Size isn't everything.
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:34 pm
Given the rough weather we've been getting of late it was a pleasant surprise to find that Saturdays forecast was fairly decent. We managed to get up early so we were parked up and ready to go at Newlands Hause for 10AM. Only problem during the journey was meeting a tractor on a single track road. Turns out that the width of the road was equal to a Ford Focus plus a tractor and about 2 inches
Newlands Hause is a beautiful place, Moss Force waterfall the centre piece of a scene filled with hills, mountains and crags. The path up Knott Rigg, the days first target, is directly opposite the car park and rises steeply up the increasingly defined ridge. "So when are we going to do a walk with a gentle start the dad?" I was asked.
Fortunately for Grace the steepness doesn't last long and soon we were at the diminutive summit cairn of Knott Rigg.
Wainwright described this ridge over Ard Crags and Knott Rigg as a little bit of heaven and this morning it is all ours as we arrived at Ard Crags equally understated high point without seeing another soul. An early lunch coincided with a shower passing us by to the South but as luck was on our side we got nothing more than a little fine mizzle. The views to the East in particular are fantastic with the only blot being the hideous new path up Sail's East ridge. Now I'm fully aware of the need to try and lessen the erosion caused by walkers on popular routes but constructing a path that looks worse than the scar it's trying to remove and will undoubtedly be ignored by many who wish to take a direct route is a waste of valuable resources.
Our private claim on the ridge couldn't last and as we finished our cheese savoury stotties a couple of other walkers were spied coming up from Aitkin Kott.
In all honesty this little ridge deserves a circular traverse but as that would require road walking in the Lake District on Easter Saturday we decided to give it a miss.
We retraced our steps as the shower cleared away and soon were back at the now full car park.
Next target was Castle Crag so we set off down the pass towards Buttermere. Turns out we were not alone in attempting to take advantage of the good forecast and we must have passed up to 100 parked cars on the way to the charming village of Rosthwaite. Once again fortune favoured us and we found a parking spot with little fuss.
Castle Crag isn't really a real fell, more a view point, but in all honesty this short walk contains more interest than many tops over twice the elevation. It's rare that former quarry workings enhance a place but in Castle Crags case it's true. The Grassy summit is a lovely place and made even better by enjoying a flask of Hot Chocolate (Yippee lent is over! )
Another fine day in Lakeland bagging three diminutive fells all of which showed that size isn't everything.
Newlands Hause is a beautiful place, Moss Force waterfall the centre piece of a scene filled with hills, mountains and crags. The path up Knott Rigg, the days first target, is directly opposite the car park and rises steeply up the increasingly defined ridge. "So when are we going to do a walk with a gentle start the dad?" I was asked.
Fortunately for Grace the steepness doesn't last long and soon we were at the diminutive summit cairn of Knott Rigg.
Wainwright described this ridge over Ard Crags and Knott Rigg as a little bit of heaven and this morning it is all ours as we arrived at Ard Crags equally understated high point without seeing another soul. An early lunch coincided with a shower passing us by to the South but as luck was on our side we got nothing more than a little fine mizzle. The views to the East in particular are fantastic with the only blot being the hideous new path up Sail's East ridge. Now I'm fully aware of the need to try and lessen the erosion caused by walkers on popular routes but constructing a path that looks worse than the scar it's trying to remove and will undoubtedly be ignored by many who wish to take a direct route is a waste of valuable resources.
Our private claim on the ridge couldn't last and as we finished our cheese savoury stotties a couple of other walkers were spied coming up from Aitkin Kott.
In all honesty this little ridge deserves a circular traverse but as that would require road walking in the Lake District on Easter Saturday we decided to give it a miss.
We retraced our steps as the shower cleared away and soon were back at the now full car park.
Next target was Castle Crag so we set off down the pass towards Buttermere. Turns out we were not alone in attempting to take advantage of the good forecast and we must have passed up to 100 parked cars on the way to the charming village of Rosthwaite. Once again fortune favoured us and we found a parking spot with little fuss.
Castle Crag isn't really a real fell, more a view point, but in all honesty this short walk contains more interest than many tops over twice the elevation. It's rare that former quarry workings enhance a place but in Castle Crags case it's true. The Grassy summit is a lovely place and made even better by enjoying a flask of Hot Chocolate (Yippee lent is over! )
Another fine day in Lakeland bagging three diminutive fells all of which showed that size isn't everything.