Raven Crag to Ullscarf
Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 12:26 pmWhilst the ground was still frozen I decided to do some more hills to add to my list in the central fells. These fells are notoriously boggy most of the year so as the thaw had not yet set in properly I expected mostly frozen paths, and mostly that was true. I was also hoping I might get lucky with a cloud inversion. 
Raven Crag, Armboth Fell and Ullscarf were still outstanding from my tick list, the last two not exactly getting a big up from the old curmudgeon ,Wainwright. He said of Armboth Fell that it's a waste of time and energy to climb it, and for Ullscarf the top is a cheerless place, inexpressibly dreary
Oh well here we go anyway!
Raven Crag from the dam road
looking south down Thirlmere
Path up is quite steep but good, although there was a lot of ice today. Glimpse of Raven Crag through the trees.
From the top, Great How across the water and the dam.
My car is down by the road before the trees on the promontory down there, free parking
view south again down Thirlmere, clouds on the higher tops on the Helvellyn range
Dunmail Raise -zoom
Legburthwaite and the start of High Rigg
Back to the path, Iron Crag on the side of High Seat ridge
stile to path to High Seat. I decided to add in the ridge of High Seat and High Tove as well.
High Seat top appearing
Trig point on High Seat
view south to High Tove. Ullscarf about 5 miles away in mist.
selfie on High Seat the eastern top behind
High Tove summit
then on to Armboth Fell. It's actually got a nice bit of rock on show for the top when you get nearer.
Looking back to High Tove and High Seat
It's then a long trudge over to Blea Tarn to get to the start of the climb to Ullscarf. I mainly just followed the fence. Even though most of the ground was frozen there were still some sneaky boggy bits and I had one or two near misses but kept my feet dry!
Blea Tarn (frozen over) and Standing Crag on the left at the far end of the tarn.
close up now to Standing Crag. I chose the path around it to the left.
There was a lot of ice on the rock
Near the top I met someone who had just come from the top, and he said yesterday was better.
keeping the fence on my right until nearer the top when I took a right following an older fence line. I was completely in the clag now. No cloud inversion for me, more like cloud submersion!
From there I took one of the tracks that radiated from the cairn, that my compass indicated was the right direction to head down a shoulder down to Harrop Tarn and then Dob gill. However the path veered to the north so it was a case of heather bashing and bog trotting to get back to the pathless line of descent.
Eventually I got to Harrop Tarn which was also frozen.
Saw some geese
The path down Dob Gill was also a stream of ice and was tricky going but eventually I emerged at the reservoir road and took the shore path back some of the way
Hawes How island , Raven Crag behind
It wasn't a bad day and I enjoyed the walk. It wasn't quite as bad as Wainwright made out, and weather-wise I could have picked a better day for views . But then any day on the hill is a good day
Raven Crag, Armboth Fell and Ullscarf were still outstanding from my tick list, the last two not exactly getting a big up from the old curmudgeon ,Wainwright. He said of Armboth Fell that it's a waste of time and energy to climb it, and for Ullscarf the top is a cheerless place, inexpressibly dreary
Oh well here we go anyway!
Raven Crag from the dam road
looking south down Thirlmere
Path up is quite steep but good, although there was a lot of ice today. Glimpse of Raven Crag through the trees.
From the top, Great How across the water and the dam.
My car is down by the road before the trees on the promontory down there, free parking
view south again down Thirlmere, clouds on the higher tops on the Helvellyn range
Dunmail Raise -zoom
Legburthwaite and the start of High Rigg
Back to the path, Iron Crag on the side of High Seat ridge
stile to path to High Seat. I decided to add in the ridge of High Seat and High Tove as well.
High Seat top appearing
Trig point on High Seat
view south to High Tove. Ullscarf about 5 miles away in mist.
selfie on High Seat the eastern top behind
High Tove summit
then on to Armboth Fell. It's actually got a nice bit of rock on show for the top when you get nearer.
Looking back to High Tove and High Seat
It's then a long trudge over to Blea Tarn to get to the start of the climb to Ullscarf. I mainly just followed the fence. Even though most of the ground was frozen there were still some sneaky boggy bits and I had one or two near misses but kept my feet dry!
Blea Tarn (frozen over) and Standing Crag on the left at the far end of the tarn.
close up now to Standing Crag. I chose the path around it to the left.
There was a lot of ice on the rock
Near the top I met someone who had just come from the top, and he said yesterday was better.
keeping the fence on my right until nearer the top when I took a right following an older fence line. I was completely in the clag now. No cloud inversion for me, more like cloud submersion!
From there I took one of the tracks that radiated from the cairn, that my compass indicated was the right direction to head down a shoulder down to Harrop Tarn and then Dob gill. However the path veered to the north so it was a case of heather bashing and bog trotting to get back to the pathless line of descent.
Eventually I got to Harrop Tarn which was also frozen.
Saw some geese
The path down Dob Gill was also a stream of ice and was tricky going but eventually I emerged at the reservoir road and took the shore path back some of the way
Hawes How island , Raven Crag behind
It wasn't a bad day and I enjoyed the walk. It wasn't quite as bad as Wainwright made out, and weather-wise I could have picked a better day for views . But then any day on the hill is a good day