Crich 28/10/2016

No apologies for repeating this one (first time for Meg). It is easy and not too far to get to the start.

Same route as normal - pics below

Straight into the canal

Bath time when we got home 

Riggindale Ridge 23/09/2016

November the 15th today, so a long time since I posted.

This was my last trip to the Lakes - a magnificent walk up the Riggindale Ridge from Haweswater taking in 5 Wainwrights.

Mardale Head is a magnificent place at the top of Haweswater reservoir with stunning views of the surrounding fells. It is also a sad place as the remains of the dry stone walls of the old village of Mardale can still be seen in the shallows of the water. 

Even though I got there early (before 8 AM having got up at stupid o clock) there were some campervans already there.....maybe that will be me next year !

The navigation was excellent thanks mainly to 'Walk the Lakes'. I have started using their guides on these walks and they are excellent at picking out the details of vague paths - particularly the one near the start that rose through the bracken to get on the ridge.

View of the car park from my climb to the ridge

Haweswater Res

The other sadness was the notice down in the car park that the resident Golden Eagle was no longer there ( a solitary male who had been gracing the skies around this ridge for over a decade). The stomp across the ridge was superb...just as I was getting to the last pull up to the High Street ridge the clouds dropped making the final climb look like a stairway to heaven.

Stairway to Heaven

Blea Water

Looking back to Rough Crag

Eventually, I arrived on the high ground. High Street visited for the second time around (that list is growing). From there in wispy hill fog which finally cleared I walked along to Rampsgill Head enjoying the magnificent views down Riggindale Valley.

Rampsgill Head

Riggindale

From Rampsgill Head I had a look at the map and backtracked west to 'bag' the Knott, where I had a chat with one of the few walkers I saw this day. Then back to Rampsgill Head and north to High Raise , where I had a well deserved rest and bite to eat, enjoying the views and silence.....I love this place !

From High Raise the path descended towards Rampsgill Head but then veered off to the left towards Kidsty Pike, my final Wainwright of the day.

Knott Summit

Kidsty Pike from the Riggindale ridge

High Raise Summit

From the summit of Kidsty Pike I followed the path down to Haweswater, over the Rigg and back to the car park.

What can I say, that I haven't said before...a rough, tough walk with stunning , magnificent views.

OS OL5 around 9.5 Miles