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Another weekend away and another regular calendar fixture. The kid free weekend when the grandparents have a chance for some quality time with the younger generation and the parents have a weekend without worrying whether the kids are bored, hungry or general need of attention, medical or otherwise.

Back to the same place as last year the excellent Littletown Farm who as before did us proud with home cooked food and comfortable rooms at a reasonable price – very hard to come by in the Lake District.

The Saturday was grey and blue in equal measure, one of those days that could go either way. Sadly it went the wrong way

Rather than follow the masses we trusted in Mark, our Birketts man to find us a lesser known route to the top. He duly provided High Crags, a nondescript looking spot on the map but a fine viewpoint overlooking the Newlands Valley.

There was a path to start with but it soon petered out and the going was rough but worth the effort to lose the trail of hikers on Cat Bells. Lost in catch up chat we were up on Bull Crag on the main path to Maiden Moor in no time.

Tradition dictates that even though we’d not long had breakfast it was time for a stop. Stoves came out, brews were made and an hour sped by while the clouds descended and we were soon lost in a swirling mist

We pressed on through the murk and over High Spy. We were supposed to be heading up Dale Head but some navigational carelessness left us at the top of Tongue Gill. I really couldn’t be bothered with another long climb up Dale Head to not see the view from the top having not seen the view several times before. I made a bid for a return via Castle Crag and surprisingly got a vote of confidence. We descended through the mine workings and onto Castle Crag. I’m pretty sure I’ve never been up before and I can’t fathom why as it’s a superb little craggy eminence with a classic view down Borrowdale and over Derwent Water. The high fells were still swathed in cloud but lower down it was quite bright

It was a long stretch down past Grange to make the climb to Hause Gate and back down to Littletown but I really enjoyed it in the fast fading light. The crowds had gone and lights of Keswick and the surrounding villages were beginning to twinkle. I like being out at dusk as the mountains take on a completely different feel.

There is a price to be paid however. It was almost dark when began the climb to the col and pretty much dark when we got to it. Walking down a steep and rocky hillside in the dark can be tricky but luckily we’ve had lots of practice as a dark finish is a feature of these weekend strolls.

A very fine day indeed.

The Sunday forecast hadn’t been good and like the day before it was largely grey at first light. There was a very prominent clear patch over the Solway Firth. One of those days that could go either way. Fortunately it went the right way

By the time we were ready for the off it was glorious, blue skies prevailed and it was sunny and almost warm. We followed the deep valley, Newlands Beck I think, up past the waterfalls to Dalehead Tarn, a really wonderful walk.

Dalehead Tarn was splendid. Sunny and warm with a perfect spot for a long relaxing rest. It would make a fine wild campsite.

They have improved the path quite impressively making for a relatively easy staircase climb to the summit of Dale Head. For the first time I had a view from the summit and a very fine one it is too. The valley we’d walked up being perfectly laid out below us. The classic glacial valley

We ambled off down Hindscarth Edge to Hindscarth itself for another stop.

It’s not a particularly long walk but already the light was fading again. That’s walking in a large chatty group for you. Another dark finish coming on but the light was just glorious, all sunlight and shadows

There are some pretty steep rocky steps on these ridges and we picked our way down the damp and slippery grass and rocks. The ridge levels out at mid height. We and Mark abandoned the path in favour of an off piste route along the edge high above Little Dale. There were some airy little spots and it’s well worth the detour.

As we descended the last of the tricky rocky bands the sky gave us a final light show with pink tones touching both the clouds and the distant summits of Blencathra and Skiddaw.

That just left us the traditional final walk back to the cars in the dark to head home.

Another wonderful weekend with good company. You can read an alternative take on the weekend from Marks blog here and here.

And I did miss the kids. No, really, I did 🙂

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It was time for the annual and somewhat pathetically named “adults only” weekend when we all leave our kids to the tender mercies of grandparents and carers while we live it up in the Lake District as well as 40 (and now 50-somethings) can. You can check out previous adventures from September 2011 and November 2012.

Time for a change of scene this year and on recommendation from the Hardman and his missus (blog-name needed) we headed for Littletown Farm Guest House and what a cracking recommendation it was. We pretty much took over the place, a proper old converted farm-house with lovely rooms and they looked after us exceedingly well with some superb and filling meals at a stunningly reasonable price for the Lake District. The location is right in the heart of the Newlands valley with walks aplenty and car keys left firmly in the rooms.

Newlands Valley & Newlands Beck

Forecast wasn’t great but without kids in tow you need to make the most of it. ED had what looked line a fine route in mind to Dale Head via a high corrie west of Dalehead Crags.

8 Miles

You can see the route in the photo below, traversing first right into the high corrie and then back left to pick up the ridge above the crags

Dale Head

It was grey overcast and very windy but dry, refreshing you could say, as we walked up Newlands Beck.

Resting already

We crossed the beck to pick up the high traversing path although we had early drop-outs as UF and TBH headed to Dalehead Tarn and return via Borrowdale. I waited patiently for a fall but as always no one obliged. People can be selfish sometimes

“One for the Crowd?”

They missed a splendid route with an easy angled path gaining height easily and quickly into the confines of a wild high corries that I guess sees relatively little traffic for the Lakes.

Newlands Valley & Newlands Beck

After a first lunch we traversed above the crags in spectacular style with the views even on such a grey day, magnificent.

Lunch 1

Unfortunately our arrival on the summit coincided with a spell of windy, miserable drizzle so we didn’t linger. Enthusiasm dropped and we thought about a quick return back over Hindscarth. Just as we started down it stopped raining and brightened up a little with even some very faint signs of sunshine.

Hindscarth Edge

Littledale Edge

Skiddaw & Little Dale

Skiddaw

Re-invigorated we decided to extend the day to take in Robinson. As we descended the tops appeared and whilst not exactly glorious it was a whole lot better than we’d thought. The dark clouds were impressive and sunshine on Skiddaw gave promise. We found a hollow out of the wind for lunch 2, a stop we paid a price for later.

Lunch 2

Robinson was playing in the cloud with shafts of brightness. Quite impressive in a “it’s about to get dark sort of way”.

Robinson Summit

“What time is it?”

Yes, the usual dallying, chatter and extended stops had left us high on the fells with the light fading rapidly. Just like last year in fact. We manged to negotiate the steep tricky and rocky sections on the NE ridge in the last of the light and had to walk the last section along Blea Crags, High Snab Bank and back to the Guest House in the dark. No real problem and at least we’d made the most of the day. High quality food and some music quiz malarkey finished off a fine day

Forecast for day two was a decent start with a rapid deterioration and everything was delivered right on schedule. We took a the simple option of circuit along Rowling End and Causey Pike returning over Ard Crags or via Rigg Beck

6 Miles

The views were superb while we were packing up but it was clear it wasn’t going to last.

Causey Pike

Skiddaw

Robinson and our route down from the day before

Ard Crags & Rigg Beck

By the time we’d reached the steep slopes of Rowling End the rain had started.

Luckily whilst it was pretty grey and overcast the weather never really broke down with nothing worse than spots of drizzle. It was a wild and windy walk along the ridge, in and out of the cloud before dropping down to the col below Ard Crags

Helvellyn north ridge across Derwent Water

Helvellyn, Derwent Water, Blencathra & Keswick

Rowling End & Causey Pike

A few hardy souls climbed it’s summit but the rest of us opted for an easy stroll down Rigg Beck, a wild valley that again I guess, sees few visitors and all the better for it.

Wet!

So that was that. Precious little sunshine but less rain than the pictures would have you believe. The North Western Fells are always much quieter than the rest of the Lakes and well worth seeking out. Fine high ridges and grand corries and valleys. Cracking weekend as always and great to catch with everyone. Already booked in a for a repeat visit next year