Saturday 28 September 2013

Summer makes a return to the Coniston Fells


With all the main online forecasts being filled with big yellow suns and MWIS predicting a 90% chance of clear summits it was time to make a return to the Coniston Fells.

I hadn't really decided upon a route or which fells I was going to walk, as a last minute I ignored the Bursting Stone Quarry route up the old man & decided to head up to Goat's Water for Dow Crag. Taking what AW refers to as the South Rake was also a last minute decision.

Carrying on to Great Carrs & Grey Friar from Swirl How was also an impulse that unfortunately required a re-ascent of Swirl How. Wetherlam was also strangely quiet but at least I didn't have to fight my way through walkers eating sandwiches to reach the summit cairn.

Early morning over Coniston...

Friday 27 September 2013

Caves, Mines & Circles - Little Salkeld's hilltop distractions

I'd seen several photos of the picturesque Lacy's Caves over the years, its one of those walks that often fills a few inches in the odd walking column, but I had never been lucky enough to visit. The caves aren't naturally occurring and are an 18th century folly commissioned by Lt-Col Samuel Lacy of Salkeld Hall, consisting of five chambers they where used for entertaining and the abundance of rhododendrons nearby suggest they where originally surrounded by planted gardens.

Spurned on by another appearance in a local newspaper I decided to drag the kids away from there electronic devices and force them to get a little bit of fresh air. The walk from Little Salkeld to Lacy's Caves usually follows a circular route including the Long Meg Stone Circle but to avoid rebellion a simple straight there and back would be sufficient. It is probably worth noting that my daughter represents her school in a total of four sports & the district in one of them so its more the shame of being spotted out with her uncool(1) Dad, than laziness!

Overall a worth while distraction, with a pleasant walk beside the Carlisle-Settle railway & through Caves Wood.

Lacy's Cave...

Wednesday 25 September 2013

An Ullscarf circular, from Dob Gill

By mentioning Ullscarf in a previous blog post, I realised it had probably been over twelve months since I last walked the Central Fell of Ullscarf. I decided to start from Dob Gill picking off a previously un-ascended Birkett top of Brown Rigg and since it had been even longer since I had last visited Harrop Tarn I planned to descend over Castle & Nab Crags with a small detour to include the tarn. With a predicted cloud-base of 200m, a 30% chance of clear summits & the fact everything was well & truly in cloud when I set off, to say I wasn't expecting much was an understatement.

A short distant down the road a gate takes you onto the open fell between the trees...

Sunday 22 September 2013

Bannisdale Horseshoe & Grey Crag


I was hoping to walk Wainwright's Outlying route of Bannisdale but had watched the promised fine weekend forecast slowly deteriorate as the week progressed, MWIS predicted a cloudbase of 200-400m, chance of cloud free summits rising to 30% from nil. Any ideas of travelling so far where scrubbed - I'd walk whatever was clear, closer to home! So it was a surprise to see the Lord Seat's group clear, but Skiddaw & the higher hills just had their heads in the clouds. As I travelled South this was replicated throughout the Lakes, a touch of early morning mist rose from Grasmere & Rydal.

So it was a bit disappointing to arrive at Kendal to see low hill fog - too late to change my mind. Wainwright complained this route was pathless, for me, the majority was viewless. There is a vague path, but some of the fences still lack stiles and the route crosses quite rough ground over Borrowdale Head & Lamb Pasture...

As AW lists this as an ascent route of Grey Crag from the Kendal-Shap Road I couldn't resist

The track turns up to the fell here at Whiteside Fold (Moser Farm in AWs day)...


Thursday 19 September 2013

Carrock Beck Circuit - Avoiding the cloud

Despite a predicted 70% chance of clear summits most of the Northern Fells had their heads in the clouds. Fortunately both Carrock Fell & High Pike looked like they might clear, as a bonus it had been over a year since my last visit to these two hills. I parked in one of the many spaces near the ford and ascended Carrock Fell via Rake Trod and followed the usually wet crossing to Hare Stones before climbing High Pike. Descended back to the road over West Fell.

The path leaves the road above Stone Ends...

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Honister Crag before the via ferrata

Way back in the late 80s & early 90s I dabbled in various other outdoor related sports, notably for this report caving being another of them. Unfortunaetly the Lakes sadly lacks natural caves so the nearest thing is those created by the hands of man & dynamite.

One of the areas largest slate workings are found on Dale Head (Yew Crag) & on Fleetwith Pike (Honister Crag). In fact Fleetwith is penetrated by many levels, these being connected by two internal inclines (known as the Honister (old) & the Kimberley (new) Incline). Where the mine levels on the Honister incline exit into daylight onto Honister crag they are also linked by several external inclines that cuts a diagonal tract across the face of the crag. These are known as the Bull Gill Incline, Nag Beck Incline & the Ash Beck Incline. Access to these inclines was via a road way (called the Monkey Shelf) where they could be used to climb Honister Crag exiting not too far from the summit of Fleetwith Pike. The only place where the incline could not be followed was where it crossed Bull Gill (the bridge had collapsed) but by going underground and climbing the old incline where you could exit back onto the external incline.

Nowadays Honister Crag & incline is now a via ferrata & run as a tourist attraction. The pictures are scanned from old photos, so please excuse the quality.

The upper terminal pier of the aerial ropeway at the foot of the Bull Gill incline...

Sunday 15 September 2013

Roughing it with Eagles & walking in the footsteps of Romans

One walk I had been planning to do for a while is an approach of High Street over Rough Crag, returning to Haweswater fom High Raise. I've never visited the two Birkett tops of Low Raise  & Castle Crag so a chance to add two to my tally made this an obvious route choice. The forecast for today was surprising good considering the next days forecast is about as bad as you could ever wish for, local news warned of cancelled sporting events & country shows. So MWIS predicting a favourable 80% chance of cloud free summits was the icing on the cake.

 I often preach of an early start so it was somewhat of a surprise to arrive at the car park at the top of Haweswater to find a gazebo with what appeared to be a buffet of fruit & various snacks with a choice of refreshments. A film camera sat ready on a tripod, a photographer and other 'official' looking people in attendance standing dutifully by the tent. Me & my faithful walking companion don't usually get this sort of reception, how did they know where we were walking today? More importantly that my dog is partial to the odd sausage roll (or three)?

Unfortunately the welcoming committee wasn't for us but had something to do with a 100k Mountain Marathon starting from Brockhole.

Early morning in Haweswater, the sun hadn't come over Selside Pike yet...


Hayeswater to be retired after 100 years of service



Friday 13 September 2013

Binsey - A rural trespass

Binsey is a relatively low hill in the Northern Fells, one I've climbed several times from Binsey Lodge or via the green lane leaving the A591. I've never walked this hill from High Ireby (Binsey 6), a route Wainwright describes as a 'rural stroll ... through unfrequented countryside', some of this could be due to lack of public rights of way onto the hill side. The omission of a public footpath on a map doesn't always mean that no path exists but barbed wire and a 'PRIVATE' sign turns this approach into a trespass.

The High Ireby to High Houses footpath...


Wednesday 11 September 2013

Hallin Fell - An opportunist summit bag

Hallin Fell is one of those hills whose summit rewards with great views for very little effort. The speed of ascent from Martindale Church means this hill is best climbed when passing rather than making a special trip.

Hallin Fell's summit cairn...

Tuesday 10 September 2013

A round of Boredale


With my goal of completing the Birketts nearing reality with the remaining tops finally dropping below 3 figures (in my defence their is 541 tops on the list). I find myself walking over familiar ground in an effort to pick off insignificant tops.   

Today I had my eye on three Birketts :- Low Birk Fell, Bleaberry Knott (Birk Fell) & the interestingly named The Knight; these tops are found are located on the North ridge of Place Fell. I'm not sure where 'The Knight' gets its name, it could be from the Arthurian links of Ullswater or its distinctive shape when seen from a distance. Unfortunately it disappoints close up, the other two Birketts provide better views.

Place Fell is one of the finest viewpoints in Lake District so a visit to its top providing the cloud is above its top is no hardship and the return to Sandwick by Beda Fell's long undulating ridge finishes off a pleasant round of Boredale.

Ullswater's lakeside path now left, Low Birk Fell dominates the view ahead...