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The Fellwalker by Peter John Farnworth
Walk No.1 SATURDAY JUNE 6th 1974 []My very first trip to the Lakes - rucksack filled with food and drink, my sleeping bag and tent, and a strong pair of legs to climb them there mountains! I caught the train from home to Windermere Station, then walked down to Bowness-on-Windermere. Caught the steamer to Waterhead, which is at the head of the Lake. From here I walked to Ambleside. When I arrived there, I made my way to the Salutation Hotel, where I followed a lane to the left of the hotel. At a point up the lane it bears right towards Kirkstone Pass, and left to High Sweden Bridge, which I followed. When I reached the bridge I picked up the path leading to the head of Scardale Pass, which is only a short walk to the summit of Red Screes.
I pitched my tent halfway between these two points, and that was my first mistake, as I found out later! As I sat outside the tent watching the sun sinking over the mist-covered lower mountains, drinking my mug of tea, I thought to myself "this the life!" I then slipped into my sleeping-bag to get a good nights sleep, ready for the new day and to climb my first summit, which would be Red Screes. But as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go asunder…I awoke at about 2.30am with the wind and rain blowing round me. I had slipped off my ground sheet and I found myself halfway out of the tent, which was not very pleasant. As dawn came and having not slept too well in the night, I packed up camp and headed back down with the rain still falling. I was rather wet, but the spirit was not broken. I was somewhat disappointed that I had not climbed that summit, but I knew one day I would return. This was my first experience, and to compete against the mountains I had to do more studying of the area and its weather conditions on the high ground. The one thing I did learn to appreciate while I was there, was the vastness of the mountains. You do not realise how big they are till you get there, and how weather conditions can change from one hour to another. As you read on, you will see how we had problems from time to time and how we coped. Diagram & Stats
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