Whinfell and Whinash Ridges
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 2:12 pmI'd been keen to give the Whinfell ridge another bash after doing it in thick fog last November and with the high pressure this weekend it seemed like a good shout.
Instead of taking the beautiful valley route back through Borrowdale like I did last time I descended to the Lune Gorge from the cairn on Grayrigg Pike, followed the road and took a lung busting but short ascent up on to Jeffrey's Mount and the Whinash Ridge which runs along the other side of the valley.
The first two fells on the Whinfell side (Ashstead Fell and Mabbin Crag) are excellent while the Whinash side is much more gentle with less big up and downs (once the initial climb is made) but with a surprisingly decent path all the way.
Sunny after a cloudy start and with very light winds making pleasant, hot walking.
Pics....
- Good cairn on the first of three summits of Ashstead Fell - this one being clearly the lowest.
- Mabbin Crag ahead - the gap in the trees is the line of ascent
- Cairn on Mabbin Crag with Castle Fell and Whinfell Beacon ahead
- Castle Fell cairn. I'd missed this last time due to the fog (despite being pretty much right next to it). The route between Mabbin and Castle is the only really confusing bit of the walk as the path seems to head into thick forestation. Instead it's better to lose a bit of height via a gap in the trees and climb a fence to join the track to Castle Fell. It's confusing in mist - as I found out in November.
- The grand cairn on Whinfell Beacon
- After crossing the service road and repeater station I climbed to the high point of the route on Grayrigg Forest
- The Lune Gorge from the cairn on Grayrigg Pike
- Looking back at Grayrigg Pike (a scene familiar for those driving south on the M6 through the gorge
- On the A685 with Jeffrey's Mount ahead (again familiar for M6 users)
- It's a very steep pull up Jeffrey's Mount from here
- Wild Horses were all over Jeffrey's Mount
- Looking back at the Gorge again
- Cairn on Jeffrey's Mount. It's an easy undulating walk over the ridge from here over Casterfell Hill, Belt Howe, Roundthwaite Common, both tops of Winterscleugh, Whinash and Piper's Hill
In contrast to the Whinfell Ridge, the Whinash Ridge is at it's lowest point at the M6 and gets higher towards the A6.
- Whinash from the cairn on Winterscleugh
- Cairn on Whinash (not the summit) and looking to Piper's Hill which is the high point of the ridge but the least well pathed and roughest.
- Descending via the Breasthigh Road after visiting Piper's Hill
- Looking back down Borrowdale
- Huck's Bridge ahead
- Ashstead Fell enjoying the sunshine
