20-23/09/19 Weekend Meet: Stair Hut, Newlands Valley, Lake District

bross
Sep 20, 2019
2 min read

Updated: May 3, 2021

A dozen members gathered at Fylde Mountaineering Club's Stair Hut in the Newlands Valley near Keswick, making this the best attended regular weekend meet for quite some time. The venue was rebooked following an enjoyable stay in the spring of 2018 which saw quite a few fells tackled. It was the same this time round with fabulous warm sun and wall to wall blue sky Friday and Saturday. Sunday was grey and drizzly but there are plenty of low level ''rambles'' to be had in the area. Monday was brighter and breezier.

Skiddaw and Blencathra were popular options, the latter by the slightly tricky Sharp Edge scramble.

Scafell Pike was climbed by the Corridor Route from the head of Borrowdale and five fells round the head of Newlands Valley were gathered up - Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson. Cat Bells also saw ascents as did a couple of the Coldale Horsehoe fells.

One slightly odd feature of the Saturday was erratic wind speeds in fairly close proximity to each other. It was windy on Scafell Pike, breezy around the Newlands fells and positively gale force on Causey Pike, so much so that the summit was unattainable!

Three members put in a good low level shift on the Sunday, walking from the hut, round Cat Bells to Grange on Derwent Water, climbing up to Watendlath and back again. The footpaths from Rosthwaite round Castle Crag were followed as was the route up to Watendlath from the village. Some smaller rambles were also had from the end of the public road in Newlands Valley.

Many thanks to Fylde MC for the use of the hut. This one could become a regular feature going forward as it is so popular.