Pasture Beck Skyline
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 1:46 pm
Following the attack of shin splints on my last outing I decided to go for a bit of a shorter walk and headed for the rural idyll of Hartsop for a Pasture Beck skyline walk, Last time I did these fells it was in an anti clockwise direction, for no other reason than that I decided to head for Gray Crag first.
Hartsop Dodd
Pasture Bottom
The route from valley level
It was, as the observant among you will have already noticed from the photos, a stunning morning and the temperature was rising as steadily as our progress up the track. Blistering sunshine and little wind made for very hot work but with plenty of rests and drinks and attempting to lessen the steepness by taking a diagonal route up the fellside two old guys made slow and steady progress up the first target of the day.
The photogenic old building on the way up the track
Warm work this morning
Looking down upon the old filter house, soon to be a holiday let
Glorious views of the Eastern fells opening up
Lone tree and Catstycam
Form a queue ladies
Last pull up to Gray Crag
Before we reached the Wainwright summit a stop was made on a bilberry covered tuffet overlooking Hayswater for a breakfast stop. A quite magnificent place to fuel up for the way ahead , and soon Hughie and I were feeling refreshed and enjoying the steady incline up to Grey Crag before moving onwards to Thornthwaite Crag.
Sun kissed Hayeswater
Looking back down the ridge
Haysewater Panorama
Hughie awaits breakfast
Breakfast View
Wainwright summit of Gray Crag
Threshthwaite Mouth
Random Rocks
Windermere through Thresthwaite Mouth
Hayswater from odd natural stone circle
Sheep and Scafells
Soon Thornthwaite Crag's imposing summit cairn/beacon came into view (not sure if it is still 14 feet high ) and following a brief moment to take in the views we headed off along the path which makes it scree filled way down to Threshet Mouth.
Thornthwaite Crag summit
View South in Panorama
The Beacon, I'm sure it's lost a few feet
Path down to Threshthwaite Mouth
And a look at Windermere
As we approached Threshet Mouth a group of walkers who had set off the same time from Hartsop but had followed the valley up rather than going over any fells turned up at the same time. Feeling a bit smug that two old guys had not only beat them here but been over two fells and stopped for breakfast, we set off up the simple scramble that takes you to Stoney Cove Pike.
Hughie at Thresh'et Mouth
Looking down Pasture Bottom, sorry couldn't resist
Troutbeck valley from the scramble up Stoney Cove Pike
Quite why Stony Cove Pike is a 'Pike' is mystery because it's very flat up here. Wondering about such matters, (well I was, Hughie was probably wondering about why sheep poo is so delicious ) we didn't linger and headed off to visit the Birkett of Cauldale Moor before finding a fine spot at Caudale Head to have lunch. It was nice to enjoy a view I hadn't previously and it turned out to be a bit of an extended break with boots off in the warm sunshine.
Stoney Cove Pike with Ill Bell Ridge
Scafells again
Caudale Moor Summit
Lunchtime Panorama down Cauldale
Brothers Water and Ullswater
From here the route is largely downhill all the way and once some uneven ground was traversed nice and easy underfoot. Harsop Dodd came and went before the startlingly steep descent back down to Hartsop.
Across to the Eastern Fells
Pasture Beck Panorama
Fells upon fells
Summit Stick on Hartsop Dodd
Hartsop Dodd summit Cairn
Looking down to Hartsop Valley
Getting steep
Dizzyingly steep descent down to Hartsop
Clinging On!
Brothers Water
Haysewater Gill
Given the conditions 10km or so was quite enough for today, summer is lovely for lounging on a fell top half asleep but it certainly makes those climbs hard work!
Hartsop Dodd
Pasture Bottom
The route from valley level
It was, as the observant among you will have already noticed from the photos, a stunning morning and the temperature was rising as steadily as our progress up the track. Blistering sunshine and little wind made for very hot work but with plenty of rests and drinks and attempting to lessen the steepness by taking a diagonal route up the fellside two old guys made slow and steady progress up the first target of the day.
The photogenic old building on the way up the track
Warm work this morning
Looking down upon the old filter house, soon to be a holiday let
Glorious views of the Eastern fells opening up
Lone tree and Catstycam
Form a queue ladies
Last pull up to Gray Crag
Before we reached the Wainwright summit a stop was made on a bilberry covered tuffet overlooking Hayswater for a breakfast stop. A quite magnificent place to fuel up for the way ahead , and soon Hughie and I were feeling refreshed and enjoying the steady incline up to Grey Crag before moving onwards to Thornthwaite Crag.
Sun kissed Hayeswater
Looking back down the ridge
Haysewater Panorama
Hughie awaits breakfast
Breakfast View
Wainwright summit of Gray Crag
Threshthwaite Mouth
Random Rocks
Windermere through Thresthwaite Mouth
Hayswater from odd natural stone circle
Sheep and Scafells
Soon Thornthwaite Crag's imposing summit cairn/beacon came into view (not sure if it is still 14 feet high ) and following a brief moment to take in the views we headed off along the path which makes it scree filled way down to Threshet Mouth.
Thornthwaite Crag summit
View South in Panorama
The Beacon, I'm sure it's lost a few feet
Path down to Threshthwaite Mouth
And a look at Windermere
As we approached Threshet Mouth a group of walkers who had set off the same time from Hartsop but had followed the valley up rather than going over any fells turned up at the same time. Feeling a bit smug that two old guys had not only beat them here but been over two fells and stopped for breakfast, we set off up the simple scramble that takes you to Stoney Cove Pike.
Hughie at Thresh'et Mouth
Looking down Pasture Bottom, sorry couldn't resist
Troutbeck valley from the scramble up Stoney Cove Pike
Quite why Stony Cove Pike is a 'Pike' is mystery because it's very flat up here. Wondering about such matters, (well I was, Hughie was probably wondering about why sheep poo is so delicious ) we didn't linger and headed off to visit the Birkett of Cauldale Moor before finding a fine spot at Caudale Head to have lunch. It was nice to enjoy a view I hadn't previously and it turned out to be a bit of an extended break with boots off in the warm sunshine.
Stoney Cove Pike with Ill Bell Ridge
Scafells again
Caudale Moor Summit
Lunchtime Panorama down Cauldale
Brothers Water and Ullswater
From here the route is largely downhill all the way and once some uneven ground was traversed nice and easy underfoot. Harsop Dodd came and went before the startlingly steep descent back down to Hartsop.
Across to the Eastern Fells
Pasture Beck Panorama
Fells upon fells
Summit Stick on Hartsop Dodd
Hartsop Dodd summit Cairn
Looking down to Hartsop Valley
Getting steep
Dizzyingly steep descent down to Hartsop
Clinging On!
Brothers Water
Haysewater Gill
Given the conditions 10km or so was quite enough for today, summer is lovely for lounging on a fell top half asleep but it certainly makes those climbs hard work!