Dave Rambles on and on...: Wasdale Head June 2019

This was a trip to mop up some of the western wainwrights still outstanding. I didn't bring Meg this time due to the distance and heat. Base camp was the NT campsite at Wasdale.

Day 1 - Wednesday 19 June Kirk Fell.

By the time I had arrived and set up camp it was two o clock before starting this 'there and back' walk.

There was about a mile of easy walking on the valley floor before the climbing began. all the time there are magnificent views all around in this walking Mecca.

Sca Fell

The route up to Beck Head

Footbridge before the start of the walk

Great Napes on the edge of Great Gable

The route up was fairly straightforward , up the valley to Beck Head , and then up onto the fell via rib end.

Wast Water

Beck Head

Scafell Pike summit on max zoom from Kirk Fell

Kirk Fell Summit #200

The magnificent Great Gable

Kirk Fell Tarn with the North top in the background

A magnificent and satisfying start to the trip.

OS OL6 about 7 miles.

Day 2 Thursday 20th June Haycock and Kirk Fell

Another 'there and back' walk although with hindsight I could have made the return via NetherBeck valley.

To save a couple of miles of road walking at the start and end of the walk I parked at Overbeck Bridge.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable from Dore Head

Stirrup Cragat the edge of Yewbarrow

Looking down from Dore Head

This route took in Red Pike, so this time I didn't wander past the summit without visiting it.

Red Pike Summit

Apart from a shower followed by some low lying cloud around the time I got to Scoat fell the navigation was fairly straightforward using the wall between Scoat Fell and Haycock as a guide.

Caw Fell Summit

Little Gowder Crag from Caw Fell

Haycock Summit

Haycock wind shelter

Great Gable in the distance

I thought Little Gowder Crag was Caw fell until I couldn't find a cairn. However, from the top of this crag I got a magnificent view of two RAF jets flying past at eye level and then diving down to fly over Ennerdale water.

Great to touch the top of Red Pike. Wainwrights #201 and #202. OS OL 6. about 13 miles.

Day 3 Friday 21st June 2019. Buckbarrow, Seatallan and Middle Pike.

I was feeling bruised an battered from yesterdays walk on Friday morning and was limping around with a sore left ankle as I broke camp. I nearly packed up and then just set of for home, but I thought at the very least I should do a recce for this next walk(where to park, where the walk starts etc..) I parked at Greendale and fortunately because the first mile is road walking, this settled my ankle down and by the start of the walk proper I was feeling fine.

Schoolboy error number 1. I couldn't find the start of the walk (red cross) (using a Go 4 a Walk guide).
With hindsight I needed to walk a bit further on the road.(green cross).

Not wanting to give in I saw a path to the right through the bracken heading straight up the fell side to a gully at the top of the ridge. Like a muppet I took off and soon reached a 'point of no return' - the path had faded and the gradient had got steeper and rockier and heading back down wasn't an option.. By the time I got to the top I was exhausted , but pleased to quickly locate the path I should have been on.

Looking down the slope from the top of the gulley

Top of the gulley

After a rest I headed on up to the top of Buckbarrow (a small fell, but I won't forget this one !).

Cairn on the edge of Buckbarrow not far from the summit

The Irish Sea

Buckbarrow summit

With good visibility the route to Seatallan via Glade Hows , and Cat Bields was very straightforward.

Glade Hows Cairn

Cat Bields Cairn

The path to Seatallan

Seatallan summit

The only other tricky bit of navigation was between Seatallan and Middle Fell. After dropping of the summit due NW there is a pathless section SW towards the start of Middle fell ridge. With clear visibility this was OK but could have been a real problem in mist. On this section I put my right foot in a bog - water straight over the top into my boots !!