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 two of two (go here to read part one first).
One of the things Jenni and I were keen to do on our hiking week in Cumbria, was to stay the night at Skiddaw House. This wonderfully remote and off-grid hostel – England’s highest – has adventure written all over it. And staying there was something of a bucket list tick for both of us.
The highest hostel in England, 3.5 miles from the nearest road, Skiddaw House sits next to a tiny clump of trees between Skiddaw and Blencathra. And having stayed for a night, I can tell you it feels like you really are in the middle of nowhere. With vast fells as the backdrop, the location is accompanied by the sound of silence, and a real sense of wildness. There’s no internet, no phone signal, no mains electricity – but we instantly felt very comfortable and knew this would be a truly unique place to spend some time.
In this second adventure journal post featuring our two-day adventure, I’ll cover what it was like to stay the night at Skiddaw House, as well as our hike back to Keswick – up Blencathra (868m) via Cloven Stone, Mungrisedale Common and Blue Screes. I’ll pick the tale up exactly where I left things in part one, in my bed at Skiddaw House…
A Relaxed Morning at Skiddaw House
I had a decent sleep, waking reasonably early but feeling refreshed-ish. It was a bit warm in the room, especially under the thick bedding, but that’s to be expected given the heatwave we were experiencing (I tacked this in part four of my Cumbria Way adventure journal series).
Thankfully, the worry that the steep ascents and descents of the previous day would leave my legs and back sore and my mind tired was mostly unfounded. I was able to look at Blencathra out of our first-floor window without dreading the day ahead, at least.
Breakfast at Skiddaw House was a calm and communal affair. We’d booked this the night before, and as such, had access to as much as we could eat from the range of options Sue had laid out on the sideboard. I went for a bowl of muesli, a banana, an apple, and copious amounts of tea (naturally). There were eggs we could cook however we liked, but I wasn’t in the mood for hot food, so didn’t bother. There was also some good-looking bread with a range of spreads, but as there would be a sandwich in the packed lunch I’d ordered, I decided not to over-do the gluten.
Jenni and I had such a relaxed morning at the hostel. We chatted to the other guests, Sue, and each other, sitting outside to enjoy the sun rising above the mountains and warming up the day. Our new friends drifted off into the mountains one by one, until it was just Jenni and I left sitting on the bench outside the hostel, soaking up as much of the atmosphere as we could before we ourselves had to head on our way.
Towards Blencathra
Part of me wished we’d booked two nights, and I can definitely see myself returning to Skiddaw House for another walk-in adventure some time. I might have used the middle day to head up Blencathra, or maybe to the waterfall and swimming hole the two other ladies at the hostel had spoken so highly of the previous day.
And Skiddaw House would be a great place to write – no distractions thanks to the off-grid nature of the hostel, other than the spectacular views in all directions, of course.
Another time, for sure. But on this occasion, we had plans which involved hiking up Blencathra and back to Keswick, and we wanted to do that without rushing. So, despite thoroughly enjoying our slow and peaceful morning soaking up the stunning surroundings from our temporary home in the fells, we packed up our bags, and headed out.
It was a little after 9am, so not late by any stretch of the imagination, but it was time.
Choosing a Route up the Mountain
We didn’t particularly want to take the Cumbria Way almost back to Keswick and trudge up standard path up Blencathra. Rather, we wanted to head directly across the fell and up the side of the mountain we could see from Skiddaw House. We had chatted to Sue, Skiddaw House hostel’s live-in manager, about our potential route the previous afternoon, and she confirmed our plan was a good one.
Some of the route we chose isn’t an officially marked public right of way on the OS map, but when you plot a route using snap to path, it shows up then. And the route across Mungrisedale Common is used for the Bob Graham Round. Jenni and I had noticed this during our planning, and Sue was able to reassure us that it is a very popular and common way up Blencathra, and, most importantly, provided us with some navigation tips – things to look out for – on our way.
Conversations like this are one reason why making sure you have whole areas of OS Maps downloaded to your phone (not just your planned route) is a good idea. With absolutely no signal at Skiddaw House, I was still able to sit and compare our intended route on my phone with the one Sue traced with her finger on the wall-mounted OS Map, so we had a rough guide to get us up the mountain safely. Of course, I also had a map printed out, so drew a line on that as well as a backup.
The Cloven Stone
We left Skiddaw House and headed along the Cumbria Way (that old chestnut…) a short distance, first following the wall in front of the hostel, going over a bridge over a shallow brook, and down to a gate. Once through the gate, where the Cumbria Way continued on a very well-made track (this is the main hiking route to and from Skiddaw House), we turned left, onto a narrow track which followed a wire fence.
After passing The Stake, a stone marker that would once have been used to mark a boundary and for navigation, and is still useful for the latter, we followed the wire fence until it ended and then continued on the same trajectory up the grassy hill. As with Sale How the previous day, this section should have been a boggy affair, but it was completely – worryingly – dry.
Our route was visible on the ground heading straight up the hill to a pile of boulders known as the Cloven Stone.
The Cloven Stone is named such as it’s (apparently) in the shape of a cloven hoof. Wainwright does mention this area, noting that he found it boring. Don’t believe everything Wainwright says, as I saw real beauty in this place. The views from the Cloven Stone were stunning, and provided a lovely place to sit and take in the wild and ruggedness of the fell.
18 Minutes?!
We’d ascended around 150 metres (500 feet) from Skiddaw House and the view back down into the valley and towards Skiddaw behind was just breath-taking. And the Cloven Stone itself was a pretty feature in the landscape, a focal point which broke up the fell. I liked it, and was already pleased with our decision to follow this route up Blencathra.
If you fancy it, Skiddaw House run a challenge whereby fit fell runners dash from the front gate of the hostel up to the Cloven Stone and back. It’s 2.25 miles across the normally boggy terrain, up and down that grassy hill. Some of the times noted on the leader board in the hostel reception are insane – 18 minutes! Say what? It definitely took us longer than that.
It’s perhaps worth noting that there’s phone signal at the Cloven Stone, so it was a chance to quickly check in with home and let family know just how wonderful our night at Skiddaw House had been.
Mungrisedale Common
From the Cloven Stone, we took the obvious path at 11 o’clock to and past a cairn, and continued onto the summit of this little knoll, where there was another cairn. A fell runner came by, but other than his almost-silent footsteps, it felt like it was just us in the landscape. We knew it would be a very different story once we reached the summit of Blencathra, and so made the most of this section across Mungrisedale Common.
At that second cairn, which marks the top of the hill and where a few paths meet, we turned right towards Blencathra. We were aiming for a scree slope we could just about see on the left most side of the mountain ahead. As we made our way closer, edging up hill but only gently, the scree and its little set of zig zags came into view.
I really liked this section. What could have felt like a relatively easy-going and somewhat lacklustre path linking Skiddaw House to Blencathra, was a real pleasure to hike. That couple of miles from the hostel towards the base of the mountain felt like we were really experiencing the fells of the Lake District as intended. There was a realness to it.
The path got much steeper, turning from foot-loving grass to something much more solid and technical. Not difficult, just less easy going. We decided we deserved a boots-off break (with a bag of crisps and cup of tea…) before we tackled the final ascent up Blue Screes and Atkinson Pike. Being such a clear and sunny day, we could see for miles, and it was another lovely moment to take some time to soak up the quietness this side of the mountain.
Blue Screes
The zig zags up Blue Screes were short and sharp, but not as bad as I’d feared. Leaning into the mountain and being careful of our footing, we successfully reached the cairns above Atkinson Pike. We had a good look over at the popular Sharp Edge, as it also lands on Blencathra at this spot. Another time! For now, at least, our hard work was done, as the last 40-or-so metres of ascent was hiked along a wide path across the ridge. It was a bit undulating but very easy walking.
The summit of Blencathra, standing at 868m above sea level, and so a little shorter than Skiddaw the previous day, is marked by a little (broken) disc of stone set in the ground. No traditional trig pillar photo for this one, but a mountaintop achieved none-the-less. As suspected, there were quite a few people on the mountain, but nowhere near as many as I expected. Maybe Thursday mornings are good days for Lake District walks?!
We chatted to a School bus driver who was using his break while the kids were at the field centre to climb the mountain. He was heading down via Hall’s Fell Ridge, which was incredibly hardcore in my book – that looked like a gnarly descent! We, on the other hand, meandered our way along the ridge to take the ‘standard’ path off the mountain.
We stopped a handful of times to take in the view from every angle, and took hundreds of photos. At one point a hang glider was playing overhead, and we sat to watch him for a bit – we could hear him humming and giggling to himself, which was just so wholesome. Isn’t it fantastic to listen to other people enjoy themselves?
Going Down
Honestly, it was so nice on Blencathra. It had been a tough hike up from Skiddaw House, especially the last stretch up the scree slope, but I felt very accomplished and happy.
Our descent started properly when we reached Knowe Crags at the southern-most tip of Blencathra. From here to the Blencathra Centre meant nearly 1,000 feet (300m) of downhill walking in just over a mile. Oh, was it hard on the knees!! The hardest part was the section of zig zagging gravelly path – it was so steep and relentless, and the surface provided less traction than the scree slope we’d walked up!
While there had been a cooling breeze on the way up, that had completely disappeared for our descent, and we were now in the hottest part of the day. This was where I was very grateful indeed for my thick and supportive Meindl Bhutan hiking boots. Yes, my feet were hot, these boots are not designed for a heatwave, but the fact that they were so well fitting and comfortable saved my toes on that section, and protected my ankles.
Still, we were heading down, and every step meant we were a little closer to Keswick. Thousands of people hike up and down this path every year, who am I to complain about getting jelly knees going down a little hill?!
We stopped after the steepest section where there were some rocks we could sit on, for a decent length lunch break. I thoroughly enjoyed my tuna sandwich courtesy of Sue from Skiddaw House, and devoured my Snickers, which felt very much deserved. Not that we should ever have to earn our chocolate bars, of course.
A Perfect Paddle
It really did feel like we were moving very slowly, but we gradually made our way down to the Blencathra Field Centre, where we were greeted by a vending machine (which we didn’t use) and some toilets (which we did…).
The path from this point was much more normal; still descending down towards Keswick, but in a much less treacherous fashion. My knees could relax, my thighs stopped complaining, and I once again got back into a relaxed hiking stride.
We headed through woodland, across meadows, and along a track, to a footbridge over the River Greta. It was there we saw our opportunity… After seeing practically no natural water for two full days, this was the perfect spot for a paddle. The water was cool and refreshing, flowing reasonably quickly under the bridge and over the rocks. If you ignored the flies (and we did), it was the perfect spot for an afternoon sit down.
I noted in my journal, which I updated sat with my feet in the water, that my left foot was quite unhappy – it was throbbing and felt quite painful. I remember the feeling as soon as I untied my bootlace. Maybe my foot had swollen a little more than usual thanks to the combination of heat and terrain. Whatever it was, it was thankfully temporary, as I made no further mention of it.
Into Keswick
It was probably our longest paddle of the whole week, we spent over 45 minutes in that perfect little spot, helped by us not seeing another soul. As we left, we commented that the only thing that would make our day any better, would be an ice cream. And as luck would have it, as if by magic, as we reached the disused railway which would take us all the way into Keswick, there was a Lakes Ice Cream van sat right there.
It must have been good as I even noted the flavour in my journal! I had the Thunder and Lightning flavour, which was cinder toffee and chocolate sauce. I love that ice cream vans take cards these days, it’s so convenient!
From there our route was incredibly straight forward as we followed the Keswick to Threkeld Railway Path right into the town. This path is a multi-user trail which is more-or-less flat and with a hard surface, and there were lots of people walking and cycling along it. There are panels along the length of the trail with information about local nature and wildlife, the history of the railway and the bobbin mill, and the impact of Storm Desmond to the trail and local area.
To be honest it didn’t make for the most interesting end to our two-day adventure, but it did the job and at least meant we could really stretch our legs on easy terrain before stopping for the day. We also timed things poorly and got into Keswick at School chuck-out time, which made the footpaths and roads very busy, but hey, it was a small price to pay for two amazing days.
Celebrating in Keswick
And that was it. We’d made it back to Jenni’s car, where we’d started the previous morning. If you fancy following the same route yourself, it’s here in OS Maps.
We checked in at the lovely Charnwood Guest House, where we’d booked a room for two nights, and got ourselves sorted out. Charnwood is a Victorian terraced house on a quiet residential street in Keswick, a short walk from the town centre.
Our room – room four – was ideal. There was a double bed and a single bed, en suite shower room, television, decent towels, and plenty of space to spread out. It was my turn to baggsy the best bed, after Jenni got that pleasure at YHA Keswick, so naturally I chose the double… Jenni didn’t seem too disappointed with that! We showered, sorted kit, stretched, napped, journaled, sorted through photos, and drank tea (not necessarily in that order).
While we hadn’t completed the Bob Graham Round, or anything close to that, we enjoyed a fantastic meal at The Round, known for burgers designed to reward adventures. I mean, it seemed only right! We sat outside on their shady terrace and ate, drank and chatted. I had the Pike o Pickle burger and crinkle cut fries, which was just what I needed, and I genuinely am looking forward to another The Round burger when I head to Cumbria next month (the burgers are on me, Fiona!).
With one more Cumbrian adventure to come, as we had a spectacular day hike planned for the following day, we didn’t stay out long. Instead, we retreated to the comfort of our guest house, and went to bed dreaming of cooked breakfasts and more sunshine in the Lake District.
Reflecting on our Skiddaw House Adventure
It’s no surprise that I went to bed feeling tired – quite exhausted even. But I also felt good and rather accomplished. I was satisfied, fulfilled and happy, and look back at this round trip to Skiddaw House with warm and fuzzy feelings. I honestly don’t think I can express just how fantastic and special this two-day adventure in the Lake District fells was.
We might have only hiked 23 miles in total over those two days, but the miles were big, and involved going up (and down) some really, really big hills. It was a challenge, I panted a lot, my legs ached, and I was slow. But I was also proud of how decent I felt, how much energy I had. I don’t think I’ve felt that good hiking for a long time. It was a good feeling.
I am so pleased that we decided to do our version of the Cumbria Way, by ignoring the last stretch of the route into Carlisle, and instead going to play in the mountains. And I’m even happier that I was able to tick Skiddaw House off my bucket list. Spending a night in England’s highest hostel was more than the icing on the cake or cherry on top of this trip, it was the main feature. What a wonderfully wild and rugged yet silent place to stay the night; I felt strangely at home there, and know I will be back again one day. And it’s definitely made me want to stay at other hike-in hostels in the future.
Adventure Highlights
Normally in these adventure journal posts I end by talking about my highlights, as well as the things I didn’t like so much. On this occasion, though, I have to be an annoying outdoor blogger and say that it was the whole adventure that was the highlight. All of it.
Being in the wild and rugged mountains, the massive views, the interesting route, overcoming the challenge to my fitness, the silence of the fells at night, that incredible sunset, the off-grid experience at Skiddaw House, the people I got chatting to, doing something different, and spending the time with Jenni. All wonderful. Magnificent, even.
Neither the slog up the zig zagging path after Latrigg towards Skiddaw, nor the descent off Blencathra with its loose gravel, can get in the way of this being a wholly good memory for me.
It undoubtedly helped that were blessed with the weather. The bluebird skies and warm sunshine meant we could leave the waterproofs deep in our packs and enjoy long breaks without worrying about what any clouds might unleash on us. Yes, the heatwave brought its own challenges, but they really were only as we hiked up to Latrigg on the first day, and then down off Blencathra on the return journey. This adventure would have been much, much harder if it had been wet, windy, or both of those things. Although I do think that a night at Skiddaw House in the snow might be more than a little bit fun, don’t you think?!
Helvellyn Awaits
We had one more Cumbrian adventure to come… The following day – our last in Cumbria – we had plans to hike Helvellyn. This was our chance to tackle unfinished business after missing out due to terrible weather on day four of our Coast to Coast hike. More about that another day.
Have you stayed at Skiddaw House? If not, you should. Whether you hike in via Skiddaw and out via Blencathra as we did, or use the Cumbria Way in both directions, it’s well worth planning a night at England’s highest hostel.
Note: I have collaborated with YHA on a number of gifted stays, including a couple on my Cumbria Way adventure, but our stay at Skiddaw House was booked and paid for by us. This isn’t an advert, I just loved it!
A NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS | SKIDDAW HOUSE, Part 1 < Splodz Blogz
[…] 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). […]