Borrowdale to Sprinkling Tarn (or Not the Corridor Route)

After an enormous breakfast we drove out to Keswick – where there’d obviously been some considerable amount of snow overnight - all the way around the town and then up Borrowdale.  The camping barn that Keith and I stayed at is in Rosthwaite, right near the turning to Seathwaite in Seatoller.  We took the turning and the road was pretty snowy, but we arrived at Seathwaite and parked up, kitted up (my boots were already sodden) and headed off up the valley.

Pete, Keith and Paul heading up the main valley.

I don’t know why, but I was expecting to see two valleys ahead of us, but in the event, Styhead Gill, was a hanging valley off up to the right.

The view back down the main valley.

It was steep for a while, but not really that bad and we followed the gill all the way to Styhead Tarn.

Keith perusing the map.

Pete investigating the Mountain Rescue box - he just couldn't help himself.

Up above there a ways we came to a Mountain Rescue box and stopped there to suss out our way on.  I was helping myself to some hot chocolate and a family of five with a bonkers spaniel arrived and took off in exactly the direction that we wanted.  The spaniel never stopped, it's tail was like a windmill and it was running around, jumping in snowdrifts, biting snow and generally just bonkers - I have no idea where it got the energy from, the snow was often belly deep or more on it.

After a bit of debate, Paul and I followed the family and Keith disappeared off to the right.  Pete eventually followed Keith, but over the first hummock we saw them again and they dropped down to the path to meet us.  The cloud had lifted quite a bit by now and it was getting easier to see our surroundings, which was helpful.

The view back down to Styhead Tarn.

We continued on up the route the family were taking until we turned right a bit and headed off up what I thought was a side valley to start with.  I was discussing with Keith where we were when I realised that he was right, we were heading straight for Sprinkling Tarn - we’d missed the start of the Corridor Route.  We debated what to do and I suggested what I'd originally planned to do, which was to drop down Ruddy Gill, just beyond Sprinkling Tarn, so we continued on up to the tarn.  In fact we’d walked some way out onto it before we realised where we were!!!

We quickly retreated and decided that given the conditions, the clag had returned with a vengeance, it was probably as well to head back down.  This we did, with another stop at the MR box, where I shared my hot chocolate with Pete and Keith.  We then continued down and I managed to keep up until we got to the top of the steep section down into the main valley, which by that time was more slush than anything.

Keith and Pete set off in front and got further...

and further...

and further in front.

I gave up trying to keep up after wrenching both knees, one step after another, so by the time we got to the wall, they were on the main track at the bottom and heading for the cars – last time I share my hot chocolate with either of them!!!