Walk : Fleetwith Pike (2,126ft)
from Honister Slate Mine
Date : 17th September 2016
Weather : Sunny, light winds @ 17 °C
Distance : 4 miles round trip
Difficulty : 1 – An easy walk all the way
(1=easy 5=hard)
Which
area of Lakeland is this walk situated?
Terrain
Overview
Walk
Overview
A quick jaunt to start off our week
long stay in Ambleside at Four
Seasons Cottage up Fleetwith Pike at the southern
end of
Buttermere. This particular summit,
apart from being a Wainwright “Peak Baggers” aim is also a Mecca for thrill
seekers with
the Via Ferrata and
Infinity Bridge extreme adventure attraction. Yes, folk actually pay to
risk life and limb to do this!
The
walk starts from the car park at the Honister Slate
Mine
From the car park, take the obvious shale path
that zig-zags its way towards Honister
Crag
As
we start to climb, the bus takes the next batch of mugs …. Thrill seekers
to the start of the Via Ferrata
And
this is what is in store for them
Meanwhile
our sedate route up takes a few twists and turns, but keeps on the wide shale
path
Eventually
the path passes a series of giant rock boulders and pretty soon the path is
left to turn right and up over grass
towards
the summit
Pretty
close to a big fat slab boulder that is a comfortable resting point, the path
swings North over grass
Looking
South from the path and Great Gable appears from behind Brandreth
Great
Gable and the pointy Green Gable in front
Keeping
to the path as it swings back round towards Honister
Crag we bump into these guys from Newcastle, who with their
Instructor
/ Guide from the Keswick MRT have just completed the Via Ferrata
Follow
the end of that cable if you dare. This was as close as I was going to. There is
at least a 1,000ft sheer drop
At
the top of Honister Crag and time for a celebration
for making it in one piece
Taking
in the views from Honister Crag
Looking
North … Buttermere, Crummock Water and in the far
distance Loweswater on a remarkably clear day
Looking
across to the West and Pillar towers over the tiny Haystacks
From
Honister Crag, the path leads towards the true summit
Looking
back from the path to where we have journeyed and the next batch of adventurers
complete the Ferrata
A
stunning view awaits us as we make it to the summit
A
360-degree view from the summit
The
High Stile range that flanks Buttermere and Crummock
Water
In
the distance, Mellbreak and the fells surrounding Loweswater and Ennerdale
Sue
and Ste take in the views from the summit
As
does this Red Admiral
A
lingering last look before we go back down. A stunning way to start a week’s
holiday in the Lake District
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