Carrock Fell route question

[snowgoose]

Has anyone been up Carrock Fell via the Swineside road route recently and is it likely to be fairly straightforward in winter? Various posts and websites suggest it is hard to follow at the start. I do not want to tackle the Stone End route as it sounds frustrating going up and difficult coming down. The plan is for a short climb when I arrive in the Lakes rather than the longer walk via the Driggeth Mine track.

[johnkaysleftleg]

Never been up that route but I have walked past it, certainly wasn't particularly visible from the road and if you get snow down to a low level very difficult to locate.

[dav2930]

Went up that way last November. It's a clear enough path to begin, does a big zig-zag to reach the SE shoulder of the fell, then splits into several branches in the deep heather. Keep left if I remember rightly, and the path becomes clearer again as it cuts through the heather, leading eventually to the Iron Age fort. Could be a bit harder to follow if buried under snow, and if it's icy you might want some Microspikes. Not very wintery up there at the moment though. Best of luck.

[snowgoose]

Thanks JKLL and dav2930. I am hoping there will be no snow - last time I checked the forecast is quite good, but that could change by the end of next week. I can at least do a recce on arrival and if it doesn't work out I will revert to plan A and go the longer route via Driggeth track on the day I'm going back home. (Stone Ends was plan B, Swineside plan C...

[johnkaysleftleg]

In fairness Stone Ends is a short lived pain in either direction, so long as there isn't much snow and ice.

[snowgoose]

I am still swithering/slithering between the two short routes. Is it far from the road at Stone End to the start of the worst bit? I might have a look at it but wouldn't want to waste time and energy getting to it only to find it was un-doable. I did Souther Fell from Mungrisedale a year or so ago and found part of it v steep but rocky rather than scree, then Glenridding Dodd last summer in the middle of the drought and it was hard going up and down due to gravel slipping underfoot. Is Rake Trod any worse than either of those?

[johnkaysleftleg]

I am still swithering/slithering between the two short routes. Is it far from the road at Stone End to the start of the worst bit? I might have a look at it but wouldn't want to waste time and energy getting to it only to find it was un-doable. I did Souther Fell from Mungrisedale a year or so ago and found part of it v steep but rocky rather than scree, then Glenridding Dodd last summer in the middle of the drought and it was hard going up and down due to gravel slipping underfoot. Is Rake Trod any worse than either of those?

It is probably steeper but it's a matter of a few 100 yards till you start climbing and another few hundred till you get to the worst of it. If you really don't like steep lose scree then it really isn't the way for you. I personally found it OK on the way up but very hard (impossible) to keep my feet on the way down. Not as bad as the hell which is the nose of Kirk fell if that's any help.

[snowgoose]

Thanks Anthony - Kirk Fell isn't even on the radar. I've now read your posts about it and Great End....scary stuff - well done. I will check out both routes for C fell and decide on the day, weather permitting of course.