06-08/11/15
My late night arrival was rather mysterious. Ennerdale youth hostel is up a one-way forest track, so this looked right.
Saturday morning and the weather was as forecast. But still better visibility than in the dark. It’s a lovely hostel; small, out of the way…although we did have some early morning callers after tea bags…
We walked along the track towards Black Sail YHA; great spot, I remember camping near here twenty years ago on a Duke of Ed expedition. Almost a bothy. Then it was up Scarth Gap Pass and on to Hay Stacks.
Fast moving clouds meant that the rain and the views came and went (the rain mostly the former, the views the latter). It was windy and wet on top, so we had a very quick lunch before heading back down via a couple of tarns, one of them Wainwright’s ‘Innominate’.
Strong winds drove the rain straight into our eyes, and new streams appeared on the hillsides as the water found its own way down. The ground levelled out as we approached Black Sail. We walked amongst the drumlins that had appeared as little lumps earlier, but now they were significant mounds and seemed rather mystical.
Eventually there was a very welcome drying room, tea, showers, dinner, and fireworks. The wind and rain were worse on Sunday, so after cleaning the hostel we headed home.
9.5 miles, 1750 ft/533 m climbed
Hay Stacks; Dewey, Wainwright, 597 m/1959 ft