Glossopdale Harriers Away Weekend: Patterdale, Lake District

dropping down to Angle Tarn

You never quite know what the weather is going to be in the UK, let alone the Lake District in November. Well, 18 of the Glossopdale Harriers gang headed to Patterdale youth hostel this weekend and were blessed with (almost) totally glorious weather. Sunshine, autumnal colours blazing from the trees and hillsides, blue skies.....oh, and a couple of exfoliating hail/sleet/snow showers to make the mountain running weekend complete. Well, we wouldn't be fell runners if there wasn't some 'weather' to enjoy.

Of course there was running, there was cake, beer, lots of food and to John S's surprise an impromtu birthday celebration with a literally celebration hat! (photo below). Saturday's run was on mass, all of us setting off on a vague Ian Hodgson relay route with the option for various bail out points. Weather and inclination would dictate how far each of us would go.

Heading out from the start of leg 1 we made our way up Stony Rigg and past Angle Tarn, skirting under Rest Dodd we climbed up The Knott and on to Racecourse Hill trig point. All the time, the sun is shining, there was a chill to the air but it was OK as long as we kept running. Looking back northwards the sky was entertaining us with distant falling showers and some fabulous mini rainbows.

We were also very lucky to see a couple of good sized herds of deer not too far away. In the group photo below the deer are on the hillside behind, too far away to see on this photo though.

almost at Racecourse Hill

Thorntwaithe Crag Beacon (its about 14ft high)

We were now running on a smattering of hail/snow, my first wintry conditions of the season (slight giddiness may have caused childlike grins). Next up was Thornthwaite Crag and the spectacular beacon that marks the high point. There then followed an unexpectedly airy (to my vertiginous head) and rocky descent, before a steep climb up on to Stoney Cove Pike. I was now very much aware of the incoming showers which had a distinctly wintry tinge to them. Sure enough, by the time me and Tim had reached the summit of Stoney Cove Pike we were sheltering on the lea side of a stone wall putting on extra big gloves and pulling up buffs over our ears/mouth. The wind was whipping up and once we'd regrouped we moved on quickly, hail smashing directly into our faces and me wishing I'd got my peaked cap with me. I did in fact end up putting my OMM Smock on top of my Mountain Equipment Ultratherm jacket because the hail/rain was pretty torrential - but only so I could make use of the small peak on the smock. The Ultratherm was performing very well in the conditions apart from that.

Birthday John in his Celebrations Hat

Soon enough we were descending the final steep section and all stood at the roadside by Kirkstone Pass Inn. After a brief pause there was a natural split in the group. A few of us decided to continue down straight away, heading down the pass to the youth hostel (thereby bagging the first showers!), some ducked in the pub for refreshments, while a group of seven (with Tim leading the way) continued up Red Screes and down Hartsop-above-How. I'd have loved to have joined that group but totally accepted that there was going to be quite a bit more ascent (maybe 500m looking at Tim's route) and it would be longer, and on top of that the weather. As it was, I did over 1100m ascent and 24km. A very decent run out for me. The evening passed wonderfully, lots of discussions and merriment over dinner and in the pub - quickly for some followed by an early night.

Today dawned so beautifully - calm blue skies and the hill tops nicely covered in snow. We couldn't resist a quick wander up Red Screes on the way home. We always knew another big day out was unlikely given yesterdays long day, but the hill beckoned - so much so that Tim went up twice! I settled for coffee in the car and the binoculars to watch his speedy progress up and down.

Our shadows on top of Red Screes....Helvellyn is the one in the distance (in cloud!)

Looking east from the top of Red Screes