Camping in Borrowdale (Day 2)
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. Can it even be classed as a fell coming in under 1000 feet? Indeed, it is only one of two Wainwrights that Bill Birkett did not include in his own comprehensive list of fells, the other being Mungrisedale Common. I am more inclined to agree with Wainwright. Castle Crag has the look and feel of a mountain, albeit in miniature form and is sufficiently different in its identity from High Spy that I feel it qualifies in its own right. But who cares? It's worth climbing up anyway.
From the campsite, I briefly followed the course of the river Derwent before departing right beside Broadslack Gill. The path is a good one and there is a fine view ahead to the tiny valley that separates Castle Crag from High Spy. After passing through, the view of Castle Crag is impressive, with lower slopes of scree leading up to sharp rockfaces and crags which are sprinkled with trees. The walk up is steep and involves passing a shed load of scree, before a more easy going walk to the summit. There are fine views over the Borrowdale Valley and over to Grange on the other side of the valley. The Skiddaw range is visible to the north on the other side of Derwent.
I returned to the campsite to get my gear and then proceeded north. I took the steep walk up the slopes of Maiden Moor, past Hause Gate to the col between Maiden Moor and Catbells. It was busy, as to be expected, given that it is one of the routes up Catbells. However, I was going the other way, up Maiden Moor. The views all around were impressive. Behind me there were fine views over Derwent Water. To my left I had Borrowdale and the right the Newlands Valley. And straight ahead of me the major fells of the Newlands Horseshoe. After summitting Maiden Moor, I proceeded further along the ridge to the top of High Spy.
I surveyed the view over to Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson. The ridge continues to Dale Head Tarn, where I stopped for a little while for a coffee. From here, there is a steep ascent up to Dale Head. Tempting though it was to go up, I was still very tired and thought it would be better to do this along with Hindscarth and Robinson on another occasion. From Dale Head tarn, I descended the steep and tricky path down into Borrowdale via Rigghead Quarry. This turned out to be a rather interesting section. Tongue Gill runs alongside the path and there are some fine little pools and falls as it proceeds down to the river Derwent. And the remains of the old Quarry are interesting too with several caves along the way.
Whilst I love the high places, the scenery at the bottom was fine too. I stopped for a while on a pebbled spot by the river, soaking in the fine views of the Borrowdale Valley. Having not done as many fells as I intended, I had time on my hands. I decided to revisit Castle Crag, for on its eastern side, it hosts perhaps the most legendary of caves in the whole of the District. Popularly known as Millican Dalton's cave. Dalton, a radical socialist, teetotaler, vegetarian and self-proclaimed professor of adventure, spent years living in this cave. He would teach outdoor education from his solitary abode. Remarkably, Dalton lived there for the best part of 50 years. But after his makeshift hut burnt down, he was forced to endure the winter's cold, which ultimately proved too much, precipitating a decline that ultimately lead to his passing just shy of turning 80.
The cave is a fascinating place, but it appears, as with many parts of the lake district, that some irresponsible souls are having a detrimental impact on the landscape. There is a plaque outside the cave prohibiting fires, particularly as people have been removing wood from fallen trees and burning it, not only creating a fire risk but harming the ecology of the area. Despite the warning, there was clear evidence of fires in the cave and I have seen a youtube videos in which so called wild campers revel around a roaring fire. Proper wild campers are discreet and leave no trace.
Don't Waste Words!
The cave is also covered with inscriptions of people who have frequented it over the years. Some recent whereas others go back well over half a century. There is an inscription of the initials A.W. 1938. Is it the A.W.? I think I have heard or read somewhere, that it most likely was not written by Wainwright, but I cannot definitively remember. Nor have I been able to find any information out online. The most famous inscription, long attributed to Dalton, but a more recent source suggests that it was in fact carved by a Scottish friend of Dalton's during an argument, is "Don't Waste Worrds (sic) Jump to Conclusions."
In the spirit of not wasting words, this marks the end of my trip to Borrowdale. In the coming days, I hope to do a post on a more recent camping trip to Buttermere.
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