C2C 2010 Day 2 – Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite
We woke to an overcast, wet morning, with clouds covering the fells. After being ferried back to Ennerdale Bridge, we set off in rain gear towards Ennerdale Water. The morning highlight was seeing a red squirrel on a fence beside the road.
Having read of difficulties fording streams on the southern side of Ennerdale Water after heavy rain, we walked the easy northern route. On the forestry track up the valley beyond Ennerdale Water we discussed Wainwright's views of forestry against a background noise of chainsaws felling trees.
'Ennerdale Water north shore'
With Black Sail Hut in sight, we turned away from the valley floor route towards Scarth Gap. As we reached the Gap the rain stopped and the clouds began to lift so we stopped for lunch. Our lunches consisted of cheese with biscuits, muesli bars and tea from a thermos prepared in our room at our overnight stops. After lunch we set off over Haystacks, Wainwright's favourite summit, and with reverence stood beside Innominate Tarn where his ashes were scattered after his death. Haystacks is set in a landscape of magnificent surrounding peaks, with views down Ennerdale and over Buttermere, Crummock Water and the Fellbarrow ridge that we had climbed in 1986. On one of the scrambles up steep rocky sections on Haystacks, Mary, with a wonky knee and no sense of balance, got stuck. With the help of a group of experienced fell walkers concerned for Mary's safety, she was able to reach the summit – the C2C seems to bring out the best in humanity.
'Mary climbs to Scarth Gap'
'Innominate Tarn, Wainwright's resting place'
Distracted by the superb mountain scenery, we followed the clearly defined path off Haystacks, past Blackbeck Tarn, crossed Dub's Beck and followed it downstream past small waterfalls. Fortunately we realised we shouldn't be going over the steep escarpment, checked the map and headed across the shoulder of Fleetwith Pike back to the route through Dub's Quarry and down the old tramway that had been used to transport slate to the handling plant at Honister Pass.
'Buttermere and Crummock Water from Haystacks; Low Fell and Fellbarrow on horizon, left of centre'
From Honister it was all downhill along green paths overlooking Borrowdale, a pleasant walk marred only by a rocky outcrop dropping down into the River Derwent as it flowed through Johnny's wood – Mary was not happy having to hold on to chains attached to the rocks to traverse the outcrop.
'Chains across rock face, Johnny's Wood '
After a superb, eventful day's walk we were grateful to find The Royal Oak in Rosthwaite, shower, and enter the crowded dining room for their set-menu dinner served at 7pm. The management and décor of the Royal Oak appears unchanged for decades, but this old-fashioned style seems to work in the isolated little hamlet of Rosthwaite.