A Redeye View: October 2013

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Montaña Corona, Lanzarote 18-October-2013

Well this was a different kind of walk and one that only took up a few hours on a hot Friday morning. We had decided to go to Lanzarote for a few days after my daughter had got married on the Sunday, a very very proud and happy chap I was that day :-) Such a beautiful day.

A very proud day indeed

A few days in the sun, lazing on the beach, round the pool and a few beers in the evening was just what the doctor had ordered after a hectic few weeks at work and also the big day. From our appartment balcony we had a good view of one of the many extinct volcanoes that litter this Canary Island, Montana Corona

View from our balcony

Zoomed in showing the paths & ridge

This was a fairly easy walk that started straight from the hotel front door, across the road and onto a man made path through a catcus garden, onto another road that went past the big hotel you can see in the above photo, Beatriz Costa & Spa Hotel, which is where we used there pool to get away from all the kids in our pools :-)

Path from our hotel

Looking back to our hotel

Road past the Beatriz with Corona in the distance

Once past the hotel I turned right on a well defined rough track that took me into a desert like enviroment with no vegetation apart from dried up heather. You could sort of visualize it being quite colourful after a spell of rain but at this time it all looked as dried as anything you'd find in the desert.
Montana Corona came into view and you could see all the different tracks going in all directions but quite easy to follow the one that was to take me where I wanted to go

I had decided at ths point to take the track off to the right and go the longer way round rather than go straight up the zig-zag path in front of me. This made a far better option as the it was a more steady climb and I was in no hurry, plus I didn't fancy two zig-zag climbs in the heat. The path I took went round the side and a gentle climb up to the first cairn where two other people were just ahead of me

The path I followed going round to the left

Two other walkers on the ridge

View down towards Costa Teguise from the cairn

Up the 2nd part of the zig-zag path

From the top of this path is where the great ridge walk really begins with quite steep drops on both sides, not scary drops as at times the ridge is quite wide, about ten feet or so, but it did remind me of some of the col's you find in Snowdonia & the Lakes. The views were great as well and you could certainly get a sense of what some of the more bigger deserts are like in the world. At least I had a good bed and board just down the road :-) The ridge went all the way round the rim of the crater to the highest point at just under 2000ft (609mtrs) Although it was dusty and with a lot of loose scree, I was quite comfortable but you could see it would be a bit different in any bad weather they had round these parts.

Start of the ridge walk

Looks like this volcano has just erupted

The rocky ridge top

The summit provided some great views all round to the coast and all the other volcano's in the area

There was a few people on the top, all coming straight up onto the summit, and also I could see a big group just coming up from the zig-zag path that I came up. I later found out that the hotel Beatriz does guided walks to the summit and back. It ended up a bit like Snowdon on a good clear day :-)

The crowds at the top of the zig-zag path

I stayed on the summit for about half an hour before I retraced my steps back along the ridge as I didn't want to go straight down as the ridge was just a good way to go.

Pano of the ridge from the top of the path

The way down then turn on the left hand path just before the cairn

Pano of Montana Corona showing the barren landscape

Old ruins above the Beatriz Hotel

If you find yourself in Costa Teguise I can recommend this good ridge walk. All in all I was out for about three and a half hours taking it easy. A great way to spend a few hours and burn off some cold lagers. All that remained was a dip in the pool :-)

A short video from the summit

Monday, 28 October 2013

A Mardale Round 29-Sept-2013

The final Sunday of September saw me go back to Hawsewater in the Lake District, the 3rd time this year I have been to this lovely wild place. This time though, it wasn't a walk round the reservoir but one that would take me high above it and onto the surrounding fells of Kidsty Pike, High Street, and Harter Fell to name a few. After my first visit there, back in the snowy month of late March, I had fancied a walk up the Riggindale Crag Ridge that leads on to High Street and all around. Sunday 29th was the only Sunday I had free for quite a time due to work and other things so I was hoping that the fine summer weather was going to last a bit longer. The forecast was set fair but with a chance of low cloud during the morning so it wasn't till about 8.30am that I set off from home making good progress along the quiet M6 reaching the car park at Mardale Head about 10.30am. I started walking about 10.45 in warm but cloudy conditions and at one point it did feel a bit like rain might spoil the day, thankfully it didn't!
The car park was quite full but I managed to find a space before others arrived and started to fill up the verges on the narrow lane. It's quite a popular place but you soon have solitude as there are various paths that lead you in different directions that soon disperse everyone onto the surrounding fells. I took the path that leads around the bottom of Haweswater and along the track that leads you up above The Rigg and on to the ridge of Swine Crag, Heron Crag & Eagle Crag

My route for the day

Looking over to Riggindale Ridge from the road @ Whiteacre Crag

Looking down onto Hawsewater from the climb up to Swine Crag

Looking across to Harter Fell and my descent path Gatescarth Pass

The path on to the ridge is quite straight forward and it does offer views all round this really quiet place. All the time it took me to walk along the ridge there was six other walkers going the same way so despite all the cars in the car park there were very few people about at this stage.
As I left Eagle Crag and on the approach to Rough Crag, Blea Water came into view as the clouds were hanging about over High Street, making it quite atmospheric

Although there was still quite a bit of cloud about, looking over to Kidsty Pike and also back along my route so far it was looking quite promising that the cloud would lift somewhat and make the way all clear. I didn't expect to turn my back on the cloud on minute only to find that it would be replaced by a clear blue sky the next! Quite extraordinary realy but it changed in a blink of an eye, and it got steadily warmer in the now glorious sunshine :-)

Looking across to a cloud free Kidsty Pike

On to Rough Crag with a cloudy High street ahead

Looking back along the ridge in now sunny conditions

As if by magic the cloud lifts to show off High Street

A sparkling Blea Water below

It was now just a steady climb up Long Stile on to a clear High Street that offered splendid views all round, especially over to the Helvellyn Range all bathed in warm sunshine

A look back down the ridge with Hawsewater far below

A good view of all the Crags along the ridge

Good clear views across to the Helvellyn Range

The clear conditions now made for a good easy way round to Kidsty Pike where I had a good rest and took in some fine views of my route so far

On the way to Kidsty Pike

View over to the Ridge and also Mardale Bell 111 & Harter Fell in the background

Looking down to Hawsewater and the start point

Kidsty Pike Summit

The way back and along High Street

From here it was a good straight forward walk retracing my steps back onto High Street where the warm late summer sun was in good supply accompanied by a stiff breeze blowing up the ridges. It made for ideal walking conditions and the views over to the Helvellyn Range and down onto Hayeswater were clear.

Heyswater flanked by Gray Crag with the Helvellyn Range in the distance

The good straight path led me to the trig point of Racecourse Hill on High Street and then following the wall before leading off to the beacon on Thornthwaite Crag and splendid views out towards Windermere and the coastline at Morecambe Bay

Trig point on Racecoures Hill, High Street

A Distant Windermere

Heading towards the Beacon on Thornthwaite Crag

I got to the beacon just as quite a few mountain bikers had got there, it seems quite popular with bikers as the tracks are wide and flat so they can cover quite an area in a few hours, tough going in places but a great way to see the high fells if you like that sort of thing. I was taking it at a much gentler pace and really enjoying the walk and the views.

Summit view down to Heyswater, flanked by Gray Crag on the left and my route on the right

Thornthwaite Crag Beacon looking down on Windermere and a distant coastline

My way onto Mardale 111 Bell & Harter Fell

Next stop was Mardale 111 Bell and Harter Fell, which again was a good easy, lazy walk along a faint track just taking in the open space. Apart from the group of bikers, there wasn't that many other walkers knocking about. A few groups of three & four and a few like me, just enjoying this last Sunday in September before the change in season and weather no doubt. It really was another great day to be out and about.