The North Lakes Circuit in May
Posted on Sunday, 2 June 2013 . Permalink
(Anna-Maria writes:) Over the years that I have been reviewing routes for Alpine Exploratory I have reviewed the North Lakes Circuit twice before. Both of those previous reviews have happened during winter months and have been carried out in the worst of weather with subsequently poor visibility. Despite this I have always loved this route.
Keswick, Derwent Water and the hill Cat Bells in the view from the last stage of the North Lakes Circuit.
The walk entices from the very beginning with an exciting first day. It is one of the best starts to a multi-day walk that I know. The route quickly gets you away from the busy tourist town of Keswick, introducing real Lakeland scenery from the very start with an ascent of the well-known summit of Cat Bells completed by lunchtime on day one. From there it only gets better, with one of my favourite secluded passes in the Lake District beside the burbling river of Rigg Beck. I've never seen any other walkers passing all the way over the pass - only day-trippers walking up a short way before turning round to return to their cars.
Another favourite day for me is the final day with its long valley walk. While the route taken on the final day is more popular than the isolated pass on day one, especially once you join the Cumbria Way, it is still possible to get a sense of remoteness as you walk into the valley under the shadow of the mountains of Skiddaw, Blencathra and their neighbours. This is another valley without a road, giving you a final opportunity to enjoy the quiet of a world without busy roads and hectic schedules before you return to the bustling streets of Keswick.
Dark and low skies cut off the peaks of the Grasmoor and Grisedale Pike ranges; a path in the foreground leads down to Keswick.
After a history of such poor weather when reviewing this route I had hoped to finally see the route in all its glory under blue skies and sunshine this year by leaving the review until late May. Sadly I made the error of coinciding with the May week of school holidays and set out on bank holiday Monday. In true English Bank Holiday style I was subsequently treated to torrential rain throughout day one - the day I had most looked forward to finally discovering in sunshine. Fortunately the rest of the week eased to slightly lighter rain, and eventually I was rewarded with sunshine and blue skies on my final afternoon.
The rivers looked full and I got the impression that the Lake District has seen more than its fair share of rain already this year. With more forecast over the summer it looks like those choosing to walk here this year will need their waterproofs close to hand. However, don't let that put you off. As I discovered this week, even in the most heavy rain this classic Lakeland route manages to inspire and enthuse a keen walker. The thick cloud and filtered light give the Lakeland hills an eerie glow and a mysterious atmosphere which can only entrance, making even the wettest walks special.
Day 1 - Cat Bells and the Newlands Valley
Setting out in torrential rain with my waterproofs on I rapidly left Keswick behind me. I was determined to complete the main route over Cat Bells this year - rain or no rain. The rain was warm and the wind was relatively gentle this year, unlike my previous review when strong winds had caused me to stay on the lower level alternative.
While views from the summit were misted over with drifting low cloud, there was enough of a view to get a sense of the sheer scale of the north Lake District. I was also repaid for my efforts of scrambling over the rockier sections of the ascent by having the summit to myself. Usually teeming with people thanks to its nearness to Keswick and well-walked ascent paths, Cat Bells was completely devoid of other walkers. The weather was clearly putting people off.
The pass over to Buttermere was equally quiet with only one walker spotted all afternoon. However, once in the shelter of the steep sided valley I found that the protection gave a sense of weather easing and I could get a glimpse of the breath taking beauty that defines this secret valley.
In this way I was able to merrily splash along up to the pass, spotting tiny ground-nesting birds as they flitted away from me and seeing, with joy, the lambs which have grown in both size and confidence since my previous walking review trip to the Lake District two weeks earlier.
Buttermere and its Western wall of hills High Stile and Red Pike, above woods.
Day 2 - Honister Slate Mines and mountain views
While day one treats you to an afternoon of quiet and secluded walking, day two covers several popular walking areas, joining them up by less well-known paths.
Starting out in the morning I was among several families walking around the shores of Buttermere before leaving them behind as I ascended under the shadow of Fleetwith Pike into the slate mining area above Honister.
Fleetwith Pike on the left, above Buttermere, and the curious and obvious curved path slanting up towards the gully, that carries the North Lakes Circuit route.
This is, by far, my favourite moment in day two. The ascent is magical with broad views behind into the Buttermere valley as you climb and a glorious gorge ahead. With low cloud and filtered sunlight the colours of the gorge were stunning and the damp on the gorse brought out the strong yellows of the flowers. Not a sight to be missed.
Now looking over the gully itself, high up on the route.
The day ended in the Borrowdale valley - a friendly and welcoming place to dry out and rest my head for the night.
Day 3 - Bogs, fields and Thirlmere
For my third day I was finally treated to a relatively rain-free walk. While the grey clouds threatened all day they never followed through with anything other than a mild spray. Instead the clouds added an atmosphere, shrouding the peaks from view and allowing me to focus my gaze on lower hills that I often forget to look at.
After two days of mountain passes this day reveals the floodplains and flatter aspect of the Lake District, providing an afternoon of relief for those who find the climbs challenging. However, no walk in the Lake District can let you off completely from the climbs and the day starts out with a short pull over a low ridge to the secluded hamlet of Watendlath, a delightful and quiet place located at the end of a narrow valley. The small tarn here is often populated by fishermen and the tea shop can provide a welcome morning cup of coffee before tackling the much steeper climb of the day up to High Tove.
The view back over Watendlath from the climb to the moorland top of High Tove.
The ground around High Tove is wide, flat and predominantly boggy. An adventurous spirit and good sense of humour can help as you squelch your way over the summit and down the other side. I was quickly reminded to avoid anything that looks solid but is light green. It is inevitably a substance I call "bog moss" which always proves to be insubstantial and grows on only the wettest and softest boggy spots. Be warned!
Eventually the bogs ended and I was rewarded with my first views of Thirlmere - a body of water that very few people walk along, despite the delightful lakeside path. Instead it is more commonly seen by tourists as they drive past on the busy main road joining the North and South Lakes which passes down the opposite shore of Thirlmere.
The first glimpse of Thirlmere, where a sheep grazes above the forests at Armboth.
From here my afternoon was spent crossing the wide flat fields, often boggy and muddy thanks to their floodplain location, to reach a new stand of mountains across the very north of the Lake District. Many of the footpaths seem to have changed since I was last here so there was plenty of new route writing to be done as I made my way carefully through fields of ewes protecting their young lambs.
A third grey sky, a third light cloud, and a third Blencathra!
Day 4 - Grand isolation and a return to Keswick
My final day was a complete contrast to the start of the week. While I started the day switching endlessly between full waterproofs, showerproofs and my baselayer as the weather constantly changed, it eventually settled on turning into a glorious blue-sky day. I used the opportunity to check the detour up to isolated Skiddaw House, once a youth hostel, and was treated to wide views of rolling, expansive mountains in an otherwise-desolate area. It is a fantastic detour that is well worth the extra few kilometres to give you a final sense of isolation and freedom from the worries of life before returning to Keswick.
Great Calva, the isolated peak prominent in the view from Skiddaw House.
As I returned along the valley I met a large number of parties all heading north along the Cumbria Way. Many commented how much they were enjoying their holiday in the Lake District despite the unpromising, wet start to the week. I was quickly reminded of how hardy we all are and how magical this area can be, whatever the unpredictable English seasons throw at it.
On the run back into Keswick the route looks back down St John's in the Vale to the low fell called High Rigg, seen here in the middle.
Dropping down through trees on the final stretch into Keswick there was one more surprise in store for me. The ground in the woodland areas is carpeted with colourful flowers but not just the white flowers of the wild garlic, often found in profuse quantities at this time of year. There is also a sea of blue from the bluebells. They are a little late thanks to the unexpected heavy snowfall in March, but they have finally managed to arrive.
If you have an opportunity in the next couple of weeks I recommend getting up to the Lake District for a holiday - perhaps Alpine Exploratory's South Lakes Circuit which passes though several stretches of woodland. It’s a final opportunity to see the bluebells and a chance to see them thoroughly intertwined with the wild garlic.
A Scot's Pine tree above a carpet of bluebells.
All in all this was yet another fabulous and memorable trip. If you have the time then tagging together the North and West Lakes Circuits gives an excellent complimentary pairing. With even more time try putting together even more of the circuits into a single trip. Alternatively if your holiday isn't long enough to join circuits together then I suggest making a project of working your way through these four Lake District circuits over a few years if you can. Take your time to explore some of the best areas of the Lake District in intimate detail.
Has anyone lost a hat?
Each route has something different to offer and every circuit is special to me in its own way - whether for its route, the scenery along the way or the memories I've created while walking them. I'd love to hear which ones you have done and what your favourite sections are.
North Lakes Circuit - trek this route in 4 stages!
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