Haystacks With Owen

6th June 2009

I’d been promising my young son Owen a walk somewhere a little more serious than say Catbells or long walks around Buttermere somewhere where he can get his hands dirty in relative safety of not falling of the end of a crag! I was a little concerned however for his stamina after all Haystacks would be his first real mountain of a sort But yet again the boy proved me wrong, Yes we had to let walkers past, Yes we were held up, Yes he moaned just after 5 minutes in, But in our own record time (four & a half hours!!) We completed not just Owens first real mountain but also Wainwrights favourite Lakeland fell & at just 9 yrs of age I was more than proud of him.

 

Wainwright Guidebook

The Western Fells

 

 

Overview
Ascent: 597 Mtrs  1958Ft
Wainwrights: 1   Haystacks
Weather: Showers
Parking: Gatescarth Farm
Area: Western
Miles:  
Walking With:  
Ordnance Survey: OL4 (1:25)
Time Taken:  
Route:  
 

Map and Photo Gallery

 
 

 
We’d been travelling along the pass towards Honnister Slate mine when Mark Weir’s Helicopter buzzed the road within about 100ft, He then did a complete 360° & landed his helicopter pitch perfect at the slate mine ,What an entrance ,Owen took this picture from the car as we drove past

Haystacks seen here from Peggy’s Bridge ,We’d parked up at Gatesgarth Farm & geared up in the rain, Only a trickle to start with & with no wind ,Not enough to  put a damper on the day.

 

My legs hurt ! ,I’m hot ,I’m cold ! I’ll have to admit after being stuck in the car for over 2hrs & then getting stuck straight in does ache for the first half hour or so ..Its all part of walking up mountains Owen.

 

Heading up towards the Scarth Gap Pass & Haystacks in the background .

 

Warnscale Bottom & our decent route .

 

 
 

 
Scarth Gap Pass here & you can properly see the pace we’d been setting ,So it was just a case of holding back at this point & letting the walkers pass,Then we could clamber up behind at our own pace,I know at the top of the Pass there was a little rocky section & Owen had been looking forward to doing that bit

Owen really enjoying this section.

 

 
 

Haystacks Summit!

 

 

Making our way over to Inomniate Tarn & hopefully lunch, Here I was explaining to Owen about how special this place is, not just to Wainwright but fellow walkers too , I just didn’t have that buzz this afternoon like I’ve previously had ,Maybe its because of just how busy it is today or maybe all the Fell Runners doing there thing ,I cant associate Wainwrights final resting place with the term “Busy” & I think that’s what was my problem .


Inominate Tarn .

 

Great Gable & I think Windy Gap making an appearance from Haystacks

 

 
After just being soaked right through to the boxers in a sudden down pour we were still looking for a place to eat, The rain was was that heavy even the hardened Fell Runners took cover around the crags on Inominate Tarn , And so for  Me & Owen it was "lets plod on until we can found a little shelter to have a rest stop & crack open the flask ,,& lucky for us salvation was just round this bend

Buttermere & Crummock Water taken on the path in between Inominate Tarn & Blackbeck Tarn .

 

 

Every time  I pass here I always wonder is there a name for this rock ? ,It just looks so peculiar sat there almost upside down looking depending on what angle your looking at it from, Any help greatly appreciated!


 
 

 

Making our way down into Warnscale Bottom & here you can see just how busy its been ,This section of the path was extremely slow moving for us as we had to wait & let these walkers past ,Really didn’t want to rush Owen down this section of the path as the down pours had made it even tricky for me never mind Owen.


Looking back up.

 

Owen making his mark & I think spirits are back up.

 

 
Owens first Wainwright just under 2000ft & I’m really proud of him amidst all stops we had to take on the way down !Ill have to admit myself the path leading down in Warnscale Bottom can me a bit tricky underfoot ,Well Done Son



 

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