BB1735 : Respect • Protect • Enjoy

Wednesday 18th October 2017

Respect • Protect • Enjoy.  So runs the strapline to the Lake District National Park Authority's signage on the gate near the top of the Gatescarth Pass.  Someone clearly doesn't believe in it.

Although it promised to be a nice day, the ground is so waterlogged after the recent torrential rain that we again sought a route that would hopefully avoid trench foot.

Starting from Sadgill in Longsleddale we made our way up the track to the Gatescarth Pass.  

I am not quite sure of the status of this track.  I think it is a "white road" which means that it is technically a road and can be driven by vehicles.  However I know from a previous visit BB1313 that it is only open to motor vehicles one day per month.  It seems that someone didn't know that or at least didn't know which day.

The padlocked gate at Brownhowe Bottom has been seriously damaged but not breached.  It looked as if it had been rammed by a vehicle coming up from Mardale.  However, the upper part was still intact, retained by the severe chain and padlock.  "Villains" we thought as we passed by then dropped down into Mardale.

We didn't visit Haweswater, which wasn't as full as we thought it would have been. Instead we turned left and made for the climb to Small Water. Unfortunately, Stan had an unwelcome experience crossing a beck which left him with an impressive war wound on his cheek.  Not that it dampened his spirit but it did serve us with an important lesson.  In our rucksacs we should all have had the elements of a first aid kit.  How many of us actually did?  Just John. Robin, Martin, Mike, Stan & I all failed that test.  Mine is in my winter sac. Idiot. Me, not Stan.

I suppose if it were your first climb of the day, you might romp up to Small Water but it wasn't so romp we didn't.  

The crossing of its outlet stream was undertaken rather more gingerly than might have been the case without Stan's prior mishap.

Then it was back to climbing relentlessly until we reached the Nan Bield Shelter where lunch was taken.  Refuelled, we continued upwards and onwards to the Harter Fell summit.

Here we found a father rather tediously and loudly explaining to his son which tops were what. Sensing his uncertainty, Mike correctly identified for us all every single peak that could be seen in all directions.  How has he acquired this encyclopaedic knowledge?  A new app on his phone.  Point it at the hill and the phone tells you.  Respect.

If it had been drier underfoot we would probably then have gone along the ridge and over Kentmere Pike but we knew it would be rather wet and boggy underfoot on stretches so instead we took the stone path back down to the Gatescarth Pass and the Brownhow Bottom gate.

Here we changed our minds about the cause of the damage.  Bearing in mind that on the way over to Mardale we had passed by a second gate that was padlocked and undamaged, it would seem that the offending vehicle must have come up the other way.

Someone who obviously did not Respect nor Protect but maybe Enjoyed?

It seemed a long way back to the car, giving us plenty of time to decide where to go next.  The consensus was for the Kendal Rugby Club, to examine its new site and the clubhouse with which Robin has had part in helping be constructed. Unfortunately there was a funeral party (seems the wrong word) taking place so out of Respect we decided to move on to the Tap.  Once again!  Enjoy?  We did.

Don, Wednesday 18th October 2017

Comitibus : Martin, John, Stan, Mike, Robin, Don

Bonus picture from Mike, taken shortly after the mishap.  Haweswater in the background.

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