North Western Lake District June 2nd 2013

A bit excessive, driving to the Lake district for  a day out , but I was really up for this after checking out the favourable weather forecast. Up at stupid O'clock, and I was parked just outside Braithwaite for 8 O clock, at the same car park as last time. The plan was to do some of the peaks that I missed last time.

On the way up via the old mine track

I did the easy bit of the walk first this time which was to head up the old mine road , up to Coledale Hause. Disappointingly, there were wisps of cloud gathering around the top of Crag Hill as I made my ascent, with the sun making a few pathetic attempts to peak out.  Once at the top of the Hause I stopped for a brief rest and a look at the map.

The path up the pass that skirts the side of Crag Hill

I set of on the god path with the stream on one side and the side of Crag Hill on the other. Eventually this comes to a T junction. I took the right fork which heads up Grasmoor....unfortunately as some mist began to settle. I reached a cairn and thought this must be it, and then the mist cleared and I could see the path snaking further upwards. Soon I was on the wide plateau of the summit with (average) views around....there was still quite a bit of low cloud.

View from the top of Grasmoor

 



From there back down the same path and carry on straight up to the summit of Crag Hill. Finally ...after twice getting within touching distance !!

Crag Hill Summit

 

Coledale Valley from the top of Crag Hill

 

 

I took a look at the map and realised it wasn't far to Wandope from Crag Hill, so I headed back down to the pass and then left across the grass towards the summit of Wandope. This was the only 'cheap' summit of the day, in terms of the effort to get to the summit. The views across Addacomb Hole across to Knott Rigg and Ard Crags were spectacular.

 

From there, I headed back to Coledale Hause , and then up to Hopegill Head via Sand Hill. At least I got to see the incredible drop of Hobcarton Crag, which I missed last time in the mist.

 

 

 

From Hopegill Head I headed off onto the Whiteside Ridge, and off to the right there was a paraglider floating below me. After a while the path stopped and the way was over a narrow arête with steep drops either side. I have to say that this scared the crap out of me.....Striding Edge was fine but this seemed worse. it could be that I was tired after a hard days walking ? I stopped for a sit down to try and calm myself down, and then carried on for a while. After another stretch of path I hit another arête and decided to call it a day, as I still had a long way back to the car. I had got about two thirds of the way along te ridge but hadn't reached the summit.

 

 

So I did a u turn back to Hopegill Head and then back up to Grisdale Pike, which seemed a lot bigger than when I had done it in the mist a few weeks ago. By this time the low clouds had gone and there were breath-taking views all around. I didn't realise the descent from Grisdale Pike towards Braithwaite is such a pig. After a while my toes were banging into the front of my boots and pretty soon every step was bloody painful. There must be a way of avoiding this....both my big toe nails are black now !!

 

I checked my route on track logs and I had covered 12 miles and 4,600 feet of ascent.

 

Apart, from the sore toes and scaring the crap out of myself on Whiteside this is another day which will last long in the memory.

 

OS OL 4