1st May 2015 Ullock Pike Ridge

Next chapter in my Wainwright adventure.

A clear, war day  with a little breeze. Perfect.

This was a medium sized walk but as usual I had the aches and sores for a couple of days after !! Also, this was the first trip to the lakes with my new panasonic bridge camera.

After an early start and a good drive I arrived at the Mirehouses car park on the east side of Bassenthwaite Lake, This is also the starting point to walk up to the Osprey viewing point on the side of Dodd.

Between the two buildings I crossed the footbridge an took a left onto a waymarked footpath through the woods. I kept following the yellow waymarks until they stopped and the path continued through Rabbit Warren before meeting the path coming up from Ravenstone Hotel. Turn right here and the path climbs steeply up to a gate and then onto the open fellside. After a decent climb the path meets the ridge line. Turn right here and Ullock Pike summit can be clearly seen in the distance.

Ullock Pike

Bassenthwaite Lake

Top of Ullock Pike

Long Side Edge from Ullock Pike

From here navigation was straightforward. Ullock Pike - Longside Edge, Carl Side. At Carl Side tarn I surveyed the possibility of climbing Skiddaw and Skidaw Little Man. I reckoned this would add around 4 miles to the day including a steep up and down of Skiddaw. I decided against that. Skiddaw Little Man would have to be bagged on another day.

Skiddaw Little Man

Dodd from Longside Edge

Newlands Valley

The path down Carl Side to Long Doors col was a straightforward zig zag but typically Lake District rough, bumpy and rocky in places. 

Top of Longside Edge with Skiddaw in the background

Bassenthwaite from top of Dodd

Dodd Summit

From Long Doors I took the excellent track through Dodd Wood to the summit of Dodd. Although this was the lowest summit of the day it offered the best views along Bassenthwaite,  Newlands valley, and Derwent Water.

I followed the forest road back to the car park to finish yet another excellent day in Lakeland.

OS OL 4 NW Lakes. Around 6.5 miles

19th April Millers Dale , Tideswell Dale

Excellent walk with Richard. It makes a nice change to do a walk with little climbing involved.

We started opposite the church in the centre of Litton.Heading east along the main road, we took the first road right and then after a couple of hundred yards found the clearly marked footpath which took us over some gently undulating hills to the top edge of Cressbrook Dale. From there we took the path down to the valley floor and then followed the path to the Weir at Cressbrook Mill,

Beautiful scenery all the way from there along the splendidly named Water-Cum_Jolly-Dale, Millers Dale and Tideswell Dale for the final bit of the walk which was a short stroll along the road back into Litton.

OS OL24 White Peak. Around 5,5 miles