Finally…some much needed sunshine and vitamin D! I’d been keeping my eye on the weather forecast all week and with Saturday and the next few days looking lovely, I told Josh that we must not miss this opportunity to get out in the hills and fill our lungs with fresh air. So, that’s exactly what we did. I asked a few friends and colleagues about where best to go, as I wanted to do a walk we’d never done before. By Friday evening we’d already changed our minds several times before deciding on Great End from Seathwaite.
The year we found out we were having a baby, we’d spent a beautiful summers evening camping up at Sprinkling Tarn, before making our way behind Great End and on to Scafell Pike the next morning. That time we had started the hike from Wasdale Head and it was a really lovely walk up so I was looking forward to approaching Great End from another angle. You can see that post here.
However, now with a little person in tow, we aren’t as quick as we once were. Lunch breaks take a little longer and because Mali is pretty much walking she is desperate to get out the rucksack and practise her new found skills. This meant we did cut our walk short and ended up just making it to Sprinkling Tarn and then heading back down the valley, instead of carrying on up to Great End. In all honesty though, I am well out of practise and cutting out another couple of hours walking really did feel like a relief!
We started the walk from Seathwaite Farm. We actually parked a little further down the road, on the roadside and walked to the farm but if you wanted to park in a car park then the farm do have one. Not sure how much it is but there was someone taking payment upon entry.
We crossed the river Derwent and followed river along a boggy footpath, where we eventually had to scramble up to a waterfall. This was a little sketchy, especially with having Mali in a rucksack. There’s a steep drop to one side but it is the less travelled path so we didn’t bump in to anyone else, which is what we like.
With this being our first proper day out walking with Mali much more aware of her surroundings, we were a little unsure of how it would all pan out but she seemed to enjoy it. She was looking at everything, taking it all in and chatting away in her comfy Thule rucksack, which I wear every single day to take her and Erik out for a walk. I find it comfy but Josh seems to find it a little uncomfortable. Whether it’s just because he’s not used to it or we haven’t adjusted it quite right for him. Something to bear in mind if you’re looking at baby carriers for your adventures!
We were a little stupid and rushed out the house without breakfast. Mali had her weetabix in the car, after drinking her milk at 7am but mine and Josh’s tummy’s were rumbling so we stopped for lunch quite early and spent an hour or so munching whilst Mali enjoyed dipping her toes in the stream and throwing stones for Erik. There were so many little pools to stop, strip off and take a dip. It was the perfect day for it but I only packed a small towel so I decided to go in towards the end of the walk which was freezing!
We then carried on, along a nice path up to Styehead Tarn, past some Highland Cows. The clouds had started rolling in by then so I was glad we had stopped for an early lunch as it meant we got to enjoy it with a little sunshine on our faces. This would be a lovely place to camp with Great End in the background. Noted for next Summer!
As we approached Sprinkling Tarn, Mali had drifted off.
Great Gable with Sprinkling Tarn to the right.
As we started descending, we were presented this magnificent view of Derwent Water. I wish I’d used my camera instead of my phone for this one.
And finally, after a quick dip in the stream on the way down and letting Mali stretch her legs, we made it back to the car. We stopped in Keswick for a burger at The Round, Mali had some Mac n’ cheese and then we headed back home for a hot chocolate, shower and bed. I loved being back out but it is exhausting and I always feel so headachey afterwards. Probably cause I don’t drink enough water to compensate for all the sweating!
Here’s the route we took, which I’ve uploaded to the footpath app. If you want to have a go at it yourself, you can find it here.