Roaches - Luds Church 23/09/2014

Mid week walk on my week off work with Jake and Rowan.

This is a great walk I have done before - Roaches - Roach end - Luds Church - Gradbach Wood and then back along the edge.

Roaches Summit

Luds church

Fantastic walk - overcast but dry and warm.

About 7 miles OS OL24 White Peak.

Derwent Edge Lancaster Bombers 21st September 2014

Brilliant day for a walk - clear , no wind but pleasantly warm.

It was my last chance to see the two last airworthy Lancasters flying together,before the Canadian one returned home.

I set of early so that I could get somewhere to park. The car park and all the laybys down to Fairholmes were all full p at 9.00!!. I did a U turn and headed back to Bamford and parked opposite Ladybower just South of the A57.

I headed away from the edge for a while towards cutthroat bridge. I took a left turn up through Ladybower Wood and the footpath soon disapeared as I reached a high drystone wall. I could see the the edge about 1/2 a mile to my right. As I seemed to be heading back down, I carefully climbed the wall and headed across the open moor to Whinstone Lee Tor. That was really hard work wading though Bracken and Heather.

Eventually I got to the path on the edge and had a pleasant stroll along as far as Back Tor. I had planned to drop down to Derwent Resevoir and watch the planes form there, but decided that the views down Ladybower from close to Whinstone Lee Tor were excellent ...and I would have a shorter walk back to the car after seeing the planes.

I tracked back and found a comfy grass ledge with rocks to lean on looking down the full length of Ladybower. I settled down for a two hour wait, and was soon joined by lots of other folk come to watch. About 30 mins before the Lancs we were treated to a flypast by two spitfires. They flew down and then  back along the reservoir twice - fantastic.

Then the Lancs came and it was a real privilege to see them , and also a fantastic view as they were flying level with where  we were watching. They flew down , and then back and down again before heading off to Lincolnshire....absolutely brilliant.

After that I dropped back down from Whinstone Lee Tor to the A57 and back to the car.

About 6 Miles OS OL 1 Dark Peak - great day out

High Seat – Bleaberry Fell – Walla Crag 12th September 2014

 A shorter walk this week compared to last weeks 12 miles. This was an excellent walk in perfect conditions. Warm with no breeze. The only slight downside was the haziness which made some the views not as spectacular as they might have been, but this is the Lake District – you take what you get.

I parked at the NT car park at Ashness Bridge. The footpath was just over the road next to the NT building covered in sheepskins (that is what it looks like). The ascent was a steady pull – steep in places , but straightforward, with great views back over Derwent Water. Soon as I was at the rim of the plateau on the edge of Ashness Fell. Navigation  to the summit from here was easy. There were some patches of boggy ground but no problems to get around.

Hazy view of Catbells across Derwent Water

path across the plateau - with Dodd looming into view

High seat summit cairn

The summit of High Seat is marked with a small cairn and a trig point. The next target – Bleaberry Fell could be seen clearly across the plateau. I stopped for a break and a chat with a fellow walker who arrived at the summit a few minutes after me. The track across to Bleaberry Fell was boggy in places , but nowhere near as bad as Wainwright describes it. In fact it was just like a dark peak walk in Derbyshire.

 

Trig Point _ High Seat

Bleaberry Fell - across the plateau

Walla Crag from Bleaberry Fell

Bleaberry Fell was soon reached and the clear path down to Wall Crag could be seen. The summit of Walla Crag is a beautiful place with great views over Derwent Water.

Derwent water from Wall Crag summit

On the way down

Little disappointed with myself as I messed up my final bit of navigation back to Ashness Bridge. I ended up on the Borrowdale Road which mean’t a mile or so of road walking back to Ashness Bridge. I had just glanced at the map and thought – ‘ I can’t go wrong’ – the obvious mistake was dropping down on a steep path, where I should have turned left after Walla Crag back on the plateau which would have taken me around Falcon Crag and then back down to Ashness Bridge.

A really enjoyable walk – about 6 miles OS OL 4

Carrock Fell 5th September 2014

This was the first Friday of my new 4 day week working arrangement. Lovely weather , perfect for walking. I decided to have a go at some of the far northern fells.

I drove through the village of Mosedale and ½ a mile North , just past Stone End Farm I parked on the grass at the side of the Road. Just a few hundred yards west was the flank of Carrock Fell.  I was expectiong a steep ascent but not quite this steep !!. I headed up along Rake Trod which soon got me warmed up. This then meets a gully  which bears  right and  becomes even steeper. I had to stop about 4 times to catch my breath. Eventually I reached the edge of the main plateau and the gradient became a lot gentler towards the summit. This was a very pleasant walk and soon reaches the summit which is the site of an iron age hill fort.

 

Mosedale - looking back on the way up

Top of the gully

Looking back again

Summit in sight

Carrock Fell Summit

It was a lovely clear day and I could see my next target – High Pike and I could easily make out the path I needed to follow which skirted Round Knott and climbed over Mliton Hill. The bits of ascent needed to get to High Pike were nothing compared to the initial ascent of Carrock Fell. 

Approaching High Pike

High Pike summit

Carrock Fell from High Pike Summit

The top of High Pike hs a nice summit cairn and even better – a bench. I stopped there for a bite to eat and some photos and then retraced my way up back to the main path which is the Cumbria way. This is a good path which heads South towards Grainsgill Beck. A good signpost is a shooting Cabin which is close to the path as you pass Great Lingy Hill on the right. Cross the beck and then there is a short steep climb up Coomb height which brings you onto the summit plateau of Knott. Heading roughly west for about ½ mile brought me to the summit of Knott. Another food stop while soaking up the fantastic panorama all around.

 

View from top of Knott

Knott Summit

Another backtrack , down to Grainsgill Beck and the path takes you all the way down to Mosedale past the ruins of the Carrock mine,  The descent was a lot more gradual than recent ones and a lot easier on my toes.  Also , it was great to be walking alongside running water.

On the way down

Carrock Mine ruined building

Three more Wainwrights and another fabulous day in Lakeland, although this walk felt more like a Dark Peak walk.

About 12 miles OS OL4 and OL5 – both maps needed