walkhighlands

This board helps you to share your walking route experiences in England and Wales... or overseas.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Riding my luck Green Crag

Riding my luck Green Crag


Postby johnkaysleftleg » Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:43 pm

Wainwrights included on this walk: Green Crag

Date walked: 16/05/2021

Time taken: 3.75

Distance: 9.3 km

Ascent: 619m

5 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

So a week in Lakeland for the first time in what is actually years. With Nicola still marching on with her PHD and Grace still nursing a dodgy knee I was to be granted a free pass to bag some hills on my tod. Hopes were we would have a couple of family outings and were initially considering the Sunday for a bimble up Harter Fell. The forecast changed however with the Monday looking far more amenable so it was just Hughie and I who set off from our cottage situated a couple of miles from Sellafield (kept the price reasonable :D ) for deepest darkest Eskdale and a walk up Green Crag.
The forecast promised rain and when we got out the car at the Woolpack it was certainly quite dark and with a light drizzle.

Unsurprisingly the Woolpack is now charging for parking (£5 for 4 hours £7 all day). Can't say I blame them to be honest, I'd rather this fantastic hostelry remained open rather than went to the wall in the current financial climate, I would like to think most people would feel the same way. I chatted a little to a couple who were also climbing Green Crag in the car park, we would meet again on the summit and they would be the only other people me and Hughie would see all walk.

With full expectation of a good soaking I set off with waterproof trousers on but as the rain was currently very light I left my jacket off until needed as it was also feeling quite close and humid. By the time I was on the peat road, not only had the rain stopped, but the sun was shining brightly making it hot work as there was not a breath of wind going up the path.

Image
The River Esk from Doctor Bridge

Image
Starting to brighten up above Low Birker

Image
Goat Crag

Image
Blue Skies on the way up the Peat Road

Image
...and a glorious view back to upper Eskdale

Image
The ruin on the Peat Road

By the time we got to the ruined hut I decided we would try to stay high rather than use the wet path by Low Birker Tarn, this was a tactic that largely paid off and I caught up the couple from the Woolpack on the final pull up to the summit, still largely in bright sunshine and still very warm and humid. This was more than could be said for other areas of the Lakes with ominous clouds in just about every direction, particularly towards Wasdale which looked to be getting a really good soaking.

Image
Staying high to avoid the wet ground

Image
Green Crag comes into view

Image
Not quite so sunny over that way

Image
Raining beyond Devoke Water

Image
Mixed weather over upper Eskdale

Image
Cook Crag from the way up Green Crag

Image
...and some nice light on Cook Crag from higher up

Image
Closing in on Harter Fell

I lunched on the summit in the sunshine, watching the weather all around, marvelling as to just how lucky I had struck. Another little chat with the couple from the Woolpack was had before I set off to grab the other Birketts of Green Crag.

Image
Green Crag summit

Image
Looks like it's tipping down in Wasdale

Image
Looking West from Green Crag

Image
...and to the weather to the North

Image
Hughie being a good boy

Image
Harter Fell and Green Crag summit

There is an old saying, 'fail to plan, plan to fail', and this was to be proven on the remainder of this walk. In my head there were just two other Birketts on Green Crag, the first was obvious in the shape of Cook Crag so off I diddled and quickly attained the fine summit (better than Green Crag for me) via a short easy scramble. Following this and eyeing up the increasingly grim looking conditions to the North I headed off for Kepple Crag with the thought of, 'it's somewhere over there' in my head. My somewhat 'laissez faire' attitude to navigation did eventually get me to Kepple Crag, via an un-named 409m lump but missed out entirely the rather oddly chosen and quite innocuous Great Whinscale. :roll:

Image
On the way to Cook Crag

Image
Looking back to Green Crag from the start of the scramble up Cook Crag

Image
Harter Fell again

Image
Ominous weather from the summit of Cook Crag

Image
...and with added dog

Image
And another from Cook Crag summit

Image
Towards upper Eskdale

Image
Typical terrain

Image
Scafells getting engulfed

Image
Conditions becoming more moody

By the time we reached Kepple Crag the sunshine had departed and the skies had become rather gloomy so we didn't linger and headed off to try and link up with our outward route. Thankfully the ground wasn't too wet and the inevitable rain held off until the peat road was reached when the heavens opened in great big droplets that made me thankful of having still kept my water proof trousers on.

Image
Bit Gloomy on Kepple Crag

Image
Hughie refusing to say cheese on Kepple Crag

Image
Last shot before the rain arrived

All in all, despite missing a top and getting a bit wet, this was a great start to the week. :D


Green Crag.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Last edited by johnkaysleftleg on Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
johnkaysleftleg
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 3340
Munros:25   Corbetts:11
Fionas:11   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:7   Hewitts:172
Wainwrights:214   Islands:8
Joined: Jan 28, 2009
Location: County Durham

Re: Riding my luck Green Crag

Postby Jim777 » Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:08 am

Some really excellent photos capturing the mood of the weather. Well done 👏👏
Jim777
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 104
Joined: Apr 24, 2017
Location: Perth

Re: Riding my luck Green Crag

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:11 pm

Jim777 wrote:Some really excellent photos capturing the mood of the weather. Well done 👏👏


Thanks Jim, Most kind.
User avatar
johnkaysleftleg
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 3340
Munros:25   Corbetts:11
Fionas:11   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:7   Hewitts:172
Wainwrights:214   Islands:8
Joined: Jan 28, 2009
Location: County Durham

Re: Riding my luck Green Crag

Postby Alteknacker » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:56 pm

Stunning pics, as ever.

And just goes to show that one doesn't need to get especially elevated to get superb views of the hills.
User avatar
Alteknacker
Scrambler
 
Posts: 3473
Munros:176   Corbetts:33
Fionas:1   
Hewitts:264
Wainwrights:118   
Joined: May 25, 2013
Location: Effete South (of WIgan, anyway)

Re: Riding my luck Green Crag

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:20 pm

Alteknacker wrote:Stunning pics, as ever.

And just goes to show that one doesn't need to get especially elevated to get superb views of the hills.


Cheers Alte, helps when you're in Eskdale, the place is wonderful.
User avatar
johnkaysleftleg
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 3340
Munros:25   Corbetts:11
Fionas:11   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:7   Hewitts:172
Wainwrights:214   Islands:8
Joined: Jan 28, 2009
Location: County Durham

Re: Riding my luck Green Crag

Postby trailmasher » Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:50 pm

Another great walk and with some very moody photos Anthony :clap: also a great way to go. Nearly identical to when I did it a couple or three years ago with the old peat road an excellent access to the fells :)
User avatar
trailmasher
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 1302
Munros:13   
Hewitts:179
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Nov 26, 2014
Location: Near Appleby - Cumbria

Re: Riding my luck Green Crag

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Wed Jun 16, 2021 12:36 pm

trailmasher wrote:Another great walk and with some very moody photos Anthony :clap: also a great way to go. Nearly identical to when I did it a couple or three years ago with the old peat road an excellent access to the fells :)


Thanks TM, far better than splodging across from the Birker Fell Road, great views of Eskdale on the way up.
User avatar
johnkaysleftleg
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 3340
Munros:25   Corbetts:11
Fionas:11   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:7   Hewitts:172
Wainwrights:214   Islands:8
Joined: Jan 28, 2009
Location: County Durham

5 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Outside Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests