Truth, Beauty and Inspiration ... reality in Nature

The Reality of a walking route ... finding inspiration in the Lakes & Mountains ...

Finding inspiration is a necessary thing, where you find it is different for everyone. For me it is very much from nature and solitude ... the latter harder to achieve ‘outwardly’ but take yourself to the right places, even with a few more ‘Covid-19’, ‘Stacation driven’ visitors, to that special place, it is possible to detach yourself from the few and bathe in the awesomeness of nature. Making the effort to get out there is a must, following a trusted trodden route, despite its initial clarity, is more challenging and open to creative interpretation. I find more and more, that the writers of walking guides are as creative as an artist and the picture they paint is as open to personal interpretation, as is a piece of art work. But that’s ok, because if every step you walk was mapped and unsurprising, these walks would be less inspirational and lacking in emotional response.

10 ‘Lake District’ miles

Such was my latest ‘marathon’ Lake District walk ... ‘a circular 10 miler’(more like 14!), covering Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy and the Newlands Valley. In a nutshell, it was a mega challenge of a day out, (after a 3 hour drive!), with scrambling, climbing, up and downing, plodding through mud and marsh, clambering over boulders, splashing through streams, misinterpreting distances, mislaying ‘clear’ paths and creating new ones. Whilst the initial walking route was the inspiration for the walk, it became clear, as the walk went on, it was a sketch and not a finished painting until I made it so...

That sketch was necessary for me to gather my own creative responses. Just as, in creating art works and finding our own responses to subjects; we need that springboard. Choosing the route that had me scrambling and climbing up to the summit of Catbells, though more difficult, led me to a quieter path, observing the facets and textures of the rock and enjoying the well deserved reward of lungfuls of inspirational nature when reaching the top. Yes, the summit was a popular spot, but everyone seemed able to find space to absorb the spectacular panoramic paintings of Dewent Water and surrounding glorious fells; internalising the beauty and detail of the view.

Catbells rocky summit

From there it was off to Maiden Moor, ‘clear’ directions to follow ... talk of aiming for the ‘obvious path’ and ‘indistinctive summit’ with no indication of exact distance ... very much open to the observer once again. Flashes of the summit appearing and disappearing as I tramped the seeming never ending path. It was however, long yet glorious, swamped in late summer sunshine, blue skies, layers of distant soft grey mountains, fells and crags, slopes of copper bracken and patchwork green fields. Full of hidden treasures and surprises... looking down to the right, towards Newlands Beck, a train of Alpacas could be seen wending their way up, with their walkers, on Yewthaite Comb! More pictures to store in my head, a detail impossible to include in a planned route, showing the necessity for getting out there and experiencing the ‘present’ and developing personal responses. Maiden Moor ‘summit’ is vague and indistinct, true, but once again you will eventually arrive and be surrounded by magnificent art inspiring views from every direction. North, south, east, west ... an overwhelming choice of subject matter.

Above, view from Maiden Moor towards Catbells

Looking south from Maiden Moor was “destination High Spy”. Again the route only directed me along the path with no real indication of distance ... as I followed, up and down, the clear summit beckoned then vanished, beckoned then vanished... When it was distinct, it stood proud silhouetted by the the sun and amazing treasure, a certain reward. The path was mainly one of solitude now, Maiden Moor and beyond becoming a step to far, for the popular Catbells crowd or day tripper, phew... nature and me at last ... absorbing and inspiring. Once again, I was rewarded with panoramic views at the summit of High Spy with its distinctive engineered cairn, and the handful of hikers who had made the effort too, were of little consequence and no distraction.

From the summit of High Spy to the north

Leaving the beauty of High Spy, I was directed (...and I say that loosely) towards Dalehead and Dalehead Tarn ... indeed one of the instructions directs to “a cairned path of sorts” ... it certainly was! Despite the challenge of the lengthy, boggy, boulder ridden, VAGUE path, it led along the meandering Newlands Beck, flanked by the disheveled beauty of Eel Crags to the right and the infamous Hindscarth, Wainwright’s special treasure, to the left ...

A ‘path’ riddled with challenges, potential accidents, away from phone and technology... yet the security of the towering, timeless fells to either side and the awesome beauty of rushing waterfalls, stamping sheep, sun lowering behind me and the gleaming sun bathed bracken blanketed route ahead, no matter how long, was equally comforting and full of creative ideas. All flowing just as constantly as the beck.

Waterfall, Dalehead, Newlands Beck going north

As it turned out, this ‘last leg’ was, once again, like that simple painting you glance at, it was full of details, turns and depth, a longer journey than expected, but worth the effort of continuing and exploring along to the end. It may have taken what seemed to be forever; by which time my feet, hips neck etc were complaining bitterly and I was ready to give up (but that was actually impossible, unless I called mountain rescue, which would have not only been a challenge in itself, due to no phone signal, but quite pathetic, given I was at one of the lowest points geographically... in the Newlands Valley!) ... instead I turned and looked back from whence I came ... what a sight ... a sight to inspire and give anyone strength for that final mile or so; a sight that says, nature’s not giving up, not stopping giving you the ideas, so keep going ... the totally, totally burningly beautiful sun, beaming over the mountains behind, silhouetted towers of strength, a perfect picture to end the most inspirational of days.

Looking back towards Hindscarth and Dalehead