Text and pics contributed by Rachael.
Day 3: Ennerdale YH to Wasdale Hall YH, 9 miles
Heading out of Ennerdale was very pleasant – we passed through meadows, crossed the Liza River and entered Ennerdale forest.
The forest path up along Deep Gill, although a little muddy in places, was quite pleasant. It was nice to be among the trees.
The route from Ennerdale Forest proved more challenging than we expected. The path gradually fizzled out and the terrain became tricky with large boulders and deep heather and bracken. We followed the path on the map but it certainly didn’t correspond to any path on the ground. A few times, I found myself tripping over a hidden boulder and lying on a soft bed of knee-high heather.
We decided to head upwards onto the ridge in the hope of less vegetation and an easier route. It proved to be a good decision, as not only was it more open but we also found a small path to follow up to Tewit How. The next section to the col between Haycock and Scoat Fell was much easier.
The rough ground had aggravated a few injuries from yesterday, and by the time we reached the col, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. It was windy and wet and visibility was poor. My planned route up over Scoat Fell and Red Pike seemed less appealing. We debated for a few minutes whether we should split the group but in the end we decided to keep together and head downwards to follow Nether Beck.
The peaks remained in cloud for most of the afternoon but the valley was lovely with great views all the way. As we reached the lower section, we could see Yewbarrow, Wast Water and the Scafell range ahead.
The path wasn’t difficult but it twisted and turned around boulders, and it therefore took us a surprisingly longer time to reach Wast Water than it had appeared it would.
Wast Water is the Lake District’s deepest lake at 258 ft.
We followed the road to reach a footpath that leads directly to Wasdale Hall YH. This was one of our two favourite hostels of the trip. The former 19th century manor house built in the late Medieval/Tudor style remains very grand inside. It has ornate fireplaces and cornicing, panelled walls and a fantastic view out over Wast Water.