The Great Outdoors - UK (2021-08)

92 The Great OutdoorsAugust 2021

at least,I’dspot any potential
difficulties well before I reached
them. Also,I’ddone a bit of
research and knew towatch out
for a couple of key landmarks,
namely the Hanging Stone itself
and the Fallen Stone.
Setting off on a sultry
summer aernoon, the initial
climb up Sourmilk Gill couldn’t
have been more different to
when I’dlast passed this way
about 15 years earlier. Back
then, in the depths of winter,
the rocks beside the tree-
shrouded gill had been coated
in ice, turningan easy scramble
into something requiring
considerably more care. In
summer, the only problem was
the salty sweat stinging myeyes.
As the gradient easedand
the pathentered the hanging
valley of Gillercomb, Ispotted
my guideposts – there was no

mistaking the Hanging Stone,

a boulder poised precariously

on the lipof the crag; and,

resting close to the base of the

rock face,the Fallen Stone.

e latter was surrounded

by a jumble of rocks, some

undoubtedly its offspring,

born both of its fall fromabove

and of itsweathering over the

intervening years. I pickedmy

way over to it and then higher

still, onto a briefly vertiginous

trail edging between the crag

and the bowl of debris below.

A clamber up steep ground,

almost entirely on grass – but

partly onmy knees – led me

on to Base Brown’snorth-east

ridge, just above the Hanging

Stone. From here, it was

easy goingall the wayto the

summit; I’dbypassedAlan and

Brian’shorrors.

I dawdled on the rest of the

walk, drinking in the evening

light, stopping everyfew

minutes to take pictures of the

Scafellrange from yet another

angle. Great End, in particular,

seemed to beposing forthe

camera, flexing its bulging

muscles and looking down

on the solitarywalker. Gable

Crag, seen acrossthe luscious

green of Gillercomb Head:

such majesty! en the hazy

Gallowayridges acrossthe

silverySolway, looking almost

like a mythical, faraway land,

but fullof realhill-walking

promise. ‘Joyful’ always seems

a rather simplistic, almost

childish adjective touse,

and yet it’sthe wordthat best

describes howI felt. And,in a

world fullof complexities and

confusion and contradictions,

I welcomed that innocent

emotion with open arms.

Further information

Maps:OS 1:25,000

Outdoor Leisure sheet

OL4 (English Lakes, North-

western area); Harvey 1:25,000

Superwalker,Lake District West

Transport:Stagecoach bus

77/77A (the Honister

Rambler) and 78 (Keswick -

Seatoller) pass through

Seatoller. Details from 01539

722143 orstagecoachbus.com/

thelakes

i

Information:Keswick

TIC (01768 772645);

keswick.org

[Captions clockwise from top]

Borrowdale seen from Base

Brown’s Hanging Stone ridge;

Crummock Water from the

flanks of Brandreth; Great End

dominates the view on Green

Gable’s north-east ridge