Sunday 29 December 2013

Deepdale Horseshoe

Out today in the Lakes with @ianwood2011 from Deepdale Bridge in Patterdale. This is a great circuit.


Climbing to the ridge as the early morning sunlight falls on the flanks of  Gavel Pike and Birks.

Gaining height the view behind was filled with Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes

Once on the ridge proper we were hit by several sleet/hail showers.

Looking back along the ridge from the summit of Hartsop Above How, Deepdale down on our left as we look from here

The ridge continues to gain the trade route , Fairfield Horseshoe at Hart Crag. Here Windermere was lit up and shone like a mirror.

Once on Fairfield, Cofa Pike and St Sunday Crag grabbed our attention. The summit was heavily verglassed and the descent to Cofa Pike was tricky to say the least.

Once at the foot of Cofa Pike we had lunch, distracted by the view above!

Lunch eaten it was on to St Sunday Crag the uphill was welcome to warm us up! The view in back to Fairfield, Cofa Pike and Grisedale Tarn was excellent.

The summit Of St Sunday Crag soon came as we chatted on the easy slopes. The final couple of hundred metres again very icy. Above we see the Helvellyn range from Dollywagon Pike to Raise.

Our descent route was over Gavel Pike and Lords Seat, here Ian looks down to Deepdale and on to BridgeEnd

Northeast from Lords Seat looking over Birks to Ullswater and Place Fell.

4 comments:

  1. Smashing round and great pics. Did you manage without spikes?

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  2. Thanks Alan, your right its a grand trip, one I always enjoy. Much quieter than the normal routes to Fairfield.
    I had a pair of instep crampons (far from ideal) and Ian had Microspikes! Neither of us would have attempted the descent to Cofa Pike without them.

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  3. Cofa Pike is tricky even without ice!

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  4. Yes Robin, there was a group of 4 making heavy weather of it as we crossed. The awkward section yesterday was the descent from Fairfield, All the scree was frozen and verglassed.
    Cheers
    Alistair

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