Paul Lydon: Styhead Tarn

It had started raining yesterday evening while we were reading while sat in the car and overnight it turned much heavier so that at times it sounded like someone was practising with a fire hose pointing at our tent! In the quieter periods when the rain was lighter, we could hear the owls hooting and also quite a bit of stags roaring as it was rutting season. So not a peaceful night although this was down to nature rather than human annoyance.
In the morning it was still a bit wet so we had a leisurely breakfast after being woken up to pay our camping fees at around 07:30 and the getting up about an hour later. So by the time we set off on the short drive to Seathwaite, it was getting on towards noon.
We had been planning on ascending Scafell Pike via the Corridor Route as that was very near to where we were camping, but because of the claggy conditions, we decided to just go as far as Styhead Tarn via Ruddy Ghyll.
So we left the car in the parking are near the farm at Seathwaite where a slate plaque reminded everyone that Seathwaite has the highest rainfall in England, and started on the wide stony bridleway leading along the stream towards Stockley Bridge.
Almost immediately after crossing the bridge, there is a gate in the drystone-wall which we passed through and then chose the path heading south to follow the wall above Grains Gill until we reached Ruddy Gill higher up and after reaching cloud level continued in the mist.
After some time of increasingly gaining height we reached a more level section and Karen wanted to stop for a quick rest. Here we net some other walkers who were making their way down Ruddy Gill in the opposite direction and as we knew we hadn't that far to go to reach Sprinkling Tarn, we asked them how far it was to the tarn. They replied that they hadn't been able to find their way in the mist (despite using a GPS) and had given up and were heading down.
We dropped off the oath a few paces to sit out of the wind and I had a look at the map to see where we had reached and realised we weren't too far from a junction with the path from Angle Tarn to Sprinkling Tarn.
Just then a section of mist in front of us cleared and we could see the rocky ridge of The Band in front and high above us and also the path leading to Sprinkling Tarn about 10 metres away!
So we had a quick rest and then continued on our path from Ruddy Gill for a few tens of metres to cross a small ford and then turn right on the other path which led us in about 300 metres to Sprinkling Tarn which only loomed out of the mist slightly below and to the right of us when we were almost at the tarn edge.
Continuing on the path right by the western point of the tarn we dropped down the rocky path leading to the wide col of Styhead pass where there is a mountain rescue stretcher box, passing the start of the Corridor Route on the way. The views of the huge rocky crags and large and deep ravines of Great End and Lingmell.
We turned here and followed the path passing Styhead Tarn and then along the route of Styhead Gill with the odd spot of light rain which was just enough to make the rocky path slippery, until we passed the top of Taylor Gill Force and then arrived back at Stockley Bridge.

After crossing this fine old packhorse bridge,we retraced our route back to the small hamlet of Seathwaite.