the quarry. Part way down, a shower came in and I had to don full waterproofs. Although the shower only lasted a few minutes, it was enough to make the rocks slippery ... and potentially treacherous.
Piles of discarded slate surrounded the bothy as I came down off the pike and made my way down to the beck. The ground underfoot was proving to be boggy (again) but the beck wasn't running high so it was a simple matter to cross.
Walking under Green Crag, the sun was now out and
it was finally beginning to feel like a proper summer. Blackbeck Tarn was looking less black in the sub, although, with the looming thunder clouds, the water was looking distinctly black and foreboding.
After Blackbeck Tarn came Innominate Tarn. However, rather than following the path, I opted to veer off track and started to explore other areas, finding I nice secluded tarn by which I had my lunch.
One flask of coffee, two egg salad sandwiches, one large muesli bar, a bag of crisps and a banana later, I left and started to walk up to the summit(s) of Haystacks, taking time to look at a number of routes over the summit. Thunder clouds loomed over towards Great Gable - it was time to descend - rapidly!
Scarth Gap was my obvious route and before long, I was back at the hotel. In good time as, just as I pulled into the car park, the heavens opened, lightening flashed and hail pummelled the car.
It was necessary to wait a good quarter of an hour before venturing out from one shower into another, rather warmer one.
A little later, I heard that a number of
clients from a local camp site had their tents washed away. These too had managed to procure accommodation in the same hotel.
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