Skiddaw Little Man June 9 2016

Short walk as part of a stopover in Cumbria on the way to Glasgow the following day, with my boss Ian.

Probably the simplest piece of navigation ever. We parked at the Gale Road car park - so already a thousand foot of elevation. Then straight up on the tourist path.

The conditions were very muggy/humid so the first bit of the walk up the zig zags was hard.

The zig zags

 After stopping for a rest we got onto the less steep section which was so much easier. As the Skiddaw path goes over a stile at a fence (Jenkin Hill to the right), we took a left turn on the well defined path to the lower summit of Little Man (Lesser Man).  After passing Lesser Man we were soon at the true summit for a well deserved rest, and a chat with a fellow fell walker.

Hazy view of Derwent Water

Summit Cairn

Lesser Man from the summit

 From there straight back down to the car , and a short drive to the Royal Oak at Braithwaite where we had  a lovely evening - great food, beer, and conversation.

As the conditions were very hazy the pics I took were distinctly average, but what was nice is that I could see where we were going unlike the first time I came here (one of my early Wainwright walks) in driving rain, and mist. I didn't do Little Man that day as I couldn't see it !That day I got to the top of Skiddaw and came straight back down.

Another Wainwright done - although I still have Lonscale fell to do, so will need to almost repeat this walk.

What a brilliant way to spend a late afternoon/ evening.

OS OL 4 , about 4 miles

Mosedale Round 26/27th May 2016

This was a two day outing with Richard , including an overnight stay at the fantastic Black Sail Hut in Ennerdale.

Day 1

Park at Wasdale Head in the early afternoon. The plan was to climb up to Beck Head between Kirk Fell and Great Gable , bag Kirk Fell and then head onto the hut.

However, it didn't quite work out like that. As we headed up the valley we could see thta we were heading into thick hill fog. We met a fellow walker coming down looking for the Honister Pass and claiming to have lost his map. We explained he was heading in the exact opposite direction and he could join us up to the Beck Head where we could redirect him. However he decided to try his chance at a walk down to Wasdale Head and then picking up a taxi back round to Honister (quite a distance given the high ground inbetween,

Looking back to Wasdale Head

Who is this man ?

We carried on slogging up the slope to the hause between Great Gable and Kirk Fell - Beck Head. By then we were in thick hill fog, and it was an easy decision not to carry on up Kirk Fell. We had a study of the map and determined which path was the correct one to take us down onto the Moses Trod path. We bumped into another couple of climbers on the way down who were looking for windy gap on the way up to Great Gable ....would have been an absolute doddle in clear weather. Shortly after that we heard a voice in the mist 'Help I'm lost'. Eventually emerging out of the mist emerged a woman on her penultimate day of the coast to coast looking for the Black Sail Hut. She was delighted to tag along with us. However, we were still looking for the turn off the path onto the tongue. Checking the map and my Garmin we figured we had gone too far, so started backtracking where we bumped into lost person no 1. On his way down to Wasdale Head he had been advised it would cost him £150 to get a taxi to come from Keswick to pick him up and take to the Honister slate mine car park - ouch. At least this time he was in the right valley heading the right way. We gave him directions and set him on his way.....I hope he got home.

We found the path - called the Tongue on the map, and in just over an hour we arrived at the Black Sail Hut ...what a fantastic place. 

After a great night - good food , beer , company and a game of scrabble (we lost!) we awoke ready for the main event.

Great Gable at the head of the Valley (Friday morning)

Day 2

North end of the route of day 2

South end of the route of day 2

After a cooked breakfast we headed over the footbridge and up the Black Sail pass. Unlike the day before , there was no mist and from the top of the pass the views along the ridgline and across the Mosedale valley were stunning.

Yewbarrow and Dore Head Screes across the valley

From that point the walk was very strenuous - lots of ups and downs , boulder fields , and scrambles. From the top of the pass we headed along the bumpy ridge to the summit plateau of Pillar.

Summit of Pillar

The way towards wind gap and Scoat fell was marked by a series of small cairns. It was quite a tricky descent down to wind gap (with a lot of height loss). From Wind Gap we then had to climb up to Black Crag, and then down and up again to the summit of Scoat Fell with the wall running along the top.

I know - its just a pile of stones - the top of Scoat Fell

 From there we took the path (with a fairly steep drop to the left) to Steeple- or third Wainwright of the day.

Steeple

Top of Steeple

Retracing our steps we crossed back to Scoat Fell and stopped for a snack before heading for our next destination - Red Pike, on the ridge opposite Kirk Fell. We may have missed the summit by following the path just below the ridge....however, we had done the hard work - I claim Red Pike !!

Summit of Red Pike ?

By the time we got to Yewbarrow and took one look at Stirrup Crag above Dore Head we decided that was not for today,so we took our rucksacks off and had a lovely lie down next to a small pool/tarn at the foot of Stirrup Crag.

Not today - too steep

 We took the footpath which leads around the flank of Yewbarrow and then eventually back down to Wasdale, where we had a cup of tea at the pub and met up with Jon , who we met the night before at the Black Sail Hostel.

Unfortunately, most of the pics I took in the afternoon didn't come out too well due to the hazy conditions (and my lack of skill !!)

Another stunning (but tiring) walk in the Western Lake District. 4 Wainwrights for the day

About 9 miles OS OL 4