Castle Crag & the slight detour

One of the Guardian's top 10 walks was up Castle Crag, the lowest of the Wainwrights, a pimple at the bottom of the valley.  We took that walk and added a slight detour at the end, lost the actual path but just about made it back for tea.

Difficulty: 4
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (10), Grace (8), Evie (5)
11:52, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (98)
14:59, 4.3km 3h06 255m, Castle Crag (298)
17:56, 9.3km 6h03 611m, Grange Fell (415)
19:22, 12.0km 7h29 640m, End (99)

We parked at the car park on the road that winds its way through Borrowdale Valley, and set off crossing the River Derwent and then heading south to Castle Crag.

Poppy even proved that her legs worked and was up to some close encounters of the woolly kind.

Castle Crag itself is largely a disused slate mine, so Evie was at least mildly interested in the scrambling up to the top.  She complained that it wasn't hard enough.  Looking back now, 4 years later, she really hasn't changed.

Caroline admiring the views from the top of Castle Crag.

Now back down to the valley floor, time for a quick photo stop for some lambs.. ..or of each other

Now at the top of Grange Fell, the target for our detour on the end of this recommended walk.

The way up was very straightforward, but I'm not so sure about our way down.  I recall at points being convinced that we should have been on the other side of that wall, and then later thinking I was wrong, but anyhow.

The path back down turned into one of those common 'is it a path, or is it a stream' type numbers, but with the added bonus that the stream had frozen, so it was quite slow going.  Kudos for Caroline who carried Poppy for a good stretch down here.

The day Evie didn't get to do Skiddaw

It dawned a lovely day, so I was keen to do quite an ambitious walk from the house.  I was thinking of going out with just Isabelle and Grace, but Caroline was adamant that we all should go along, and if Evie was struggling then she could always turn back with Caroline.  Of course, after we all set off it was all about Evie management - judging the right amount of knowledge about the future (motivation to climb mountains like her big sisters) and the the right amount of ignorance about the route (to the point of flat out denying that we were really heading up there).  We ended up getting back a bit late, but at least there wasn't a drive home and it really was a day well spent.

Difficulty: 5
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (10), Grace (8), Evie (5)
10:59, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (157)
14:13, 4.9km 3h13 561m, Ullock Pike (690)
14:34, 5.4km 3h35 617m, Long Side (734)
15:03, 6.2km 4h03 669m, Carl Side (746)
18:54, 14.5km 7h54 910m, End (157)

We set off from the house, a short amount of road walking, then off road paths until we reached the start of the fell proper.  Well, until the map changed colour at least.

Stopping for lunch, there wasn't much shelter, but the views make up for that.

Looking north, back the way we had come - up the ridge snaking off to the right.

Evie at the top of Ullock Pike, this walk mainly involved Evie repeatedly breaking her record for her highest Wainwright.

Isabelle, with the route to come up the ridge towards Long Side.

I did all the uphill with Poppy that day, a great way to slow me down to the pace of my children...

Evie at Long Side.  You can see the path up to Skiddaw over Evie's shoulder towards the top left, we watched many people have real problems getting either up or down on their feet, so decided that this wasn't going to be the day to do Skiddaw.  Very much the right decision.

The walk across to Carl Side.

Grace really wasn't keen on yet more photos, so the Carl Side cairn stands unloved.

There really was a path this way, going down in the direction of Derwent Water.  It was one of those paths that you only know you are on by looking back up the hill.

Quite stunning views across to Bassenthwaite.

We decided that trying to do Dodd Skiddaw on the same walk would really be a step too far, so we took the more direct route back north west through the forest.  Even Poppy got to do some walking.

Still, lots of time for songs in a rare outbreak of harmony amongst our children.  It most frequently happens once all of them actually believe that we're finally on the home stretch.

Whinlatter Forest

We went across to the bottom end of Bassenthwaite to Whinlatter Forest, aiming to walk through the forest and out to the two nearby Wainwright peaks on the other side.  The changes of scenery, together with the lure of the outdoor play area at the end of the walk kept everyone moving.  That and the chocolate.

Difficulty: 4

Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (10), Grace (8), Evie (5)

11:32, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (329)

13:23, 3.2km 1h50 252m, Lord's Seat (552)

14:24, 4.4km 2h51 277m, Barf (469)

17:03, 11.0km 5h30 534m, End (331)

We set off from the car park at Whinlatter Forest, walking through the forest and upwards to get the view.

Isabelle at the top of Lord's Seat.

Moving across to Barf, you get a really great view, seen here looking down towards Derwent Water.

Again from Barf, looking across Bassenthwaite towards snow covered Skiddaw and the dark covered ridge just in front that was to become our challenge for the next day.

Special Evie style to take to the hills at Easter in her skirt.

Looking down the path to cross over the valley back into Whinlatter forest.

Frozen waterfalls made the going slightly more tricky.

 The top of Seat How, a great vantage point in the forest.  My route finding ability tends to aim for these high points, I'm pretty sure by this point in the walk I would have been facing a full scale rebellion if any of our children could map read.  And had a map.  Oh, that would have been Isabelle then...

Ard Crags and Knott Rigg

We'd picked another walk that we felt stretched Evie, it was another step forward from the previous day but again we felt wasn't pushing too hard.  We also had the incentive of lots of mini eggs to help when spirits were flagging...

We parked at a small car park in a bend in the road just before you get to Birkrigg on the road from Braithwaite.  A few years later we ended up staying at Birkrigg, and did this walk and more.  The disadvantage of this route was the length of road walking at the end, although at least they are fairly easy miles to cover.

Difficulty: 3

Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (10), Grace (8), Evie (5)

11:05, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (175)

13:31, 2.6km 2h26 404m, Ard Crags (581)

14:10, 4.0km 3h05 462m, Knott Rigg (556)

16:07, 8.2km 5h02 488m, End (175)

Lovely weather for the route up from the car, ideal day and activity for our wedding anniversary.  After following this path you cross over the stream to your left, and then head straight up the peaks looming ahead.  I'm pretty sure we didn't tell Evie where we were headed to avoid early complaints!

The view looking south over to Maiden Moor and High Spy.

Once crossed over the stream, the path is fairly obvious...

You reach Aiken Knott first, before being able to see where you're headed.  Still, everyone was happy (especially Isabelle with the chocolate)

Nice view for lunch.  There wasn't really any shelter, so middle of the path for lunch it was.

The view from Ard Crags looking back the way we'd come, with a tiny piece of Derwent Water visible and the snowy peak of Skiddaw on the left.

Caroline, Grace & Isabelle, happy (ish) at the top of Knott Rigg.

The gentle path down back to the road.

Good view of Poppy in the baby carrier - it did have a rain cover, although I tore it putting it on too vigorously.  Most usefully it has slight suspension, which absorbs the worst of the weight on each step.

Ling Fell and Sale Fell

It's this kind of walk that I think picks out Wainwright baggers from normal people, this was the first walking holiday with the kids where we deliberately set out to capture some Wainwrights.  To say that we had these fells at the north end of Bassenthwaite to ourselves would be entirely fair, picking less popular areas really has its advantages.

We'd picked a route that I knew others had done before, so the lack of footpaths on the map wasn't too much of a worry.  It also had a convenient fast route back to the car if we weren't able to add Ling Fell at the end.  As it was we did the whole thing, and surely had done enough to earn our easter eggs that day - it was Easter Sunday after all.

Difficulty: 2

Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (10), Grace (8), Evie (5)

11:44, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (168)

12:28, 1.2km 0h43 184m, Sale Fell (359)

15:04, 5.9km 3h20 397m, Ling Fell (373)

15:38, 7.2km 3h53 402m, End (168)

The walk up to Sale Fell.

Caroline and Poppy at the top of Sale Fell, Poppy not looking exactly keen at this point.

Evie, always the separatist.

Small amount of road walking between the peaks.

Isabelle and Grace, losing no opportunity to walk in the snow.  Grace had made a complete fuss at the start of the holiday and refused to wear any decent walking shoes.

The route looking back from Ling Fell.

 The happy family at the top of Ling Fell.

The gentle walk back down to the car, which is hidden behind some trees at the bottom of the valley to the left.

Aira Force

We'd hired a really nice place in Bassenthwaite for a week over the Easter holidays (Low Melbecks Barn), and driven up from Birmingham on the saturday morning.  Coming in from the Penrith exit off the M6 we chose to do a short walk at Aira Force.

We arrived to find lots of evidence of recent snow storms - a week earlier and I'm not sure we would have been able to make it to our holiday cottage.  However, apart from the cold the kids loved the snow!

Difficulty: 1
Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (10), Grace (8), Evie (5)
14:35, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (173)
16:20, 2.9km 1h45 88m, End (164)

A picture of the four of them.  Poppy still fitted in the baby carrier, so spent most of the holiday bundled up in warm clothes and strapped up, carried by either Caroline or myself depending on who felt strongest and most confident!

This illustrates why Poppy spent most of the time in the carrier.  She wasn't the most focused walker.

This short walk does have its rewards when you reach the many falls.