Grisedale, Lake District, Winter
Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to a peaceful and gentler 2024.
Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to a more peaceful and gentle 2024.
Though I’ve enjoyed time off work between Christmas and New Year, it’s not exactly been pleasant. Storm Gerrit washed across the UK, rendering most days miserably wet. There were even tornado warnings, largely unheard of in the UK.
On New Year’s Eve we learned that New Year’s Day promised much nicer conditions, and so we endeavoured to rise early and head into the Lake District for a solid yomp on the first day of 2024.
Conditions were certainly nicer, though you can never predict weather in the Lake District 100%. Hiking along the valley bottom of Grisedale towards the valley’s head, we were washed with wave after wave of fine drizzle. Thankfully, it never rained that hard, and in between the downpours we still managed to nab some glorious photos.
All photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Pentax SMC 55mm f2.0 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom using RNI Films’ Kodachrome film profiles, finalised in Photoshop.
Grisedale, Lake District, Winter by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
A sign of things to come. St. Sunday Crag (841 m/2,759 ft), rising above a sodden landscape with stormy clouds above.
Much of the first half of hiking into the valley comprised of dodging waves of drizzle. When one cleared up for long enough, I snuck this shot of Eagle Crag and Dollywaggon Pike (858 m/2,815 ft) battling with the low clouds.
Arriving closer to the turning point, we contemplated the condition of the trail on the other side of the valley. The hike in, on the south of the valley, is thankfully paved but had still been rendered in parts as a beck due to all the rain. I knew that the northern path back down the valley wasn’t in as good nick. So, from here, we turned back the same way we came in.
Thankfully, this was also when conditions started to clear up and the Helvellyn range of fells began to reveal themselves.
Eagle Crag with Nethermostcove Beck roaring down the fellside. A project was started in 2021 to return the valley’s main river, Grisedale Beck, back to its original “wiggly” form. To quote the Friends of the Ullswater Way: “As with many rivers in the UK, Grisedale Beck has historically been straightened and reinforced so that fields can be drained to improve grazing. This work was undertaken over 200 years ago and since then we have learned a lot about how straightened and reinforced rivers can negatively affect wildlife and increase flood risk. It should be noted that, despite the historic changes made to the river at the project site, this is still not particularly good grazing land, being very rough pasture and quite boggy in areas.”
Heading back down the valley, we kept turning back at the beautiful view at the head of Grisedale. Primarily to check on any incoming rain washing over the fells, but also to gawp at them. I enjoyed this composition as the trail seemingly leads across the image towards Nethermostcove Beck on the right. Pure mood.
One of the few pines left in the valley points a vibrant branch towards the beautifully cracked glacial erratic.
As the cloud cover finally starts to lift, Falcon Crag and Tarn Crag emerge from behind Dollywaggon Pike.
Light finally breaks through the clouds as we retreat further down the valley.
The beck streaming down from Blind Cove provides a nice leading line towards the vertical face of St. Sunday Crag.
The fells become obscured again. Another wave of rain heads towards us.
As another squall washes over us, I look across to the northern side of Grisedale and spot these bright becks cascading down the fellside. I very quickly nab a photo.
Soon, we near the foot of the valley and the rains were finally done for the afternoon. Look at that mountain backdrop.
Heading back towards the car, the hulking mound of Place Fell catches the warm winter light across its crags.
We elected for the scenic route back to Kendal, heading north out of Patterdale, through Matterdale, and onto the A65. That way we could turn off to head down St. John’s in the Vale and join the A591 back to Kendal. I kept my camera out, with the 55m attached to it, and grabbed this epic scene of Blencathra from the passenger’s side.
Down St. John’s in the Vale, I kept snapping happily, praying that at least one of the shots rendered sharp. Here, the deep cleft of Beckthorns Gill cuts into various crags of Clough Head.
Further south on the A591, near Thirlmere, Fisherplace Gill cuts a deep fissure within the crags of the Helvellyn massif. The farmhouses below look miniscule in comparison.
The distinctive shape of Browncove Crags, a subsidiary top of Helvellyn, with another deep gill caused by Helvellyn Gill.
Did you enjoy these photos?
Gowbarrow Fell, Lake District, Spring
Spring conditions are somewhat changeable at the moment.
Spring conditions are somewhat changeable at the moment.
Lisabet and I have been somewhat fortunate with this week-long extended Easter break. The first few days were relatively balmy for Cumbria, peaking at around 15°C. By Good Friday an “arctic blast” was arriving from the north, and temperatures quickly dropped by around 10°C or so. Despite the swing in climate conditions, the sky has remained consistently free of clouds.
This changed today and forecasts were warning of intermittent, and possibly heavy, snow squalls drifting through the county. We had originally planned for a hike around one of our favourite valleys, Mallerstang, but a sudden rush of inspiration from Lisabet meant heading up and over Kirkstone Pass towards Ullswater.
We quickly charted a route above the epic Aira Force, stopping to pay a quick visit to High Force, then out of the woods beyond High Cascades and up onto the shoulder of Gowbarrow Fell (481 m/1,578 ft). Then we would summit at Airy Crag, observe the Ullswater Way all the way around the eastern shoulder of the fell, and follow the track down the hill’s southern face, with sweeping views of Ullswater and the Helvellyn fells all the way.
What followed was an experience that ranked in our top three fell walks of all time. Absolutely glorious.
The only downside is that not long after starting the ascent up Gowbarrow Fell, my camera ran out of battery charge. I very much assumed I had enough charge, but temperatures barely above freezing point quickly saw to that. Thankfully my Google Pixel 3XL can shoot RAW files, which I relied on for the rest of the hike.
This is a fell we will definitely be revisiting, especially in late-summer when all the lovely pink heather will be blooming.
Photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2, using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens, as well as my Google Pixel 3XL. Developed using RNI’s Kodachrome film profiles.
We parked in a National Trust lay-by not too far from Glencoyne Bay. I had a quick wander down towards the shore of Ullswater, knowing that at this time of year there’d be daffodils aplenty nearby. I weren’t wrong.
It was a gusty day, with the thermometer rarely reaching above 4°C. The wind chill factor pushed that number below freezing, feeling very raw on the face. Fortunately it made light conditions very changeable, which I always really enjoy. I adore watching the light scan and caress the fells.
In the woods of the Aira Force gorge, with one of my favourite trees in view. It puts me in mind of a pair of tights sagging down to the ankles.
Understandably the footpath around Aira Force woods is one way, which we made short work of. From the small stone bridge above the waterfall, my 9mm ultra wide lens allows an expansive and unique view of the drop down to the plunge pool and beyond. The usual viewing area below the waterfall is currently blocked off, as the National Trust who own the land here are currently working on a new and stronger viewing platform.
Beyond the main show that is Aira Force, one can take a quick detour off the main footpath to get this view of High Force.
This photo marks the change from my Fujifilm X-T2 to my Google Pixel 3XL. As we ascended up the western shoulder of Gowbarrow Fell, it became increasingly difficult to stop looking back at the evolving panorama behind us. Ullswater, and the Patterdale and Helvellyn fells.
Not only that, the higher we climbed the more we could see of the Northern Fells. Here I utilised the wooden marker as a compositional aid, pointing towards Blencathra (868 m/2,848 ft).
And eventually… summit! This is Airy Crag, the peak of Gowbarrow Fell. The views are expansive and exceptional; from here it’s easy to pick out not just the northern fells of the Lake District but also right across the Eden valley to the Northern Pennines. That also meant we could see the dark clouds steadily moving towards us.
The view from the summit towards the Helvellyn massif.
And the northern fells of Blencathra and Skiddaw.
As we started to round Gowbarrow’s eastern shoulder, the snow squalls came thick and fast.
But whenever a snow squall did pass, we were immediately rewarded with a burst of sun light.
Near Collier Hagg we found a nice crag to sit on and eat some lunch whilst admiring the views. Looking east across the Eden valley, it was easy to make out the North Pennines getting absolutely hammered by the rain and snow.
As we started to make our way towards the southern face of Gowbarrow, near the Memorial Seat, this view opened up that quite literally made me shout an expletive! A moment Lisabet and I will never forget.
I had to take a vertical composition as well.
We came off the Ullswater Way to admire the views down Ullswater towards the Patterdale and Helvellyn fells. Truly incredible scenes.
My poor Pixel’s attempt at a “zoom” photo. It’ll do.
Aira Force, Lake District, Summer
The weekend has been very wet.
The weekend has been very wet.
The Met Office have stated that, between 10:00am Sunday 28/6/20 and 10:00am Monday 29/6/20, Honister Pass recorded 212.8 mm of rain, “provisionally a new UK June daily rainfall record”.
Honister Pass is in the Lake District. It’s been very wet.
But after some investigations Lisabet and I did spot a gap in the rain towards the Eastern Lake District. So, after work, into the car we went and nipped up and over Kirkstone Pass for an energetic hike around Aira Force.
We were rewarded with a lush gorge and waterfalls absolutely roaring with water.
All photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens using a customised Velvia film simulation.
Heading up Kirkstone Pass with the cloud shelf just starting to lift off the fells.
And heading down 't’other side of Kirkstone Pass, Place Fell (657 m/2,156 ft) in the distance with Brotherswater underneath it.
Ambitious young ‘uns hiking back up Kirkstone Pass.
The trunk of a Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), looking like wrinkly “skin” that’s sagging with age.
Looking down into the gorge from the bridge above Aira Force. The sheer wall of sounds and flying spray everywhere was immense.
Looking straight down the sheer drop of Aira Force.
Further upstream along Aira Beck you can find some more falls. This is High Force, more of a series of powerful cascades. Still gorgeous, especially in this soft light.
Zooming in on those details of High Force.
Aira Force, in full spate after a weekend of heavy rain. The waterfall is probably one of the Lake District’s most famous, dropping 70ft in two parts with a picturesque packhorse bridge arching above it.
As I’ve written on this blog many times before, the word “force” comes the Old Norse fors meaning “waterfall”. The word “Aira” comes from two Old Norse words: eyrr, which means a gravel bank, and á, which is a river, giving us “river at the gravel bank” and the full name meaning “the waterfall on gravel-bank river”.
We popped out of the Aira Force gorge a little early to go for a quick wander up Gowbarrow Fell. There were some views of Ullswater and its fells that I wanted to show Lisabet. And boy what a view we got.