Hartsop above How, Hart Crag, Dove Crag and High Hartsop Dodd

I hit the wall on this walk—the point where utter exhaustion hits you in a moment. It wasn't a nice feeling; though I'd hit the wall before, it had never been as bad as this time. Once I crashed, it was difficult to recover, and only by struggling on for some excruciating time with heavy leaden legs did I break through the pain barrier. I guess some of you will identify with what I'm talking about, but if you don't, I hope you never have to! It was a bad time for me, but my determination was set: it wouldn't stop me enjoying a wonderful walk. It all started out so well.

Jez had been in touch earlier in the week. His son Tom was over for the early part of Easter, and they asked if I was up for a walk. Of course I was! With Dave also available, the four of us set out from Harrogate at 7:00 AM to reach Brothers Water by 9:30 AM. The journey west went remarkably well for the last working day before Easter, aside from being stuck behind a huge truck transporting a heavy earth-moving machine on the A65. By 9:15 AM we were safely parked in the car park at the northern end of Brothers Water, in good spirits and raring to go.

Our plan was to complete seven Wainwright fells by including the Hartsop fells and the west ridge of the Fairfield Horseshoe (including High Pike and Low Pike). We set off due west, steeply climbing through the tree canopy of Low Wood. Emerging above the tree line in double-quick time after 200 metres of ascent, it was a remarkably warm day for April—breaking recent weather records.

Brothers Water shimmered below us, hazy mountain outlines appeared to the east and south, and amidst the beauty, we stopped at a rocky knoll to shed layers of clothing. Setting off again on our continuing ascent toward Hartsop above How... then it hit me.

In a breath I stopped and watched my three companions move further ahead. I couldn't move without a huge effort. My legs, supple and fit minutes earlier, were suddenly leaden; I was motionless, short of breath, and felt sick. I had to sit for a good couple of minutes, then resumed walking slowly to find my friends waiting near Bleaberry Knott. Another enforced rest followed before I reached them to take in food and drink.

Hartsop above How is a knoll on a three-mile ridge from Patterdale to Hart Crag. The ascent was indescribably difficult with heavy legs and nausea, but eventually I reached my first Wainwright of the day. Resting at the cairn, the magnificent south-east face of St Sunday Crag headlined with the Deepdale chasm inspired me to press on toward Hart Crag.

I felt slightly better after bagging my first Wainwright, though still weak. When I started the steeper ascent over the final 300 metres on a 33% gradient of scattered rocks and scree, I fell back into deep fatigue. I adopted a "climbing the staircase" attitude: 15 steps, a break, 15 steps more, another break. It was a relentless struggle up to the summit of Hart Crag (822m), the highest point of the walk.

Recovering our senses with liquid rehydration, we decided to cut our Wainwright count from seven to five, dropping High Pike and Low Pike as everyone felt adequately sated. The remaining fells were at lower elevation, starting with Dove Crag one easy kilometre away to the south-east.

My liquid intake had worked wonders—the nausea was gone, and I kept pace with the team. Passing Dove Crag, we crossed the high expanse of Bakestones Moss toward Little Hart Crag. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey in the warm sunshine, sprinting up the rocky tor of Little Hart Crag where Dave joined me while Jez and Tom waited nearby.

We discovered a delightful tarn set among interesting rock formations on top. As Wainwright noted in his Eastern Fells guide: "This is the best viewpoint for Scandale." We also found lovely marbled stone contrasting with the grey Lakeland rock.

Descending from Little Hart Crag, we ambled along a gentle slope for almost a mile to reach High Hartsop Dodd—our fifth and final Wainwright. It offered perhaps the easiest access ever to a summit with the smallest cairn imaginable. However, there was a major sting in the tail: the descent!

Over the immediate 800 metres following the summit, we dropped 300 vertical metres—a punishing 40% gradient requiring knee-jerking, calf-pulling concentration. The brilliant views straight ahead toward Brothers Water and the Patterdale fells helped soften the blow.

Our leg muscles burned from braking once we leveled off near Dovedale Beck and Kirkstone Beck, though Tom and Dave had let the brakes off to run the final steep yards. Looking back at High Hartsop How and High Hartsop Dodd, the twin pyramid mountains displayed a wonderful natural symmetry.

The hard work was done, and the wall had been conquered. Finishing with a leisurely stroll beside Brothers Water—where my companions made a dash for a campsite shop that frustratingly had no power for ice cream—we returned to the car park. A great day out!