Nethermost Pike, Dollywagon Pike

Starting at the Wythburn car park this was a route up to the Helvellyn ridge I had never done before. A notice at the bottom of the path through the forest warned us that no 'loops' could be walked form Wythburn or the Swirls because of forestry work and tree felling. Despite this we decided to carry on on if there was a problem we could drop down into Grasmere and catch the bus back to the car.
The path soon left the forest and climbed onto the open fell, reminiscent initially of the climb up to Stone Arthur from Grasmere. A good path all the way up with a steady incline but no difficulties. The weather was warm for September but a cool enough breeze to make the climb enjoyable. Although the sky was cloudy the tops were mainly free of cloud apart from Helvellyn itself which drifted in and out of view. The views generally were poor due to the extensive haze.
The path skirted round Comb Crags and then easily to the col between Helvellyn and our first goal, Nethermost Pike. Striding Edge seemed only a stones throw away and was being traverse by what appeared to be a group of schoolchildren in orange helmets.

We tuned right and keeping to the edge climbed  up to Nethermost Pike stopping for lunch at one of the cairns just below the summit. It was then an easy traverse across the lunarscape top to Dolywagon Pike, again keeping to the edge as the main path skirts below the summit .Rather than take the steepish direct descent heading towards Seat Sandal, we decided to descend the zigzag path down to Grisedale tarn.  Before reaching the tarn an indistinct but definite path contoured around westerly to join the coll between Dollywagon Pike and Seat Sandal.

The descent down Raise Beck was delightful. I had always assume this would be an uninteresting route when viewed  from the car speeding over Dunmail raise, but was pleasantly surprised. It was now Friday afternoon and we decided it was very unlikely any forestry operations were taking place and we had heard no noises of forestry machinery so we decided to take the footpath north back to the car park, without incident.

Time  5hrs 30mns

Memories

• Widespread haze affecting views from the top
• Watching scores of people traversing Striding Edge
• Warm but light breeze, ideal walking conditions

Completed 139  To go 75

Middle Fell, Seatallan and Buckbarrow

It had been a while since we had visited the Wasdale area. We stopped for our now regulation pre walk coffee at the bakery in Broughton on the way (highly recommended). The route for this walk was to start up the Greendale path, then veer off up the path to Middle Fell. the tracks were easy to follow and no problems encountered. The weather was warm and dry but very hazy looking over to the Wastwater Screes.
Dropping down off Middle Fell to the col between this and Seatallan we stopped for out lunch. The col was absolutely deserted, warm sunshine and great views. We spent some time here before starting the ascent of Seatallan head towards the Pots of Ashness col but before reaching this heading up the grassy slope to the north west ridge leading down from the summit. It was a bit of a slog up the grassy ridge but the summit was soon attained.

Seatallan from Cat Bield

The next top, Buckbarrow, seem a long way off in the distance but was soon reached descending the gentle path down the slope from Seatallan via Cat Bields and Glade How. Good views again over Wastwater and across to the Scafells.
We dropped down off Buckbarrow following the path down to Gill Beck and then back along the road to Greendale.

Time 5hrs  30mns
Grade  Excellent
Memories

• First warm sunny day of the year
• Beautiful picnic spot after descending Middle Fell

Completed 137  To go 77

Hart Side

We started from the quarry car park just SE of Dockray having stopped for a pre walk coffee at Aira Force.
The beginning and end of this walk was in very heavy rain, but thankfully cleared for the bulk of the day. So, in full waterproofs we headed up the path on the right hand side of the quarry, immediately confronted by wet slippery scrambling to get above the rocks onto a good path running by the wall under Round How and contouring round above Glencoyne Park with, despite the dull weather, grand views down to Ullswater.

The path left the wall, just after the lower path from Glencoyne joined us on the left, and headed across moorland under Brown Hills. When we met the wall running NW up the fell towards Birkett Fell we followed it to it's highest point and then across to the left tothe cairn on Birkett Fell, the only cairn I can remember which has a plaque with it's name on it. It was then an easy ascent to Hart Side summit which was clear of mist.
We had not decided on the route for descent, the possibilities being dropping down into Dockray then back along the road or to retrace our steps and descend into Glencoyne Park. Over our lunch, ont he way  back to Birkett Fell, we decided on the latter. The long path through Glencoyne was delightful despite the now incessant rain that had returned.

Time  4hrs 30mns
Grade Excellent
Memories

• Torrential rain at the start and end of the walk
• Did not meet a soul all day
• Picturesque Glencoyne

Completed 134  To go 80

Sergeant Man and Blea Rigg

Easdale Tarn

For some reason I had always wanted to do Sergeant Man from Grasmere so decided to link it in with a Traverse of Blea Rigg. A long easy walk in up Easdale to the tarn, a clump of daffodils on the far shore, Then straight on, skirting the tarn on our right and taking the well made path passing under Belles Knot. One section  involved an easy but unexpected scramble up the rocks. The peace was interrupted only by the sound of running water and the call of a shepherd to his dog rounding up the sheep higher up on the fell.

 

Langdale Pikes in the haze

After Belles Knot we ascended further with Codale Tarn coming into view on our right and soon reached the junction of paths leading to Blead Rigg, Sergeant Man and down to Stickle Tarn. A right turn at this junction led us upwards with out target soon standing out ahead of us. Views over to the Langdale Pikes were impressive but a general haze obliterated any detailed features.  The haze was a feature of the day. Over the whole country air quality was apparently poor including over the Cumbrian fells.

Having attained the first summit we considered the short trek to High Raise but weary legs and the knowledge of some distance back to Grasmere we decided to retrace our steps to the junction of paths. The shepherd was now over on the Langdale side of the fell still calling and whistling to his dog. We traversed the delightful Blea Rigg ridge before descending back to Easdale Tarn just after Blea Rigg summit. The hazey sun behind us peering over the Blea Crag. It was then the easy long trek retracing our steps to Grasmere village.

Time  6hrs 15mins

Grade Excellent

Memories

• Watching the skill of shepherd and sheep dog
• General dull haze all day
• Long walk in

Completed 133  To go 81

Seat Sandal

This was a dull day with the threat of drizzle but only a light wind. We set off  from the Travellers Rest past a large excavation at the foot of Tongue Gill for the development of a hydroelectric power scheme using the water from gill. Ascending to where the path divided, we took the left hand fork to ascend the delightful wide grassy path up Little Tongue, above the crags of Hause Riggs and the along, loosing a little height, to joint the main path just before the final climb to Grisedale Tarn.
The cloud base was about 600m  and Gavel Crag on our left was intermittently appearing from and then disappearing into the  mist.

At the Hause before Grisedale Tarn we took the direct rout up to Seat Sandal  initially up the steep scree section and then following the old wall to the summit cairn which is just west of the wall. We were fortunate to get some views across Dunmail Raise to Steel Fell and the Ullscarf hills as the cloud had temporarily lifted.

Descending north, once out of the wind we stopped for lunch overlooking Grisedale Tarn and looking across to the col between St Sunday Crag and Fairfield, the summits of both well enshrouded in mist.
The route down was via the main path down Tounge Gill with the cloud base dropping, the sky darkening and rain threatening.

Time  4 hrs

Grade Excellent
Memories

• Hydroelectric construction works at the start of the walk
• Grisedale Tarn more or less to ourselves

Completed 131  To go  83

Ullscarf

Weather was  overcast but the cloud base was high and rain not expected.
We parked at Dob Gill car park and took the well marked path up passed the waterfall to Harrop Tarn.

The Beacon

On reaching the tarn we left the marked path and turned left, over the footbridge to head for the Wythburn fells. We unfortunately initially missed the path heading below Birk Crag and soon found ourselves on a very wet and boggy path skirting the tarn. Realising our mistake, we retraced our steps and found the correct route which went through gate with the wall on our right. Carrying on up to above the forest fence the path headed towards the ridge with the Beacon, an obvious landmark on the horizon, just above us on the right.
From here the path disappeared and we ,sometimes following sheeptracks but mainly without any tracks, along the ridge up to the cairn marked on the OS map just before Castle crags. here we changed direction and made our way westward for what seem an eternity. The wind was strong and the temperature dropped considerably. We knew Autumn had arrived and winter was not far away. this was hard walking on pathless, boggy moorland with very little to guide us as to how far to go before we reached the summit plateau. However eventually we met the broken fence running north/south across Ullscarf and a few minutes heading north we were on the summit.

Gable form Ullscarf

Ullscarf is said to be the centre of the Lake District and the views in all directions were tremendous particularly over to the west across to the Scafell  and Gable range.The route down was easy enough. Continuing by the fence descending until joining the path from Dob Gill to Watendlath, turning right and heading down toward the forest and rback down to Harrop Tarn and then the car park.

Time 4hrs 30 mns
Grade Excellent
Memories

• 360 deg view from summit of all the Lakeland ranges
• Autumn had arrived
• Hard walking with no paths once on the open fell

Completed 130  To go 84

Mungrisdale Common

Dull and damp was the weather forecast, and dull and damp it was posing navigational challenges for our target today. We started at the bottom of Mousethwaite comb just managing to get a car park space up on a grassy platform. haveing climbed up to the col, as we did for the walk up Blencathra, we descended into the Glenderamackin gully, crossed the footbridge and headed up the north eastern side of the river. A giood path all the way passed the disused lead mines and looking across to the well trodden path  to Scales Tarn.

Mungrisdale Common

the cloud was down to the head of the valley and, as expect on reaching the col between Blencathra and Bannerdale, the compass was needed. We took the path contouring around the head of Blackhazel Beck and then headed due east over pathless and featureless moorland no in thick mist. we spent at least half an hour tramping over the common and eventually agreed we must be, or have been at the summit point at some stage. A GPS would have been useful here. Satisfying ourselves we had gain our target, we headed back east rejoining the path and had a wonderful lunch of  hard boiled eggs from our own hens.
for the descent we decided to follow the path on the opposite side of the Glenderamackin river, below sharp edge which was continually in mist, and eventually joined the path from Scales Tarn down back to Mousethwaite Comb.


Time 3 hrs 30 mns
Grade Excellent
Memories

• Navigation challenges
• Desolate featureless moorland in the mist
• Delicious picnic

Completed 129 To go 85