DAY 1 - Tuesday 12th July
I drove up from Gloucestershire arriving at Hartsop village around
10am, very hot and sunny. The little car park at the end of the
village has space for 15-20 cars, but was almost full - lots of artists
as well as walkers. I turned right immediately out of the car park and
followed the wall steeply up to the ridge for Hartsop Dodd - see photo
1 on:
http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/mountaindetails.php?qu=N&rf=413
I then turned left up the ridge for the top, with views over Brothers
Water (photos 2 & 3), with more and more of the Helvellyn range
appearing as I climbed. Finally made the top, after a false summit
which turned out to be just the end of a wall. There was a large
cairn, but a smaller pile of stones nearer the wall marked the actual
top (photo 4).
The climb up to Stony Cove Pike (aka Caudale Moor) was easy going, and
it began to cloud over a bit. The summit is a large flat area with dry
stone walls, and lots of rocky and grassy lumps, any one of which could
be the highest point. Turning left over the wall, I came to a largish
cairn which made a good viewpoint and lunch stop, looking to the
Kentmere Fells and High Street, with Thornthwaite Beacon prominent in
the foreground - see photo 1 on:
http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/mountaindetails.php?qu=N&rf=130
The drop to Threshthwaite Mouth (photo 2) was quite steep, with hands
needed in places. It began to drizzle for a while, which was quite
welcome after the heat. I decided not to climb to Thornthwaite Crag,
as I'd been there only a couple of years ago, but instead angled up a
narrow (possibly sheep) track to Thornthwaite Crag's North top, which
doesn't qualify as a Nuttall, but is on the lesser known Buxton & Lewis
list, Then on to Gray Crag, which is a Nuttall. The summit was an
unmarked higher area before reaching a style over a wall. Hayeswater
was far below, with views across to High Street, Rampsgill Head and the
Knott - see photo 1:
http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/mountaindetails.php?qu=N&rf=221
The sun came out again as I started the steep grassy descent down the
ridge to Hayeswater Gill. Here I caught up with the only walkers I'd
met all day - a pair from Germany, a father and daughter. I always
find it interesting to meet foreign walkers, particularly those who
have fabulous mountain areas in their own country, and wonder what
attracts them to our relatively low-lying hills. One of them pointed
out a reddish-brown animal grazing on the opposite hillside, and
wondered whether it might be a deer. I rummaged in the bottom of my
rucksack for my binoculars - it turned out to be a brightly painted
sheep - the farmer must have ordered too much marker dye!
Towards the end of the walk, I stopped to take a panorama shot of the
hills I'd just walked (photo 2). Got back to the car about 4pm. Total
time around 5h30m with lots of rest and photo stops.
DAY 2 TR to follow.
Cheers, Simon
website: The Mountains of England and Wales
http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk