Harter Fell from Hardknott Castle

After packing up and leaving the house, we over-ruled some objections from the children to fit in another walk.  We picked an isolated peak that we hadn't climbed before, that had a suitable length walk.  According to Evie a suitable length walk would have been far shorter, so for the majority of this walk I led the way with Poppy, and Evie trailed as far back as we would let her be.

Difficulty: 3
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Grace (13), Evie (10), Poppy (7)
11:19, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (242)
12:49, 4.1km 1h30 525m, Harter Fell (Eskdale) (654, Wainwright)
13:07, 4.2km 1h47 527m, Harter Fell (Eskdale) (654, Hewitt)
15:00, 8.9km 3h40 590m, End (243)

We parked at Hardknott Castle, crossing the road and walking downhill straight away until we picked up the path which skirted around the far side of Harter Fell, before making our way up to the top.

Crossing the river shortly after leaving the road and starting to regain the height we'd lost from the car park.

Most of the way to the top, looking back south west towards Green Crag.

Poppy at the Wainwright peak.

We then moved onto the Hewitt, looking back towards the Wainwright with Grace catching us up.

From the Hewitt, looking north towards Hardknott  and beyond that the Langdale peaks.

Caroline and Evie catch up and have some lunch on the rocks below the peak.

The long grassy descent.

Finally back to Hardknott Castle for wander around before getting back in the car and heading south, homeward bound.

Helm Crag to Steel Fell

Another walk that Caroline and myself had done before, we knew could be really rewarding with the views, and that covered a couple of Wainwrights that the girls hadn't done before.

Difficulty: 5

Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Grace (13), Evie (10), Poppy (7)

10:29, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (68)

12:00, 3.6km 1h30 347m, Helm Crag (405, Wainwright)

12:47, 5.1km 2h17 435m, Gibson Knott (420, Wainwright)

14:03, 7.2km 3h33 600m, Calf Crag (537, Wainwright)

15:08, 9.8km 4h38 701m, Steel Fell (553, Wainwright)

17:04, 15.6km 6h34 739m, End (68)

We drove the fairly short distance from Elterwater via the back of Grasmere, then walked from the car park through the village and up Helm Crag.

The top of the climb up, looking back towards Ambleside.  Today was not going to be the rewarding views...

Helm Crag.

The view onwards towards Gibson Knott, and then back on the ridge to the right from Steel Feel, which is just in the clouds.  The A591 winds its way north on the right hand of the picture.

Gibson Knott, Poppy very proud to get to the top, after we failed to make it far enough along the ridge last time we came here with kids.

Evie, slightly less awed by the top of Gibson Knott.

Caroline, enjoying more atmospheric photo opportunities.

Moving around towards Calf Crag and we got a view down the valley towards Grasmere, before we started going back up into the clouds. 

Grace at Calf Crag, more intrepid walkers approach in the distance.

Now we walked down the other ridge towards Steel Feel.

At the top of Steel Fell, looking pretty similar to when Caroline and I were up here.

Sometime later, the rest of the party emerges out of the mist on their final ascent.  Shortly after this we start our descent, and usefully head off in the wrong direction for a while before I twig that we shouldn't be going down next to a fence and do a rapid course correction.

Finally, half way down, the view reappears, Helm Crag in the centre, and Grasmere/Ambleside beyond.  Well, okay, it's not that good a view...

Loughrigg from Elterwater

Time for a walk from the house and a trip to Chesters, which I managed to fit in with ticking off a Wainwright that Poppy hadn't done, all in all a great route!

Difficulty: 4

Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Grace (13), Evie (10), Poppy (7)

10:16, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (74)

12:54, 5.7km 2h38 431m, Loughrigg Fell (335, Wainwright)

16:38, 12.9km 6h22 549m, End (67)

 The house in Elterwater led up to Grasmere, then round to the caves.

Looking back to Elerwater and the house.

Typical view of our walking party. Poppy is lost, presumed dead, Grace leading and avoiding photos, Dave checking email/satnav, Lily staying close but not alongside parents, Jo and Caroline being social, Evie trying to lose us. 

Grasmere. 

Most of the time there was little view, to be honest.

Caves!

Climbing up for lunch.  We had multiple requests to stop earlier and do less climbing before calories.

Poppy at Loughrigg Fell. 

Caroline trying to take some serious photos with her serious camera, girls not being serious. 

We stopped at Chesters and had cake (Grace had hot chocolate with large marshmallows), before returning back to Elterwater and to the pub.  Evie does like J2O, I think she was unimpressed by the photo.

Crinkle Crags & Bad Step

After the short walk the day before it looked a good day to go for a longer trek, knowing that there were some short cuts nearer the end of the planned route.  It's a walk we had done before, although the last time Poppy had fallen over right next to a long drop down to a waterfall, we passed that point this time with more care!

Difficulty: 6

Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Grace (13), Evie (10), Poppy (7)

9:53, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (100)

12:54, 6.2km 3h01 731m, Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle) (834, Hewitt)

13:17, 6.8km 3h23 787m, Crinkle Crags-Long Top (Second Crinkle) (859, Hewitt, Wainwright)

13:55, 7.5km 4h01 804m, Shelter Crags (815, Hewitt)

15:05, 9.4km 5h11 986m, Bowfell (902, Wainwright, Hewitt)

18:54, 17.9km 9h01 1093m, End (103)

We drove down and parked in the National Trust car park next to the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel.

Setting off with an easy flat section with a great view of most of the walk to come.

Looking up the valley to the Crinkle Crags.

Evie, too cool for school.

Poppy, leading our friends up the relentless path.

And safely past the 'waterfall of near death', up to the flatter section, looking at the ridge to come.

Evie, still cool, with refreshments.

Crinkle Crags, the Hewitt, getting slightly colder and a little less view.

Moving on, looking towards the second crinkle.

Occasional views down the valley.

Poppy, looking at Grace who had (as ever) gone up ahead and was heading for the fun way up.

My girls working out how to get up the bad step.  Grace first, who then helped Poppy up.  Lily then found us half way up, and seeing that Poppy had made it up was determined to follow her, so Grace helped another one up.  I bravely followed, and was very proud I didn't need Grace's help!

Lily and Poppy at the Crinkle (the Wainwright), a little windy...

Myself at the Wainwright.

Panorama, looking down the valley with Lingmoor on the right hand side.

Shelter Crags, Grace is not looking impressed at having to wait for the rest of us.  At this point Jo turned right and headed back to the pub for a drink, the rest of us somehow decided that carrying on walking was the better plan.

So up we went, in the direction of Bow Fell.

The view from the top of Bow Fell was not, after all, worth climbing up for.

However, coming back down towards Angle Tarn, the clouds cleared and the low sun was amazing.

I have to admit I took quite a few versions of this photo, trying to capture the awesome green colours of the grass.

Angle Tarn, mirror like.

Slightly more disturbed now.

Poppy, contemplating just how far back we had to go to get to the car.

Back to flat ground, looking back across the valley floor to Lingmoor.

Great light again at the end of a long day.