A two-day adventure in the wild and rugged Lake District fells, including a bucket list night at Skiddaw House, hiking in via Skiddaw, and out via Blencathra – part one of two (part two is here).
In my recently published Cumbria Way adventure journal series, I mentioned that once we reached Keswick, we left the official waymarked long-distance trail in favour of some days playing in the mountains. Days four and five of our week hiking in Cumbria were therefore an adventure within an adventure – two days in the fells with a night in England’s highest hostel.
The short version of this tale is that we left Keswick on the morning of day four and walked up Latrigg (368m) before summitting Little Man (865m) and Skiddaw (931m). Then it was down via Sale How (666m) to the wonderfully remote and off-grid Skiddaw House. This is the route we took plotted in OS Maps.
We spent a fantastically quiet night here – 3.5 miles from the nearest road – sharing the mountains with a handful of other guests. After a very relaxing night in this beautiful location, we (begrudgingly and eventually) left Skiddaw House, and hiked up Blencathra (868m) via Cloven Stone, Mungrisedale Common and Blue Screes, before returning to Keswick.
It was two days to remember. The scenery was spectacular, the weather was beautiful, and while the trail made me work hard for the summits, it wasn’t too difficult. And spending the night at Skiddaw House was a bucket list item ticked off.
In this set of two adventure journal articles, a follow on from that Cumbria Way series, I’ll tell you all about it.
Waking Up in Keswick
If I’m completely honest, and I like to be honest in my adventure journal posts (you’ve read day two of my Coast to Coast series, right?!), my night at YHA Keswick was not great. The school group I mentioned in part four of my journal did not stop running around on the floor above until the early hours (yes, I’m old!), there was a lady talking loudly outside for what seemed like forever, the room was hot and stuffy (stupid heatwave!), and my brain did not want to stop whirring. All of which hindered my sleep somewhat.
I also struggled at breakfast time. The food itself – I went for the continental option this time, which included cereal, pastries, that kind of thing – was good. And there was tea on tap, which is always a winner. But we had to share the dining room with the school group, and they clearly woken up with a lot more energy than I did. Yes, definitely getting old.
It’s a shame, because YHA Keswick is a lovely hostel with modern facilities in a really fantastic location. Our experience this time represents one of the risks you get with hostels. Sometimes you get a lovely, chilled vibe with other people who are happy to sit and chat about life, the universe and everything. Other times, you get a hostel full of boisterous kids (or indeed, overexcited adults…), who are having the best time ever, but that comes with noise and stomping and general disruption for others.
Get Over Yourself, Zoe
Honestly, please don’t read about this experience and decide YHA Keswick isn’t for you. Or even hostels in general. My experience of staying in and at hostels (in bunk rooms and camping), has been excellent in the main. YHAs like this one offer a great place to overnight, whether as a base to explore a particular area, or on a ‘just passing through’ basis.
In any case, who am I to moan about kids having an amazing school trip?! I really hope they all went home buzzing about their experience in the Lake District. I normally keep a pair of earplugs in my wash kit for times exactly as this, it’s on me that I didn’t pack them for this trip.
Reorganised Day Packs
With only around 11.5-ish miles to hike and the whole day to do it, we were in absolutely no rush whatsoever. We didn’t leave the hostel until around 9.30am, and still planned to get a few bits done in Keswick before we headed out on the trail.
But before then, we had to do some rearranging, as today we were packing two bags each. I made my normal pack as-light-as-possible, containing only the bare essentials I needed for one night. This would be what I carried to Skiddaw House and back. The other, which basically had anything I didn’t need until the following afternoon, I would leave in Jenni’s car until the following day.
The pack I did take (still my Osprey Tempest 40l) included my usual day hike gear for comfort and safety, my sleep clothes, my wash kit and towel, and something to eat (while there is a small pantry at Skiddaw House, it’s all self-catering, so I went prepared). My pack was therefore a tiny bit heavier than a normal day hike pack, but not as heavy or bulky as it had been when I was carrying stuff for three days on trail.
Significantly lighter, then, next was a look around Mountain Warehouse to get Jenni a new hat as hers blew away the previous day (we looked for ages but were unable to find it). Then it was the obligatory trip to Booths for some lunch and snacks. And finally, a trip to Boots and the cash machine to top up on required supplies.
Latrigg, Little Man, Skiddaw, Sale How
We had a lovely morning mooch in Keswick, but did eventually leave a little before 11am, starting our hike by getting straight back on the Cumbria Way. We weren’t quite done with it yet! After finding our way along a weirdly slanted footpath between a road and some fencing at the back of some houses, we crossed the A66 (over a bridge, thankfully), and headed out into the countryside.
The Cumbria Way heads steeply uphill through the beautiful woodland of Whinny Brow. As we came out of the woodland we were faced with the most amazing field of foxgloves. It was the prettiest pink field I’ve ever seen, bright and cheerful in the sunshine. I didn’t feel like I needed to be cheered up, exactly, but it was a mood booster none-the-less. Gorgeous.
The uphill continued, but there was a lull in the steepness, and we deviated from the Cumbria Way in order to bag our first summit of the day – Latrigg. Even before we’d left our hostel, I was glad we’d planned our route (here in OS Maps) to include this hill. The chalk board in the entrance foyer said: “Latrigg… the best view for the least effort”. I do like a good view for not much exertion!!
Big Views from Latrigg
Standing at 368m, Latrigg is one of the smallest Wainwrights in the Lake District. Being so close to Keswick, it is a very popular day walk – and rightly so. Once the legs and lungs are warmed up from the initial steep section through the woodland, the climb is steady, the path is decent and well-maintained, and we got to the top in no time.
We weren’t alone on Latrigg like we would be on Skiddaw later in the day. It was far from heaving, but we shared the large summit with a few other people heading up for a late morning stroll. I imagine at the weekend this one is bustling, but it was nowhere near that on this particular Wednesday. If you are a little less mobile for whatever reason, this is a Wainwright that could still be doable (start at the small parking area at the end of Gale Road), as the path has been made accessible, and the summit has been dotted with benches. Nice.
I’ve seen some articles that suggest you should avoid Latrigg because of, well, people. But don’t get snooty about it – adding Latrigg to our route for this hike to Skiddaw House was definitely the right decision. The views were wonderful in all directions, and it was an ideal warm up to the rest of our day. To the south we had clear views over Keswick and the full length of Derwent Water with the fells surrounding it. And when we turned around, we could very easily make out our route deeper into the fells and up towards Skiddaw. Now that path looked steep!
On Our Way Up
We came off Latrigg, and picked the Cumbria Way back up until we reached a small car park, and then a memorial in the form of a Celtic cross. This is known as the Shepherd’s Memorial, as it was erected in memory of two Skiddaw shepherds, Edward Hawell and Joseph Hawell. The inscription says: “Great shepherd of the heavenly flock, these men have left our hill, their feet were on the living rock, oh guide and bless them still.”
This was where we would leave the official route until the very end of the day, when we reached Skiddaw House. We could no longer claim to be hiking the Cumbria Way. Instead, it was time to start heading uphill in a more serious manner…
We could see the path up Skiddaw stretching out in front of us – well, stretching up in front of us. It looked very steep indeed, included a bunch of zig zags, and was covered in gravelly slate.
As we began our climb, we met a few people coming down off the hill, who seemed to be struggling with the descent. One lady told there were 50 mile an hour winds on the top of Skiddaw which would blow our hats off – we thanked her for the warning, and hoped it wasn’t quite that bad. Another man was really struggling with his knees as he made his way down, it really is a steep path, and the loose surface plays havoc with your stability.
What we didn’t see was anyone else going up, which surprised me. Just Jenni and me, slowly plodding our way up the slope – left foot, right foot, repeat.
Zigging and Zagging
To be completely honest, this section of trail was a little, er, boring. The ascent was hard but fine, simply a case of moving slowly but surely. It was just a bit of a slog, without anything to break it up. And there were no good views to keep us looking ahead because our faces were right in the hillside. Work to help prevent erosion on this popular mountain mean that the path has been covered in rocks and slate, which is great for the longevity of our fells (no complaints there), but doesn’t make things interesting.
The thing that I did enjoy about this section of trail, though, was how good I felt. Well maybe not good, but certainly okay. Yes, I had to stop and catch my breath here and there, but my legs and lungs weren’t complaining anywhere near as much as normal. It felt like a bit of a breakthrough. Having completed the Cotswold Way just a month before, and doing a couple of big hikes between then and heading to Cumbria, meant my hiking fitness was pretty strong. Walking, all day, felt nice. And that made me very happy.
The breeze helped. It meant it didn’t feel too hot, so this ascent felt much easier than the shorter climb up and over Stake Pass the previous day. And stopping for some little standing breaks did mean I could turn around and look at the views behind me, which were more than a little impressive.
A Hard Slog
We did eventually make it up the steepest section, and while our path continued in an upwards direction, it was on a less ridiculous angle. The enjoyment returned with the ability to bound along a much prettier path, and we were back to our usual chatty selves as we hiked along. That ascent really had been a bit of a slog, but at least it got almost half of our ascent done for the day in a short but sharp one-mile section of trail.
After a bit more hiking, we got to the base of Skiddaw Little Man, where we chatted to a couple who were having their lunch propped up against the wall, sheltered from the wind.
The path splits here, meaning we had a choice to make. We could take the left fork and go up and over Little Man, standing at 866m above sea level, or we could take the right fork along the lower contour-hugging route around the base of this mountain and head directly for Skiddaw.
I mean, of course we went up Little Man… it was only right to make this a three Wainwright kind of day. We said we wanted to have fun in the mountains of the Lake District, we had hours and hours of daylight, the weather was decent, we had lots of energy, and so that decision was really a given.
Not So Little Man
Little Man was absolutely worth the effort, what a stunning mountain it is. Definitely my favourite view of the day. I’m told that the panoramic view from Little Man is regarded as one of the best in the Lake District National Park, which is quite the claim. Although, as that claim was apparently made by Wainwright, I think it comes with some merit. Some even say the view from here is much better than the view from Skiddaw… but we didn’t know that yet!
The ascent was reasonably steep and shingly, but we took it steadily and were up on the top without too much difficulty. The shape of the mountain means you get two high points, with a little bowl-shaped section between. The first, known as Skiddaw Lesser Man, is a little lower than the main Skiddaw Little Man summit, and comes complete with a large cairn incorporating twisted metal fence posts. The wind was much stronger up there, too strong for a picnic stop, but nowhere near the 50mph gusts the hikers had warned us about earlier in the day, which was something of a relief.
It really was a magnificent view – we could see for miles (and miles). Honestly, if you are hiking up Skiddaw and are thinking about bypassing Little Man in favour of an easier or shorter route, then please don’t, you’ll really be missing out.
All the Photos on Skiddaw
Our route took us down into the saddle between Little Man and Skiddaw, before we began to ascend our third and final Wainwright of the day. We met up with the main path (the one that hugged the contour line around the base of Little Man), and followed this to the top. It took us past a couple of cairns, and more twisted metal fence posts, and up to a very undulating mountain top.
We celebrated reaching the 931m summit of Skiddaw by taking lots of photos and videos, and making use of the random 5G that we got. I mean, I don’t get 5G at home in a very built-up area in Gloucestershire, but here we were using FaceTime on a Lake District fell. Don’t judge us too harshly, there would be no signal at Skiddaw House all night, so it was nice to check in with people here.
We enjoyed a good few minutes up there, before the blast of the strong wind got the better of us and we decided to head back down to find somewhere more sheltered to eat our picnic.
The best bit? As we began our descent, a fighter jet came up and over Skiddaw, doing a barrel roll right where we were stood. Wow! Neither of us were quick enough with our phones to take a picture or video (the noise of the wind meant we had no warning), but it was very impressive and made us both beam with delight. It felt like we could reach out and touch it. There’s no denying that we both hoped they would come back around for another go, and while they did fly by again, the next time there was no showing off. Shame.
The Lump of Sale How
I very much enjoyed my boots off break sat by a wall back down between the summits of Skiddaw and Little Man. It was a chance to eat and drink, but also to sit and bask in the satisfaction of a very happy day high up in the mountains. Sitting on my little PACMAT patch picnic blanket (if you don’t own one, get one!), I took in the fells around me, and enjoyed feeling properly immersed in such a beautiful, wild and rugged landscape. A feeling which wasn’t going to go away until at least the same time the following day.
We could have come off Skiddaw to the north and headed down towards Bakestall, Birkett Edge and Whitewater Dash (a waterfall), before picking up the Cumbria Way south to Skiddaw House. But instead, we chose to descend the same way we went up, back towards Little Man, before turning off the bridleway onto an obvious and well-trodden path up and over Sale How. This would be our fourth summit of the day, at 666m above sea level, but it’s not classed as a Wainwright.
Everything around us suggested this path should be incredibly boggy – but it was so very dry. I would describe it as being crunchy, not soggy! Later that evening, the hostel manager would tell us it’s the first time she’s ever known Sale How to be dry. It’s a bit worrying really, bog is a pain to walk over but it a hugely important part of our geography in the UK. It shouldn’t be sans squelch.
A Night at Skiddaw House
It’s a shame there’s no cairn or trig pillar to mark the top of Sale How (is this why it isn’t a Wainright?!), but instead we could easily make out our destination for the day, and we were excited to get there. The path down was deceptively steep, and was actually the first time all day I’d made use of my trekking poles. Maybe it was just my legs telling me they were done and wanted to stop now? But in no time at all, we were at the famous Skiddaw House hostel.
When we arrived, a little after 4pm, we weren’t slow at making ourselves at home – complete with the provided hostel slippers (crocs!). The kettle went on (the hostel lounge doubles as an honesty café during the day), the journal came out, and the feet went up. That’s what we were here for, after all!
The highest hostel in England, and 3.5 miles from the nearest road, Skiddaw House hostel sits next to a tiny clump of trees between Skiddaw and Blencathra. Staying here feels like you really are in the middle of nowhere, accompanied by the sound of silence, with a backdrop of wildness. There’s no internet, no phone signal, no mains electricity – but we instantly felt very comfortable and knew this would be a really cool place to stay for a night.
When Sue, the hostel manager, opened up reception at 5pm we got checked in and sorted for the night. Sue was so welcoming, and incredibly helpful, it was like we’d known her for years.
A Cosy Home Away from Home
Sue upgraded us to a twin room rather than the shared bunkroom we’d booked (all booked and paid for via the YHA website a few weeks before, this wasn’t a gifted stay like the other YHA hostels we used earlier in the week), which was nice of her. There were only four ladies staying the night, and as she put it, she’d have to change four beds anyway so we might as well have our own space.
Our first-floor room was very nice – two comfortable beds (with thick bedding as this place freezes in winter and rooms are not heated), a couple of chairs, and a dresser. Plenty of space for us to stretch out without getting in each other’s way. And importantly, a large window which opened to let some fresh air in, and provided beautiful views towards Blencathra.
We had access to a couple of shower rooms, and, of course, all the communal spaces. This included a very large self-catering kitchen and common room, a cosy lounge with loads of comfortable chairs, and a small scullery which had a small fridge, washing up sink, and a couple of plug sockets for charging the essentials.
There was also a pretty well stocked shop where we could buy (tinned/packaged) food, snacks and drinks. Given there’s no phone signal and no mains electricity, it’s a cash-only hostel, so we’d gone prepared – and the prices were very reasonable. While I’d brought dinner with me, I ordered breakfast for the following morning and a packed lunch for our day on Blencathra.
An Evening of Chatter
As the evening went the other guests arrived, some of whom were at the hostel for their second night, and others who’d been out playing in the mountains all day.
In an attempt by the universe to remind me how small the world is, one of the other guests was an ex-colleague of mine from a previous job. I mean, come on, what are the chances? There was also a guy doing a shakedown hike with his backpacking gear camping in the hostel grounds, a couple of ladies who had spent the day swimming and relaxing at a spot nearby, and an older gentleman who spent over an hour cooking dinner before sharing it with everyone around the table.
The seven of us spent the evening chatting as we cooked and ate our meals. Nothing was off the table – politics, work, the internet, school, parenting, relationships, music. Hostels, especially remote ones like this, brings people of all kinds together – and with the hostel itself acting as the common denominator, there is always something to talk about.
My dinner of choice was a Firepot meal I’d brought with me from home. Firepot make my favourite dehydrated meals for camping and hiking (and they’re now available from Go Outdoors) – this time it was the barbecued pulled pork. I had initially been very tempted by a tin of rice pudding from the hostel shop, but instead reached for the sweets I’d bought at Booths that morning.
A Special Sunset
I couldn’t help but keep leaving the conversation in the common room in favour of wandering outside in the beautiful wild and rugged landscape I was calling my home for the night.
The sunset was so beautiful and calm, and it was a real pleasure to stand in the silence and watch the sun dip behind the mountains that towered all around. It felt like we had the whole fell to ourselves, and I guess we did in some ways – there were almost certainly some night-hikers and wild campers somewhere out there, but this was our view for the night.
It really had been a very good day, and I was in the process of ticking off a long-standing bucket list item – to stay in some walk-in only accommodation. I noted in my journal before I turned in for the night that, even with the slog that was the initial ascent up towards Skiddaw, it had been one of my favourite hiking days in a long time.
If you fancy following the same route yourself, it’s here in OS Maps.
Now all I needed was a good sleep, to make sure I was well rested and ready for more playing in the mountains the following day.
Head over to my part two post for the rest of the story.
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