Cunswick Scar & Scout Scar - Still cheating!!

Another two outliers, I would have liked to follow Wainwrights full route over these but for now I only had time for a quick dash, taking advantage of the free LDNPA car park in a small quarry near the antenna on the Kendal to Underbarrow road. There's more parking at the access road to the mast, both of which where quite busy for a mid week morning & it seemed a popular walk for Kendal's dog walkers.

Looking back at the antenna near the car park... 

Staveley Fell - One hazard exchanged for another!

Staveley Fell was one of the Outlying Fells I was desperate to get done before the bracken makes an appearance. AW warns that the bracken on the ridge impedes progress so at the tail end of April, I was expecting no more than green shoots. Of course I hadn't anticipated recent forest operations that made some of the walking more awkward then expected!

Surprising for its closeness to Windermere there is an abundance of parking in Staveley in Cartmel. For a
change I more or less followed the original route.

The track through the woods leaves Staveley in Cartmel beside a telephone box...

Kentmere Horseshoe Pt 2 - Making a long walk longer

This is an extension to a walk around the Kentmere Horseshoe.

My usual choice of route from Shipman Knott is to turn down the pass to Green Quarter, however today I was after three minor tops. It was a straight pull from the pass summit following the wall before descending towards Skeggles Water.

view back to Shipman Knotts from Hollow Moor... 

Raven's Barrow - A short walk made shorter

Another trip picking off those pesky outliers around Windermere. In AWs guide book this is a short walk visiting the monument of Raven's Barrow and taking in Sow How Tarn. As visibility was very poor a short walk became even shorter with a dash to Raven's Barrows cairn and back to the car. Despite the narrow single track road there are a couple of places where a car can be parked off road near the Cartmel Church junction.

Access onto the fell...

Latterbarrow - Another quick dash up & down

Heading North on the west side of Windermere gave me the chance to have a quick dash up Latterbarrow from the road, and since it had started to rain an equally quick dash down... 

the National Trust state their claim...

Finsthwaite Heights - This is not Fellwalking!

I'm still slowly chipping away at the Wainwright Outlying Fells and surprisingly this one doesn't have a definite summit, Wainwright unhelpfully states the highest parts have a height "about 600 feet". The Database of British and Irish Hills website places the summit to the South of High Dam and even [b]estimates[/b] its grid reference (SD361883). 

To quote AW 'Everywhere the surroundings are delightful. But this is not fellwalking.' - needless to say I didn't bother hunting in the woods for the summit, the path around the reservoir is probably higher anyway. I seemed to arrive at the LDNPA car park (£1.30 for an hour - there are a few spaces down the road) just after everyone else so my photos only start when the hordes are passed!

High Dam...

Back to School (Knott a chance!)

Today brought another short walk, another list ticking exercise over three outliers just outside Windermere.
Personally I would rather have been enjoying the snow on the higher fells but hopefully it will still be there later in the week when I get the opportunity to get out properly

I had forgotten to pick up Vol 8 from the kitchen table on my way out but this wasn't important as I'd already decided to approach these from along the Dales Way. At the junction of the B5284/Cleabarrow Road (about 200yds East of the golf course) there is parking for about four cars - an ideal out of town starting point.

With hindsight I wish after the quick climb up Brant Fell the other week, I'd continued along the Dales Way to pick off these three!

Cleabarrow Road & part of the Dalesway, parking here for around four cars...

Whitbarrow - An opportunist Marilyn & Wainwright Outlier

Another opportunist Lakeland Marilyn & Wainwright Outlier. Pretty straightforward ascent and I returned by the same route as I didn't have time to follow the full circular route from the Wainwright guide. Which is a shame as the limestone pavements are probably worthy of a more prolonged visit!

I parked near the entrance to Witherslack School...

Brant Fell - Unexpected bustle on the hill

I had to be in Windermere again this morning so I had the opportunity to grab another Wainwright Outlying Fell. With not a great deal of spare time it had to be Brant Fell, low & within walking distance of Windermere.

Many of the other online 'reports' of Brant Fell describe it as 'an escape from the bustle of Windermere', but on this chilly January morning the hill was busier than Windermere.

Follow the double yellows up Brantfell Road to the start of the Dalesway...

A quick dash up Gummer's How

Had to be in Windermere this morning so thought I'd take advantage with an opportunist Marilyn & Wainwright Outlier - managed to sneak my usual walking partner along too :)

I started from the Forestry Commission car park so the car did most of the work. Very easy going on a good path although I had a look at picking off the Birkett of Birch Fell but with hindsight should have brought my boots as it was wet & boggy  so didn't bother. Good views and a worthwhile short climb although not worth making a long trip for by itself.

Not much going on beside Windermere...

Irton Pike - A quick up & down

A quick up & down, even if your not collecting Wainwright Outlying tops its still a worthy viewpoint.

Obvious parking place...

A circuit of Miterdale - Plan C

This was a last minute plan C! My plan A had been a Outlying & Birkett top collecting exercise into the Dunnerdale Fells, but unfortunately comitments slowly began to fill up the afternoon so realisticaly I'd never get them all done. My plan B would have been a walk up Lingmell to pick up the Nuttals of Round How (99% sure I've been over this one before) & Middleboot Knotts (50-50 on this one?) but as I gained my
first view down Wasdale, the cloud was just licking  Lingmell & the Scafells were well & truely in the clouds. Time for a plan C.

I had the nearby Wainwright Outlier of Irton Pike & the Birkett top of Great Bank to tick off & Boat How was overdue a re-visit. As time was now of the essence I decided to approach Great Bank from the car park half way down Mitredale and follow the Whin Rigg to Illgill Head ridge to Burnmoor Tarn - from here I could return to the car over Boat How. If time allowed I could gain Irton Pike as a quick ascent from the road.

Under no circumstance can I recommend my route up Great Bank - a longer route starting/ending under Irton Pike however would be pleasant

Great Bank, a Birkett top...

A Staveley figure of eight

With a forecast for 'extensive hill fog' I decided it pointless staying in the heart of the Lakes and decided to travel again to the Far Eastern fringe and pick off a few more outliers. Skiddaw & Blencathra had their heads in the cloud butI had to fight the urge to pull in to the empty parking for Helvellyn. A faint whiff of cloud teased its summit and with the surrounding blue sky it did look enticing :)

Arriving at Staveley and the car dumped by Barley Bridge with still a distinct lack of hill fog I wondered if I'd made the right decision. When I started on the Wainwright Outliers I soon discovered that it was handy taking the book or at least a photocopy of the map, a majority is through farmland so having a heads up where the (usually hidden) stiles & gates are to be found. Unfortunately it was at this point that the guide which I thought was in the car's glove box was back home on the book shelf, my memory isn't the best !

The first leg of the 'figure of eight' covered the Potter Fell section and probably involved a trespass. The second loop covered High Knott, Hugill Fell & Reston Scar chapters in one pass and again probably involved a bit of trespassing. Plenty of barbed wire & stone walls had to be crossed - not always easy with a wayward terrier.

Early morning in the Kent valley...

Wet, Wet, Wet Sleddale

This was the second walk of the day in an attempt to maximise summits/per car miles, don't say I don't do my bit for the environment. The original route was followed with the addition of Wasdale Pike as I had missed it off my Crookdale/Wasdale combo. As I'd never visited Wet Sleddale I was quite looking forward to this, but unnfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. I had originally intended to visit in the frozen depths of winter the 'Wet' in the name being a clue to what one might expect.

The route was wet, heathery, tussocky more or less throughout the only respite being on the easy return Bridleway. Again the sound of bellowing Stags drifted up from the valley floor, I disturbed a a small herd near Great Saddle Crag but they disappeared before the camera switched on. I also disturbed an owl hidden amongst the heather - I've never seen this before ?

Wet Sleddale Reservoir only completed in the 60's supplies Manchester via Haweswater...

Robin Hood & his merry summits

I've slowly been working my way through the Shap Fells and today I planned to merge two of Wainwright Outlier routes into one, AW devotes a chapter each to the Crookdale & Wasdale Horseshoes. With Wasdale Pike omitted the remaining six summits make a more complete horseshoe of Crookdale.

Earlier in September I'd walked the Bannisdale Horseshoe and out of all the Outlying routes this is the one I had been looking forward to the most, unfortunately it hadn't really impressed me - although the poor weather I encountered could have played a part. Feeling uninspired & with this in mind I wasn't looking forward to these and the morning forecast of extensive hill-fog didn't really help my 'flat' feeling.

The official route starts from the A6 near Borrow Bridge but access beside the farm is no longer tolerated so I started from the old road where there is an abundance of parking. With the weather better than forecast and access problems avoided my mood improved and I really enjoyed this foray into the Shap hills. Its quite wet in places so would be ideal left for winter but I managed to finish with dry feet.

Early morning, the climb up High House Bank, two deer disappeared before I could reach to the camera...

Bleak hills, bleak weather - Selside Pike & Branstree

For this round of Wainwrights I'd decided to include the outlying tops of Nabs Moor & Howes with Branstree & Selside Pike and finally have a look at the MBA's Mosedale Cottage Bothy something I've been to planning to do for a while. I just needed the weather to play ball but I had spent the week watching
the weather turn out far better then forecast. So with another poor forecast I hoped they got it wrong again, they didn't!!

Skiddaw was clear in the early morning but by the time I set off the cloud was beginning to build up & as forecast it went downhill rapidally. The forecast weather was meant to be better in the east of the county, it probably wasn't, I think it was pretty miserable everywhere!

MWIS predicted and actually got it right a nil chance of cloud free summits.

Not looking promising up Swindale...

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)...