Buckbarrow

I'd climbed Buckbarrow on my Wainwright's Venture in October of last year (see Seatallan Ahoy!). On that occasion I'd seen a track that went up to Buckbarrow alongside Gill Beck and that looked preferable to the one I'd chosen, a little further to the West. Today, I looked alongside the beck and, due to the high ferns, the track didn't look that obvious. I settled for using the track I'd used before. This was overgrown too with ferns, but it wasn't too bad. Higher up, when we crossed Gill Beck we joined up with the track that I'd seen before. It looked obvious from up above.  I promised that I'd definitely take that track, the next time I did this walk .

It was indeed a sweaty ascent. We even lost the slight breeze that had offered meagre relief down in the valley. There are many crags along Buckbarrow's south face (Long, Pike, Bull and Broad). It is well worth visiting them all to get fine views down the Wasdale valley. Buckbarrow's summit is set a little away from these fearsome cliffs. We climbed to its summit cairn and the Kapitan and Cabin Boy ticked off their 210th Wainwright.

Seatallan

The ascent of Seatallan from Buckbarrow is an easy and  gradual affair. Mist rolled in obscuring our views, and then rolled out again, a cycle that would repeat itself a few times. On Seatallan's summit I searched for the painted stone that was a memorial to somebody called Laura. I'd seen this on my visit here in December 2021 (see Haycock's Half Hour), but I couldn't find it today. Two walkers approached from the east. I asked them if they'd just come up the steep face. ' Yes, it was quite a workout. I think I've lost a stone and half' responded the male half of the party. I told them I might try it myself since I could do with losing a pound or two.

The mist had crept back in again as we descended Seatallan's north ridge. As we dropped out of the mist I saw a dampish looking area to the east of Seatallan's col with Haycock. I took this to be where we'd find the Pots Of Ashness. It didn't look much from this angle.

Pots Of Ashness

To be honest, as our first tarn on our Lake District Tarns Venture, the Pots Of Ashness weren't that impressive.  They consisted of three small scrapes in the fell with only the smallest containing any water. The other two just looked damp with a green slime top. 'But the map says this is the Pots Of Ashness. It doesn't say its a tarn' moaned Kapitan Mo. I tried to explain to him that its name didn't need to include 'tarn' in order for it to qualify as a tarn. He wasn't happy. I sighed; I could see that the Lake District Tarns Venture  might reveal similar definitional issues with Mo in the months and probably years ahead.

We plodded across the damp fell towards the start of Middle Fell's north ridge. Greendale Tarn is on the west side of Middle Fell. We had two options: an out-and-back to the top of Middle Fell and then descend by Greendale Tarn, or an out-and-back to Greendale Tarn and then a north-south traverse of Middle Fell. I looked at the OS map. An out-and-back to Greendale Tarn would involve a 50 metre descent and re-ascent. I couldn't face that and so we started out on an out-and-back to the summit of Middle Fell.

Greendale Tarn

Middle Fell was Kapitan Mo's and the Cabin Boy's 212th Wainwright. The mist had cleared although it was still a little hazy. As we ate lunch I pointed out their remaining Wainwrights on the other side of Wast Water: Whin Rigg and Illgill Head. If the weather stayed reasonable, we'd be doing them tomorrow.

We descended back down Middle Fell's north ridge and then broke away from the track to head towards Greendale Tarn. The track down the valley was rather vague, but the terrain was reasonable. Greendale Tarn is a sizeable stretch of water and Kapitan Mo seemed happier to qualify it as a tarn, especially since it had 'tarn' as part of its name. It was quite a pretty tarn with a good view along its length back towards Seatallan and the north end of Middle Fell. The crags above us on Middle Fell looked quite impressive. Its west and east faces aren't walking territory; it's a good job there are routes to its top from the north and south.

Return

We contoured along Middle Fell's west flank and met up with the track descending down the south flank. We also met up with a young couple descending at a faster pace than us and so we stopped to let them pass. They then seemed to slow down though and never got far enough ahead that we couldn't avoid hearing the shrill voice of the woman. The sun came out for good on the descent and it got rather hot. The day really needed just a smidgen of a breeze, but we never got one.

Wast Water resembled Blackpool beach when we arrived. Deck chairs were out along the lake's side and various paddleboards and canoes pottered about on the water. We made our way on to the small island that gives that classic  view down the length of Wast Water. An amazing view to end the day.

It had been an excellent day. Kapitan Mo and the Cabin Boy had completed their penultimate Wainwright walk and we had made a start on our Lake District Tarns Venture.