The sole ambition of todays walk was to pay a visit to the elusive Blind Tarn which is nestled in a hollow cove deep below Brown Pike. The name Blind Tarn derives from the aspect that it isn’t that easily seen from the ridge above…blink & you could miss it.

My aim was to locate Blind Tarn via the Walna Sca Pass from Fellgate, here options are left open should you want to continue west towards the Dunnerdale Fells or Dow Crag via its satellite fells of Brown Pike & Buck Pike, a route that I have only done from the Seathwaite Side of Walna Sca a long time ago I might add. Today I shall be paying particular attention to locating a faint path that leaves the Walna Sca Pass for Blind Tarn, I had my reservations on locating such path but thankfully my trained eye prevailed, my only worry as the rain & the mist that was descending on me & the fact that I couldn’t see thirty yards in front of my face.

I was lucky enough to have a last minute change of work plans which saw me have another weekend off, the forecast wasn’t the best so I decided to leave the walking until Sunday where it faired a little better, so with this I used my free Saturday morning to mow the lawn & generally tidy up the garden while our dog Holly chassed the Lawn Mower & generally got under my feet, I couldn’t quite decide whether Holly was having a great time or just being damn naughty, I still cant.

Anyway I checked the forecast & soon realised that come late afternoon Lakeland will be enjoying some much welcome sunshine to finish the day off.

I then had one of those ‘this could just work out fine’ moments.

Wainwright Guidebook Four

-Dow Crag

The fell is extensive, and in marked contrast to the near – vertical eastern face is the smooth and gentle contour of the western slope descending to the little valley of Tarn Beck. The northern flank is easy too, except for a fringe of crag over looking Seathwaite Tarn. South of the top, on a well defined ridge, are the subsidiary summits of Buck Pike and Brown Pike, and beyond the latter is the lofty pass of Walna Scar.

Okay, so the weather at this point wasn’t holding upto expectation & I saw absolutely no potential whilst I kitted up as the wind howled around the car park. I go back to a little over an hour & a half ago when I picked up a pair of my walking shorts & thankfully, put them back.

It’s cold & it’s windy, my hands feel the nip almost immediately & so do my ears as I quickly give them the comfort of the hat & gloves treatment. By eck where’s this promised sunshine I can only mutter.

I watch dozens of walkers return from the direction of the Old Man, back to the comfort of their warm cars, most of whom’s faces don’t particularly look like they’ve had the best of days on the fells.

With the car locked I throw my pack over my shoulder where I pass more & more walkers all heading form the Old Man, it starts to rain, heavy.

Boo Tarn is passed as I fail to find the enthusiasm to lift my camera from its case. Children form the Duke Of Edinburgh scheme are using a grassy bank to shelter from the driving rain that by now is hitting me full on in the face, every now & again I give my head a jolt to clear the rain drops building at my hoods peak.

It’s almost 4pm & I have to question, what am I doing here?

I persevere up the Pass passing more & more walkers all heading back to Fell Foot & indeed the dryness & protection form the elements that only their cars can provide. Here the track is wide open as I glance left to see bands upon bands of rain showers trailing my flanks, I can only venture forward as I keep telling myself that this will clear, this will clear.

Optimism had to be at its highest, even though I didn’t believe it.

Sometime later the showers had passed but I am left feeling somewhat dishevelled. My gear has took a right soaking as I utter the immortal words, that nothing is totally waterproof.

By now the wind had gained in strength of which I’m a little thankful this allowing me time to dry out, my hood goes down as I re-adjust the wonky hat.

I give myself the option of reaching Blind Tarn, then, should the weather be as bad as it is now I shall turn on my heel & sadly head back.

Besides the weather my attentions avert back to locating the track that will lead me to Blind Tarn. I keep a keen look out passing what can only be described as old miners tracks leading off over spoil heaps. I have no visual aids nor can I see how far the crags of Brown Pike are ahead of me, my research told me that the path leads away after a series of twist’s in the path – as I approach a left sweep in the path I spot the ruins of what might be an old cairn together with what looks like a faint path leading off into the cloud.

I study my location with my GPS, venturing any further up the path from here would surely see me miss the approach to Blind Tarn.

This must be it.

It was after leaving the Walna Sca Pass & topping on the path above Blind Tarn did the cloud ever so slightly begin to lift, at the time I really didn’t realise that this would be a permanent effect.

I just had to hang in there.

I study Blind Tarn from above whilst at the same time still not quite believing what is unfolding before me. The temperature notably drops yet I can still feel the moisture left in the air from the retreating cloud cover, each gasp of cool breath is traced all the way back to my lungs until it returns back out again.

Special times.

Once down at the Tarn I begin a little exploring, more so of my surroundings & the five tiny walkers I spot retreating The Cove.

Time unfortunately is not on my side but this does not stop me navigating Blind Tarn where I spot a perfectly placed boulder where I have a power stop if only to take in the views.

Once I crested the ridge my views became more & more extensive offering long distant views towards the Dudden Estuary & its neighbouring fells.

Despite being on a natural high I now had to take on a fight with the wind as it blew in fearlessly from the west coast.

You can’t have it all I guess! 

One of the main things I noticed when walking so close to dusk was the position of the sun & more to the point the position of the long shadows which were all facing east as the sun set low over in the west.

It maybe the smallest of things but I found it really interesting in that I’m never normally around at this time of an evening which made everything seem ‘new like’

While it was good to be back on terraferma (solid underfoot) It was getting to the point when I just needed a little respite from the wind that was blowing me all over the ridge, the sooner I descended down to Goats Hawse the better.

If only so I could re-adjust the hat!

The descent to Goats Hawse was swift to say the least thanks to a helpful push from the wind which by now had almost taken over my hearing…the surreal of Goats Hawse was cherished before I topped out on the other side to take on Coniston Old Man.

But, time for a couple of photos within my peaceful surroundings.