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BB2516 : The Right Angle
Wednesday 7th May 2025
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One of my most distinct memories of early Bootboy outings
is of when our late colleague Graham went skinny-dipping in Angle Tarn. BB0407
Another is of a few years later,
BB1010,
when, on a winter visit, Stan and I parted company from
Bryan and Tony to climb Great End. The
report comments “Coming down was fun- galloping down across a virgin snowfield.” I remember it well. We reunited at Angle Tarn to discover that
somehow Tony had managed to lose a crampon, which hindered his progress somewhat.
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Other visits don’t linger quite the same in the memory. However as far as today’s outing is
concerned, that is irrelevant as it’s the wrong Angle.
The right Angle is the Westmorland one, located high
between Brotherswater and Place Fell.
This is possibly my favourite Lake District
tarn. We have visited it many times and I hope
there will be many more.
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I think most approaches have been from Hartsop. It’s lucky for the farmer at the lower end of
the hamlet that most folk don’t know that the price for the car park at the top
end is a voluntary contribution to the local school otherwise his £5 for the
day might not be a success.
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First objective was Hayeswater, up the track that leads
up to what was once a water company property but now appears to be an upmarket glamping
barn, The Filter House. The bridge at the tarn outflow is
broken so an exciting stepping stone crossing ensued.
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Next the climb, straight up to meet the Coast to Coast
path. Mike, being young, had no
difficulty. Stan and I, being of rather
more mature years and out of condition, found it quite hard going but after 500
feet we were up, ready to march along to Brock Crags at something approaching Jack
Reacher speed.
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We took a short break to
admire the view then resumed Reacher mode to the far end of this beautiful
tarn.
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Then it was back to the question of Angles. Or, to be more precise, in which order and
how to tackle the Angletarn Pikes. The
first, the more southerly, requires a minor degree of scrambling to reach the
top.
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The second, to the north and 2
metres higher, is simpler as long as you stick to the track. Both offer opportunities to do yourself a lot
of damage if you aren’t careful. We
survived and enjoyed the view over to Place Fell.
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Lunch stop was at Boredale Hause.....
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..... then, on coming down the
track back to Hartsop, Stan and I proved
that there is still a bit of gallop left in the old legs.
Later, at the Eagle and Child where
parking is awkward due to it being adjacent
to the river bridge chicane, I asked Mike
why he was shuffling the car backwards and
forwards whilst twiddling the steering wheel.
He winked. "Theme of the
day, old boy. Just making sure we
have the right angle!"
Don, Wednesday 7th May 2025
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