As I leave Side Farm campsite I can see the three hills of my intended days walk perfectly framed by a dry stone wall and some trees across the bottom reaches of Ullswater. It’s the perfect photo and I am drawn to the multiple shades of green that make up the fellside contrasting nicely with the blue sky above and the greenish blue of the lake below. Today’s walk takes in Arnison Crag, Birks and St Sunday Crag before returning to Patterdale via Grisedale.
The walk proper starts from behind the Patterdale hotel. Wainwright describes a refuse tip at Mill Pond by the back of the hotel in his day but this has long since disappeared and the path, skirting around the hotel leads to some pleasant woodland walking that heads up gently to the entrance gate to Glenamara Park. From here the path to Arnison Crag turns left and the wall is followed steeply upwards all the way to the summit tower. As height is gained, remember to look back as views of Ullswater start to appear.
After a fairly sustained bit of steep uphill walking the rocky tower that marks the summit arrives and there is a little bit of scrambling up rocks to finish off the ascent onto Arnison crag. For a small hill there are good views down to Ullswater and over to Place Fell. The next hill of the day Birks can be seen across the small wooded valley of Hag Beck and peeking out behind that, St Sunday Crag with the little subsidiary summit of Gavel Pike to its left.
Leaving Arnison Crag, the path to Birks at first heads down and then cuts around the top of Trough Head before heading up, roughly following the line of a wall. As I tramp upwards I see a northern wheatear perched on the wall ahead. It decides to follow my progress for a while and hopping from rock to rock always slightly ahead of me, teases the flightless human with its aerial acrobatics.
Once the Ridgeline up from Patterdale is joined the path to the summit of Birks follows along a long grassy walkway. The summit itself, a little pile of rocks in a sea of grass might be a little understated for some, personally I found the crunch of soft grass under my feet rather pleasant and there are great views all around.
The way ahead is obvious and the path heading up to St Sunday Crag can be seen across the grassy plateau, the main path being rejoined just before the uphill section starts. Its another fine day in Lakeland, dry sunny and warm and I am thankful that I have been able to take advantage of the sustained period of High pressure that has been over the country for the last few weeks.
The path up St Sunday Crag is slightly worn but the gradient is good. Looking back, Ullswater with its distinctive dog leg is seen stretching out into the distance. Indeed the best views of the lake are before you get to the summit as the summit plateau obscures the view. Just before the top the incline eases and a short while later you are at the jumble of rocks that mark the summit cairn.
St Sunday Crag is what I would describe as a proper mountain, a rocky top with a real sense of elevation, no doubt caused by the fact that it drops off sharply on two sides, one down into Grisedale and the other into Deepdale. It’s not the highest I’ve been on so far on my walk through the Eastern Fells, Great Dodd and Stybarrow Dodd are both higher but they are both huge rounded tops. St Sunday Crag is by far a better summit and the views are better too. The view across to the Helvellyn range is quite spectacular today, pin sharp with no heat haze and the whole ridge from Dollywaggon Pike to Helvellyn and then Striding Edge and Catstycam can all be admired across the chasm of Grisedale. Fairfield also stands out, slightly higher and imposing across Deepdale Hause.
I sit down just away from the summit for a bite to eat and to enjoy the peace, quiet and resettling of the mind that being in the mountains surrounded by the beauty of nature can bring. The first two people I have seen all day turn up, say hello and promptly carry on walking past the summit and down towards Deepdale Hause. We all have different reasons and enjoy different things when out walking in the hills but it leaves me pondering why you would make the effort to walk to the summit of a mountain and not spend even a minute admiring the view or just enjoying the moment.
After refreshments, I head off down to Deepdale Hause and then take the path that leads down to Grisedale. The tarn, which I have visited many times brings back memories. The last time I was here was in thick mist and gale force winds which literally blew my daughter off her feet whilst we were walking the the coast to coast walk some years ago. Today, things are much more benign, the sun is shining, the insects are biting and there is just the hint of a breeze rippling the waters of the tarn causing them to lap lazily against the shore. It’s a picture of quietude and I join in the serenity, sitting by the stepping stones and finishing off my water and food.
From here it’s downhill all the way to Patterdale. Walking down Grisedale is a journey in itself.
From the high mountains you walk steeply down past the crags and waterfalls, past the climbing hut of Ruthwaite Lodge, crossing Grisedale Beck where the path starts to level out and trees start to appear, down further past and through the intake fields and then finally arriving at the road head which takes you through the rich pastoral beauty on the outskirts of Patterdale before leading you back to the village itself.
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