(Chris Beardsley and Anna-Maria Luton write:) Between Christmas and New Year, we reviewed the Lake District Traverse route, spanning the Lake District from Penrith in the North-East to St Bees in the West.

The Lake District Traverse emerges quickly from Penrith and takes a scenic route across fields to Pooley Bridge before following the edge of Ullswater to Patterdale. After Patterdale, the walk trends up into the hills, passing Grizedale Tarn under Dollywagon Pike and then dropping down to valley level before climbing again to Blea Tarn and the tiny hamlet of Watendlath. From Rosthwaite the route climbs the side of Cat Bells, giving great views of Derwent Water and the North Lakes fells in the background. Over Cat Bells, the route descends into the quiet and peaceful Newlands valley before climbing steadily to the remote pass over into Buttermere. The next valley is the remote Ennerdale. The route stops in at the small village of Ennerdale Bridge before following a scenic route across fields to the sea and St Bees.

Thanks to the overcast weather we didn't get many photos but we've included some photos from previous reviews of this route. Some of the scenery is breathtaking - the Lake District at its most remote.


The rocky outcrop of Robin Hood's Seat above Ennerdale Water

We found that one or two signposts had been knocked down by the winter weather but otherwise the paths and path markings are largely the same as they had been during the preceding season. This is in sharp contrast to the prior year when the floods had dramatically changed a number of paths! Similarly, most of the stiles and gates remained as they were last year.

At Rigg Beck, the house that is being built on the site of an old, ruined farmhouse is looking like it will soon be finished. We've been watching it grow from the new foundations over the last two winter seasons, guessing with each trip what it might become, and it is now transformed into a substantial property. It looks like it might even be a hotel or hostel of some sort.

As regards weather, we were treated to a dry but very overcast week. In the couple of days after Christmas before we began our review, the Lake District had a thaw that removed much of the snow, even on the high passes. However, despite the lack of snow which we had prepared for, we were still treated to sub-zero temperatures on most days.

Dropping into the hamlet of Watendlath

When we reviewed the North Lakes Circuit and the South Lakes Circuit in November, there were unexpectedly deep amounts of snow in the pass from the Newlands Valley over to Buttermere and also in the hills between Buttermere and Rosthwaite and the fells between Watendlath and Blea Tarn. However, because of the extremely low temperatures leading up to Christmas, the snow had thawed from all except the highest areas (we could see that there were still deep cornices in the snow on the Helvellyn ridges).

Peaceful Borrowdale

There was still a significant amount of ice on the hills, both in the tarns and rivers and on the paths in some places where it had been very wet. This ice was often very thick, causing problems for those walkers who were not prepared for it, and it looked like the ice could remain for some time, even with warmer weather.

Since our review spanned New Year's Eve we happened to have stopped in Buttermere on the night of the celebrations and were treated to a loud and spectacular firework display from the Lakeside. The hotel was doing a roaring trade and it definitely seemed the place to be for the evening!

Lake District Traverse - full details of this self-guided trek