Northern Rambler

The previous day had been tough. My clothing was sodden, as were my boots. My day pack was also wet through. Thankfully, I packed some spares. My old boots came out of retirement and I exchanged my day pack for my camping bag. I didn't have any spare walking trousers but my ragged jogging bottoms would suffice for today. The weather today was forecast to be fine and it did not disappoint.  Yesterday I was humbled by the fells. I had bitten off more than I could chew. I was now tired and decided that it would be sensible to amend my plan for the day and take it at a more leisurely place. The major fells of the Newlands round - Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson -  could wait until another day. Instead, I would proceed as planned on the first half of the horseshoe, ticking off Maiden Moor and High Spy, before descending back into Borrowdale. But to start the day off, I had a leisurely stroll over to Castle Crag, the smallest Wainwright fell, which was barely a mile from the site...

The Borrowdale valley is stunning. After coming off the A66 near Keswick, I journeyed south alongside Derwent Water before entering Borrowdale. The craggy wooded slopes of Grange appeared on my left and the bare crags of the High Spy ridge on the right. Between the high ground the river Derwent flows through flat pasturelands then between woodlands toward the Lake of the same name. The river is fed by several becks, some of which start in the Scafell range several miles south.  I had booked a pitch on Hollows Campsite, which is nestled below the crags of the High Spy ridge, less than a mile from Castle Crag, the smallest of the Wainwright fells. The cut off for pitching was 9pm. That'll be fine I thought. I even had plans of an early pitch before sauntering up Castle Crag on the evening. Things did not pan out that way. In fact, making it to the campsite in time was a little close for comfort.  I parked on the roadside in Stonethwaite opposite the school. My original plan was ...