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

Ben Nevis 13/05/2016

Getting ready

The big one. Something I have always fancied doing , so we (myself , Jake and Rowan) had two days of work (1 for me I don't work Fridays) and we drove up to Fort William on the Thursday to spend the night at a hostel.

We skipped breakfast at the hostel , thinking we could get something more substantial at McDonalds or Morrisons, but it seems the Scots don't like to open early (it was about 7.30). A short drive out of town to the Glen Nevis visitor centre took us to the start of the walk. The route we took was the popular Mountain Track / Pony Route / Tourist Route. I can understand why they don't call it the tourist route anymore - for most the way the path is well defined, but not near the summit where there are steep drops from the plateau and frequent hill fog.

For most of the walk jake and myself were trailing Rowan who didn't have any problems with the effort required. With a few stops for a breather we made good time and it wasn't until we got to the top of the zig zags , and there was a thick layer of snow for the rest of the route. After a few hundred yards more we were walking in thick hill mist - we had reached a cairn and could not see the next cairn. We were there a while - didn't see anyone following us up , and thought maybe we should turn around ....... I checked my garmin and we were not far from the foot of Mcleans Steep which is the last bit of uphill to get on the plateau proper. While we were deliberating a guided group of about 25 people arrived , and we mad the sensible decision to tag along after them for the final summit push (I know I have been reading too many Everest books!!) I am confident I could have got us there but it felt safer following someone who does this several times per week.

Red Burn - just before the start of the zig zags

The view on the way up

on the zig zags

It was a great feeling to get to the summit - there was plenty of folk there and more arrived as we were taking pics

The remains of the old weather observatory

Two handsome chaps

What a poser

Same way back down. Apart from a trip where Jake hurt his ankle , an uneventful descent.

A magic mountain day out on Britain's highest - about 8 miles - Map - Harvey Superwalker

Loadpot Hill 6th May 2016

The next chapter of my Lake District adventure covering the Fells in the North Eastern corner of the national park.

A little hazy at times , but otherwise perfect walking weather.

I drove up the A1 and left the car at Wetherby were I met with Richard who drove the rest of the way to the Church at Howtown.

North end of the route

South end of the route

The church at Howtown is a wonderful, beautiful and peaceful spot. We walked back along the single track road for a short distance and then picked up the path to the steamer landing stage. From there we picked up the gradually rising path along the flank of Barton Fell. With Barton Park to the left the path takes a hairpin turn to get onto the ridge up to Arthurs Pike. The advice in the guides (Wainwright and Mark Richards) is to avoid this ridge in the mist and I can understand why. It is more like gently rolling moorland than a ridge with the path indistinct at times. It would be easy to get lost in mist. Not today as the conditions were perfect.

Start of the walk

Soon we arrived at Arthurs Pike via whinny Crag (the view from here across Ullswater was stunning).

View from Whinny Crag

Arthurs Pike

From there it was a south west route across grassy paths (indistinct in places) to Bonscale Pike, again with great views across Ullswater, From here the path crosses Barton Fell South and then South East to the High Street ridge where the trig point at the summit of Loadpot Hill is easily located.

Loadpot Hill Summit

I predict a diet

Wether hill is a further 3/4 mile south with a dip around Howe Grain / White Bog.

Wether Hill- not much of a summit cairn

Steel Knotts

Steel Knotts Summit

The last part of the walk drops down from the High Street ridge in a North Westerley direction towards the lower ridge of Steel Knotts. From a distance this looked like quite a proposition but once at the foot of the ridge the climb to the top was quite straightforward. Great views all around from the summit.

From there the path drops down to the road a short distance south of the starting point.

We stopped at a pub in Pooley Bridge for a meal before the drive back....fish and chips  for me , pie and chips for Richard ...lovely

An excellent day out. The combination of hard work (jelly legs at times), fantastic views, and good company is (in my view) unbeatable.

Around 12 Miles. 2600 feet of ascent. OS OL 5