Friday, 28 October 2022

The simple way to do Walla Crag


So we were missing Walla Crag, which is a fairly short walk from a decent road, so I'd been saving this in case we really needed a short walk.  With Evie sitting this one out, everyone was quite happy to extend this a little.  It would have seemed a rude otherwise, given the weather was much better than the previous days.

Difficulty: 5.9
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Poppy (12), Piper
11:19, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (93)
12:12, 2.1km 0h52 300m, Walla Crag (376, Wainwright)
13:05, 4.5km 1h45 560m, Bleaberry Fell (590, Wainwright)
13:54, 6.4km 2h35 685m, High Seat (Lake District) (608, Wainwright)
14:25, 8.2km 3h05 728m, High Tove (515, Wainwright)
14:54, 9.5km 3h35 796m, Armboth Fell (475, Wainwright)
17:37, 17.5km 6h18 941m, End (65)


Climbing up from Derwent Water

Walla Crag.  The view is really worth the short climb up from the lake.

Looking back towards Derwent Water

Bleaberry Fell

High Seat

Also from High Seat

The wonderful new path.  Now some poeple complain about paths like this, other people are mindful of the benefits to minimising erosion.  I liked keeping my boots dry.

High Tove.  At this point we agreed we had time to go a loop to the next one before heading home.

Armboth Fell, clearly worth the additional steps through boggy ground and crossing streams to let Poppy tick this one off.

Piper was very pleased that our route home was next to some water.  She was less pleased that she was kept on lead...

We finally found another place to let Piper off lead for a bit and go paddling.

The viewpoint in Ashness Wood, looking over Derwent Water

Ashness Bridge.  We had to wait a bit as there were quite a few people hanging around taking pictures here, it's quite a famous packhorse bridge.  It was definitely insta-ready.  We, however, were very much not by this point in our walk!




Thursday, 27 October 2022

Catching up Caroline's Count

The aim of this walk was to get Caroline up three Wainwrights that I'd done with Isabelle back in 2019, so that we would be able to complete the full set together.

Difficulty: 6.0
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Evie (14), Poppy (12), Piper
10:18, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (97)
12:02, 4.0km 1h43 428m, Eagle Crag (525, Wainwright)
12:28, 5.0km 2h09 512m, Sergeant's Crag (571, Wainwright)
13:58, 9.4km 3h40 748m, Ullscarf (726, Wainwright, Hewitt)
16:10, 14.4km 5h51 857m, Great Crag (449, Wainwright)
18:00, 19.0km 7h41 880m, End (108)



Walking along the valley path, sorry, stream.

It's super hard to visualise how steep some of these hillside walks are, no scrambing involved, just a steady upwards climb.

Eagle Crag, first Wainwright of the day, and well worth the climb.

Sergeant's Crag, now with added view.

Conditions walking around at the top were not ideal, you can easily see why people get lost...

Ullscaft, where Caroline and I had been earlier that year.

Great Crag, and another opportunity to take on some calories.

Piper demonstrating what a good girl she is going downhill.


Wednesday, 26 October 2022

Low fells in the high wind

We'd done this walk back in 2013, but it was a fairly short walk and more importantly wasn't going up too high since it was due to be really windy.  Which it was.

Difficulty: 3.7
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Evie (14), Poppy (12), Piper
11:14, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (151)
11:40, 1.3km 0h26 333m, Sale Fell (359, Wainwright)
13:28, 6.9km 2h14 779m, Ling Fell (373, Wainwright)
14:00, 8.2km 2h46 802m, End (113)



First height gained, and into the wind.  Shortly after this my waterproof bag cover was blown off and I raced after it.  Thankfully Piper was well up for the challenge and we both sprinted down the slope.  The climb back up to rejoin the rest of the family was a little slower.

Sale Fell, Piper getting blown around a little but the rainbow makes it all worth it.

Ling Fell, and a very happy family to be out walking. The path we'd taken last time up to Ling Fell didn't look passable, so we look the longer route along the road first.


Walking down the hill, with Piper being a great girl finally out of the wind.

This was Piper after smelling sheep not far away, completely obsessed and really wanting to go and play.


Tuesday, 25 October 2022

Finally getting to Caw Fell

Despite going to Wasdale several times and doing pretty much all the Wainrights in sight, we'd never quite made it to Caw Fell, which you either to from Wast Water (which was a much longer drive from where we were staying) or from Ennerdale.  Very limited parking in Ennerdale (which is a great thing), so there was one choice of route for this walk.

Difficulty: 6.4
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Evie (14), Poppy (12), Piper
10:51, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (71)
11:49, 2.4km 0h58 457m, Crag Fell (523, Wainwright)
13:15, 6.8km 2h24 782m, Iron Crag (Ennerdale Fell) (640, Hewitt)
14:01, 9.4km 3h10 921m, Caw Fell (697, Wainwright)
16:54, 17.8km 6h03 1128m, End (105)






After walking across from the car park we paused before heading up the side of the hill.

Ennerdale

Starting the path upwards.

Crag Fell

By the wall separating the path and Iron Crag the Hewitt.

And yes, we did the detour to make sure we got to Iron Crag, and then back to the crossing over the wall.

And finally all the way to Caw Fell.


After some time on the way back we came out of the clouds, this is at Crag Fell on our return journey.













Monday, 24 October 2022

Glaramara and another dark way home

We'd never quite made it to Glaramara, doing both ends of this ridge but never joining them up, so we headed down to the car park at Seathwaite to do this loop.

Difficulty: 7.2
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Evie (14), Poppy (12), Piper
10:34, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (122)
13:06, 6.0km 2h32 672m, Allen Crags (785, Hewitt, Wainwright)
14:00, 7.7km 3h25 775m, Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head-Glaramara) (721, Hewitt)
14:37, 9.0km 4h02 897m, Glaramara (783, Hewitt, Wainwright)
16:02, 11.7km 5h27 1047m, Dovenest Top (Dovenest Crag) (Stonethwaite Fell) (632, Hewitt)
16:56, 13.7km 6h21 1179m, Rosthwaite Fell (551, Wainwright)
19:00, 20.5km 8h25 1224m, End (93)






The way up the valley.

Allen Crags, and time for treats

Poppy at Red Beck Top, one of the two extra Hewitts that we also picked up along this ridge.

Finally the main objective of this walk: Glaramara.  You wonder why we never made it here before...


And our second bonus Hewitt, Dovenest Top.



At this point we lost Evie for a bit. She did turn up, and thankfully it wasn't that cloudy at the time, but there is a downside to encouraging independence!

Piper at Rosthwate Fell

Poppy taking on Piper on the way back down

And finally we got to the valley floor as the light fell.  We tried to find a path, but turned off the road too early, so headed back and did the rest along the road. Headtorches are great!



Sunday, 23 October 2022

Aiming for the forest

Staying beyond Bassenthwaite made this quite an easy walk to get to.  We'd done the first three ages ago, although Poppy needed to tick them off, but none of us had done Dodd Skiddaw.

Difficulty: 4.9
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Evie (14), Poppy (12), Piper
10:31, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (147)
12:00, 3.0km 1h29 675m, Ullock Pike (690, Wainwright)
12:23, 3.6km 1h51 754m, Long Side (734, Wainwright, Hewitt)
12:39, 4.4km 2h08 843m, Carl Side (746, Wainwright, Hewitt)
13:59, 6.9km 3h28 995m, Dodd Skiddaw (502, Wainwright)
15:45, 11.3km 5h14 1078m, End (153)



Not a great day, so the GoPro came out to save my phone from getting wet.  This is from Ullock Pike.

Similar view from Long Side

Carl Side


On the way down towards Bassenthwaite Lake

Saying hello to my family

Descending towards the forest.

Top of Dodd Skiddaw

We took a path marked on the map down, which turned out to be quite an intereting route.

Finding the roadway did mean slightly faster progress.



 

Sunday, 20 March 2022

Four more down the bottom right

After visiting James Rebanks and his wonderful farm, we headed down to Haweswater to fit in our second walk of the weekend before heading back home.  We knew we had time for the first two Wainwrights in the loop, given the time and the speed we were walked we decided we had time for the extra two as well.  Given the weather was so great, it would have been a shame not to fit them in.

Difficulty: 6.2
Walkers: Tim, Caroline
12:28, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (258)
13:29, 3.4km 1h01 480m, Branstree (713, Wainwright)
13:32, 3.5km 1h04 480m, Branstree (713, Hewitt)
14:22, 6.4km 1h54 645m, Tarn Crag (Sleddale) (664, Wainwright, Hewitt)
14:47, 8.0km 2h19 690m, Grey Crag (638, Wainwright, Hewitt)
16:28, 13.8km 3h59 1026m, Selside Pike (655, Hewitt, Wainwright)
17:41, 18.2km 5h12 1026m, End (244)

As we drove up to the carpark there were cars turning back as it was full.  Once we'd got there a few spaces had opened up, although we'd already left the car in a safe location on the roadside.


Above Mardale Head, climbing up to Gategarth Path,

Branstree, looking north east.


We set off on our there-and-back route.  This is most of the way to Tarn Crag. 

Tarn Crag.  Well actually it's not, it's the Pillar around 20m from the official Tarn Crag point, but I think this view is awesome - I think it's Windermere you can see in the distance.

This is actually Tarn Crag.

Grey Crag, only a little further along.

Selside Pike

The view into Swindale

Walking down Old Corpse Road backwards Haweswater.

Past High Loup/Low Loup buildings.

Following Caroline down the path.

Final shot from our weekend in the lakes, seeing the sun set over the far fellside.

Saturday, 19 March 2022

Ullscarf and (finally) Armboth Fell

We aimed for the Steel Fell carpark - the road that side of Thirlmere was closed, but we could get to the car park fine from the south side.  

Difficulty: 6.4
Walkers: Tim, Caroline
10:21, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (205)
12:27, 5.5km 2h05 598m, Ullscarf (726, Wainwright, Hewitt)
14:02, 10.9km 3h40 723m, High Tove (515, Wainwright)
14:27, 12.2km 4h05 795m, Armboth Fell (475, Wainwright)
17:01, 20.7km 6h39 902m, End (200)



Looking back down towards Thirlmere.

Looking for a place to cross.

Ullscarf.  We took a slight short cut rather than going to Greenup Edge, the direct route to the top.

Just north of Blea Tarn, looking west.

At High Tove, not a new Wainwright for us, but slightly drier than last time we were here.

Finally at Armboth Fell.  Our last trip here had stopped short, this time we got to the right spot.

Descending down to Thirlmere.

At the bottom.

Views to the north of Thirlmere.

The reason why the road was closed, glad we didn't get to here and have to turn around.

Sunset over the fells, reflected in the calm water.