Sticks Pass West
Location
On the western side of the Helvellyn massif, at the top of Thirlmere
Legal status
Public Right of Way bridleway
Path use
The path “Sticks Pass West” drops off the western side of Sticks Pass, heading in an often steep and direct course down to Stybeck Farm on the northeastern side of Thirlmere Reservoir. It is popular with walkers looking to loop north around Stybarrow Dodd and Watson’s Dodd, those on a longer round of the Helvellyn summit. It also provides a foot route over to Glenridding and Glencoyne in the neighbouring valley. The lower reaches of Sticks Pass West, the section running adjacent to the south of Stanah Gill (aka Sty Beck), are steep and thus susceptible to water damage. Anecdotal evidence from the farmer at Stybeck Farm suggests this lower part of the path has evolved over time from a straight grassy line into a series of unvegetated and quite dynamic zig zags.
Historic interest
Fairly important pack horse and commuting route, connecting Glenridding to Borrowdale. The upper parts were very well constructed originally.
The problem
Three lines start up the hill, joining into one main line higher up. All three lines and the consolidated line above have been gullied by water, possibly because of increased footfall in recent years. During the summer months, thick bracken cover encourages users to stay on the recognisable line but, during the winter season, there is little to stop footfall away from the path, especially onto the short cuts between zig zags. It was important that these short cuts weren’t allowed to develop to the point where they became susceptible to gullying. Such gullying could quickly escalate into a broad scar visible from the busy A591 and increasing soil deposits into Thirlmere reservoir.
Repair techniques
A schedule of repair work was drawn up in September 2021 focused on improving drainage, restoring the worst of the gullying and preventing new lines from opening up. Some of the work was done in 2023, largely with the help of volunteers from Fix the Fells and Kendal College. There is no stone source nearby and therefore stone free solutions were required. Timber for tree cages was imported and other materials were found on site.
Landscaping and ground works
In June 2023, students from Kendal College worked with the South Lakes Fix the Fells Ranger team to landscape out and revegetate the largest gully. A new line was created using a bench path technique. Areas of humps and hollows were put along the line of the gully which were then turved and landscaped. These humps and hollows encourage users to stick to the new line. The pictures on page 1 show the results of this work.
Tree Planting in timber cages
