Stonethwaite, Dock Tarn, Watendlath, Blea Tarn, Ullscarf, Greenup Gill, Cumbria.
[ 16.8 km] Tue 06 Jan 2009

The overnight temperature dropped to minus 7degC and as I drove along the M6 motorway it dropped to minus 8degC passing Tebay. By the time I reached Stonthwaite near Borrowdale it was up to minus 4. As I set off walking a few locals were out walking their dogs. The road was quite icy and after crossing Stonethwaite Bridge over the beck I had to be careful of sheet ice on the track. It wasn’t long before I reached the stone sheepfold and started the climb diagonally up on the Watendlath path. The first part is grass but higher up it has been well engineered into a steep staircase of stone blocks. Surprisingly there was little ice about and it was an enjoyable climb.

Watendlath

I left the woods at Lingy End and was soon onto the moor. I now had to be careful as a lot of ice was about. When I rounded the corner before Dock Tarn it was interesting to see it totally frozen over and covered in a light dusting of snow. The sun was now up and some was shining on the distant summit of Skiddaw but there was none where I was. The area to the NW of the tarn is normally very boggy but today it was excellent walking as the ground was frozen hard. After a steep descent I had a nice view of Watendlath in the distance and as I got nearer I came into low sunshine. It illuminated but didn’t warm.

The final approach to the stone bridge was difficult due to sheet ice on the track. Once over the going was fine. I walked through the car part which is ‘pay and display’ like the majority in Cumbria. I took the steep path up towards High Tove and turned right when I got to the high gate. I was now on the path to Blea Tarn, the same path I was on last week. At a small rocky cove at Rough Knott I found some nice shelter from the slight cold wind and sat in the sun to eat my sandwiches. There wasn’t much sighn of a path now but the hard ground meant it didn’t matter. I reached Blea Tarn outlet at the same point that I arrived last week. The difference was that the whole of the tarn was now frozen over.

Watendlath Tarn outlet

A frozen Blea Tarn.

I crossed the outlet and headed up towards Coldbarrow Fell. There was no sign of a path but as I got higher I came across boot prints which were going my way. I reached the minor summit then descended a short way to join a decent path leading up to Ullscarf.

Two walkers were at the summit cairn. The views were quite good but the sun seemed to have vanished for the day. I continued south towards Greenup Edge but left the path after a while to take a more direct line down towards Lining Crag. I then had a good view down Greenup Gill and was a bit concerned about the large amount of ice in view. I stopped for a while on Lining Crag then started a tricky descent down.

Two walkers on Ullscarf

Frozen waterfall in Greenup Gill.

I had to strap my ice studs on and use my ice axe as the first steep part was sheet ice. Mostly I had to climb round the ice and I had to be careful even when I reached the flatter ground. Large areas of sheet ice were everywhere and the Gill and all the waterfalls were frozen. By the time I’d reached the car I’d only seen two walkers, those on Ullscarf.