Red Screes, Kate's Birthday

We decided to go for a short hike this morning, but to be back in town just after lunch for Kate to lose herself in some shopping, and for the boys and me to go on a secret errand to get her presents. Mini golf (or Crazy Golf, as they call it here) was also supposed to make an appearance in there somewhere. So we packed a simple lunch and left for Kirkstone Pass just before 10:00.

Kirkstone Pass is a pass in the high fells about 3 miles from Ambleside. The road to reach it is the usual narrow lane between two stone walls, but that seemed normal enough to us now. The road had a short notorious patch called "The Struggle" (you have to love England) where the grade is 20%, but after yesterday that hardly seemd noticeable. So soon we were in the capacious parking lot at Kirkstone Pass, well above treeline at 455 metres. (The irony here is that at our house in Smithers, this would be underground.) Grassy slopes extended in all directions, criss-crossed by stone walls. Across the road from the parking lot was the pub--because although it's a lonely pass, there's no reason for there not to be a pub!

On the west side of the pass is a mountain named Red Screes (for the red screes streaming down its sides), and the route up it is a sustained steep climb of 325 metres (or about 1000 feet) in less than a kilometre. That's basically a staircase. Wainwright describes it as "a rough ascent," and adds that, "The direct descent to Kirkstone is rough, too rough to be enjoyable." That sounded a bit much for us, so we were going to go up on the east side of the pass, a mellow ridge called St. Raven's Edge. It runs parallel to the road, and the gentle climb is about 150 metres. We thought we'd go up there and explore along its top.

But when we got out of the car, Galen was quite taken with Red Screes, and said it would be much better than the boring old ridge on the other side. (Could he have inherited some of those genes from his Dad?) He convinced Kate, and so off we set. But not up the trail: Galen cried, "Adventure calls!" and off we went, striking out overland for our own route ascending the peak. We went by boulder and grasstuft up the fall line, deviating around outcrops and finding tiny ways up through notches. We got to make decisions about what was too steep, and what could be gone up but not down, and how to think about the consequences of a fall.

When we were about one third of the way up, we heard a roar, and a fighter jet came out of nowhere, made a hard turn right acoss from us in the pass, and zoomed out of sight to the north. Kate was jumping up and down with excitement! We're pretty sure the RAF arranged it for her birthday. (Will said, "Did you see the missiles under his wings?" It was quite close.)

When we reached the headwall we had a fortuitous convergence with the trail and took that the rest of the way. It was was a steady climb, but gorgeous views unfolded below us as we rose higher above the pass. Adjacent peaks one by one slid down, as we got higher than Stoney Cove Pike, High Street, Racecourse Hill, and finally Ill Bell.

On top at the summit cairn we met two ladies who had started just before us. They were from Hampshire, and Kate got into a long and delightful conversation with one of them. They exchanged email addresses. Will threw stones in a mud pit. Galen stood on top of several summit cairns, and then on top of the Ordnance Survey column itself.

We fitted Will with his shoes for the descent (he went up in Crocs; Galen went up and down in Crocs), and took the trail all the way on the descent. With all due respect to Wainwright, it was enjoyable.

On the lane down to Ambleside, we saw a field of Highland Cattle, which are a particular Kate favourite with their huge shaggy coats and long dangerous-looking horns. We pulled over and Kate shot some pics. Another fortuitous birthday event.

In town, we dropped our stuff and split up. Kate went out to do some free-lance shopping and the boys and I headed off to Windermere to get her a special sheep pencil and keyring that Galen had spotted last Saturday. When the pay-&-display lot at the Windermere station was full, we discovered the grocery store Booth's had its own free lot. We bought chocolate ice cream for Kate (from Will) and took that home to the freezer. Then we set out to play Crazy Golf at the park in Ambleside. The friendly and easy-going attendant encouraged us to play as many rounds as we liked! Galen got a hole-in-one, and as he danced around Will said, "Oh, now he'll be impossible for the rest of the day!" Later Will got a hole-in-one too.

Eventually the boys and Kate returned home to rest, and I went out one more time just to hang around in bookstores and pour over the maps and guides, to see what types of maps are being used, and generally what the "guide" thing is about. I also bought myself a hunk of Stilton cheese.

Birthday dinner, from "Walnut Fish Bar," was a chicken and mushroom pie for Kate and me, fish and onion rings for Galen, sausage and chips for Will. I also ordered haggis, but they needed ten minutes advance warning to make it, so I skipped that. Is it possible it's not ordered very often?

I read to the boys (Winter Holidays: they are dead set against Dick and Dorthea, but I think they'll acknowledge they're okay soon), and then went to the Queens Hotel to collect a wonderful pile of birthday greeting emails for Kate. The bartender recognized me (hey, I'm a regular), and said "Ginger Beer, right?" But instead this time I had the Dandelion and Burdock Root soft drink. Which I have to say was pretty tasty.