Trail Notes | February 2020
What can I say about February… In brief, it whizzed by, was wet, windy and wild, and was a month of having to adapt to the weather and get itchy feet for lands faraway and warmer climates… Saying that, at the start of the month, I was lucky enough to head off to Spain on a climbing trip with work which was a perfect way to rejuvenate, refresh and get some vitamin D in the middle of the long, British winter. It also gave me a yearning for warmth; for spring and summer days spent out climbing and walking. This year, winter has felt a little disappointing. There has been not as many frosty mornings and snowy days as hoped for, and instead a lot of rain and high winds. I’ve still been getting outside as much as I can, but often having to adapt routes for the weather, stay low in the valleys, and opt out of some planned hillwalks. Sometimes, that’s just the way it goes. After Spain, I spend a couple of weekends at home in the Peak District and then headed up to the Lakes for a some days on the fells. Here are some of the trails I walked…
Three Shires Head — 5 miles
I headed south to the White Peak with Harvey, my sister, Anna her boyfriend, Tom, and our two pups Oslo and Ola. I’ve been wanting to do this walk for a while called Three Shires Head that takes you to a bridge where three counties meet; Staffordshire, Cheshire & Derbyshire. We parked at Clough House Head carpark, just south of Buxton, and walked the 6 mile route to the bridge and back again. It is a lovely, fairly relaxed walk with beautiful views over this part of the Peak District.
Lady Clough Forest — 2.5 miles
While Harvey was away in Norway, Heather came over and we spent the day in the Peak District. We first went swimming at Barbrook (Heather not me!) and then headed to a beautiful woodland called Lady Clough Forest on the Snake Pass. As I mentioned, sometimes you have to change your plans when the weather isn’t on your side. On this particular day, we had originally planned to head to North Wales, but with high winds and rain we opted for the Peak instead. Heading to a wooded valley was a great option on a wet, windy day as it was lovely and sheltered, and made for a welcome break from the relentless wind. The walk through the forest is simple; following the blue signs clockwise for a 3 mile walk through the woods. It’s one I’d highly recommend on wet weather days, or if you just fancy an escape into the forest…
Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell — 4.5 miles
I was invited to the Peak District with Haglofs for an event for International Women’s Day. We awoke in Kendal to views of snowy hills, and headed north to Ullswater for a beautiful walk to Aira Force and up Gowbarrow Fell, a small Wainwright that looks over beautiful Ullswater and it’s surrounding peaks. When we set off, the weather was grey and overcast and we were battered by hail while leaving the carpark. Soon enough, the sky cleared and as we came above the treeline we were able to take off our waterproofs for the final ascent to the summit. Despite the sunshine, the wind was relentless and went deep into our cores as we waited for a drone shot at the summit. But, views from the little fell were marvellous and descending back to the carpark was beautiful. This was a great, easy hillwalk on a morning in the fells.
Fairfield Horseshoe — 10.5 miles
I set off just before 8am to hike the Fairfield Horseshoe, an 11 mile route from Rydal. Early morning views were beautiful looking back to Lake Windermere in the sunshine. As I kept ascending, the snow became thicker and the path almost impossible to find. That’s when I fell into a frozen bog concealed by snow and soaked one of my boots... lucky I always carry spare socks!
Just after this, the wind became relentless and I considered turning back a couple of times questioning whether it was a good idea to continue. As there were a couple of other people around heading for the summit of Fairfield Peak, I followed their footsteps through the snow and reached my high point in what must have been 50mph gusts of wind.
I put my crampons on for the first part of the descent as the snow had an icy crust and headed to the eastern branch of the horseshoe for my return to Ambleside. Here, the wind seemed even stronger and deep snow made progress slow and hard. But, eventually, after 7 hours on the hill I made it back to my van with a very wind-burned face and having had a great adventure.
This was the first winter walk I’ve done solo and was a little step up for me, but never did I feel unsafe or in danger which is why I kept going to complete the full route. I learned a lot, and can’t wait to share the video I made soon!
With the recent Coronavirus outbreak, it is more than likely that we are all going to have to be staying closer to home and exploring our local peaks. I hope these walks can give you some inspiration, and also offer some clarity and peace amidst the chaos in the world.
Stay safe everyone.
Athena ↟