Kentmere Round 13th June 2014

What a walk. First week of my holiday from work. We have been staying at home and just having days out – cycling / walking etc. Anne was going to be busy on Friday, so I decided on this walk. Conditions for walking – perfect. Cloudy, clear visibility and no wind.

Badger Rock

On the Garburn pass looking back to the start point

 Up at 4, and was parked up at Kentmere church by 7.45. There is only room for a few cars, and by the time I had got my boots on there were two other cars parked up. Payment is via an honesty box. The first part of the walk was a bit confusing – from the Church to Kentmere Hall (1 – 200 yards) and then  right turn for a footpath. Trouble is the footpath just disappeared in a wet / muddy field. After 10 minutes of wandering around (there was another couple of walkers with the same problem). Eventually I found a gate in the corner of the field, and the other side of the gate was a signpost to the Garburn pass which is an old pony / miners track. After that there were no more ‘navigation malfunctions’ 

Path up to Yoke

Yoke Summit

From Yoke looking to Ill Bell with Thornthwaite Crag in the distance

Way up to Ill Bell

 

It is quite a slog up the pass – well defined but rocky path. I was soon sweating and removing my top layer. At the top of the Garburn pass turn right which is the start of the Ill Bell ridge. From there it is a steady climb up to the top of Yoke with amazing views all around. The path from there is well defined onto Ill Bell , Frostwick and then Thornthwaite Crag. Although this is classed as a ridge walk there are a lot of ups and downs , particularly down from Ill Bell. Thornthwaite Carg summit is a nice place – brilliant views all around and  flat , with plenty of rocks to sit on and a spectacular summit cairn.

Ill Bell summit

Frostwick from Ill Bell

Having got this far it was worth a slight detour to visit the summit of High Street. As Wainwright describes it the summit isn’t that exciting – a trig point at the side of the path. Amazing that this was originally part of a Roman  road. I then followed the line of the wall before picking up the path to the left which leads to Mardale Ill Bell. The section of the walk from Thornthwaite Crag to here was the easiest, but after Mardale Ill Bell the traverse of the Nan Bield Pass an climb up to Harter fell was hard work. There is a lot of height loss to reach the shelter which forms the cross roads between Kentmere and Mardale vallies. Then the climb up to the summit of Harter fell was steep but with a decent path which meandered its way up the fell.

Ill Bell from the top of Frostwick

The path to Thornthwaite Crag

Thornthwaite Crag - wainwright # 60

Kentmere resevoir

High Street Summit

Mardale Ill Bell Summit

way up to Harter Fell

Harter Fell summit

Kentmere Pike summit

Last pic of the day - nearly back

 

A well deserved lunch sat near the summit cairn. By this time I had seen only 7 fellow walkers. It is such a beautiful part of the lakes ….I felt very lucky to have the summit to myself. The path to kentmere Pike then follows the fence , and then wall and is very similar to the descent on the Fairfield Horseshoe walk – following a wall with detours around peat bogs. After Kentmere Pike I started to tire as the loss in height accelerated down some steep rocky paths. Shipman Knotts – the last summit of the day is just a jumble of rocky crags which form the start of this ridge. The walk back into the village (once I was off the fell) was about a mile and half and I was glad to get back to the car by then.

First three peaks of the walk seen from the return ridge

 

Possibly the best days walking I have had in the Lakes – awesome , stunning , amazing….there must be some better adjectives!!

 

OS OL7 14 miles, 8 hours