free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
As I've been busy on other things these last few weeks the reports of my last 4 walks have resulted in them temporarily falling by the wayside, not an ideal situation really as time and events tend to fog over the details of time well spent roaming the fells and mountains of our glorious countryside. This particular walk was done over a month ago when my walking buddy wanted to clean up the remaining hills behind Skiddaw, those being only one Wainwright/Hewitt/Birkett plus two other Birkett's that got in the way on our walk across these grassy fells.
We parked up at the substantial car park at Peter House Farm and began our fairly long walk in along the long metalled lane in glorious sunshine with a view of Bakestall and Cockup to the front of us and our three hills for today over to our distant left and before too long we were on the Cumbria Way proper that means stony track and all that goes with it. We made good time along the lane blessed with warm breezes and glorious sunshine, something that has been quite lacking these last few weeks and over to our left the fells are looking very tempting but we have other things on our mind today as we had walked those a few weeks ago.
A view towards Brockle Crag - Great Cockup and Burn Todd Brockle Crag can't really be mistaken for anything other than what it is as there is a long and prominent band of white quartz running through the crag from top to bottom with other much smaller lumps dotted about its face. Apart from a slight haze it was remarkably clear and the sky was such a beautiful shade of blue today whilst the acres of long grass was now showing off their heads of seeds and there was so many that the ground was just a mass of golden brown accentuated by the sunlight.
A little further on and our objectives were now looking a lot closer.
Left to right - White Hause-Little Nettle Hause-Great Calva We were the only ones about and the only sounds apart from our boots scuffing the tarmac was from the odd sheep bleating and the sound of a raven passing overhead with now and again a sort of sighing noise as the breeze passed by through the now autumn looking grasses, these were literally perfect walking conditions. We passed through the first gate to leave the tarmac and rough pastures behind and now started entering into the head of the dale with the slopes of Cockup, the old mining area of Dead Beck and Dead Crags on our right with a clear though distant view of Dash Falls directly ahead.
Approaching Bakestall's Dead Crags and Dash Falls Up to this point the lane has been very gently graded but now that we're on the rough track the climbing gets a little steeper, more so as we climb up to the head of Dash Falls. Before we moved further a look to the north gave us a clear view of White Hause and Great Cockup.
White Hause and Great Cockup 
The Cumbria Way from beneath Dead Crags It was hardly 10am but it was quite warm work as we climbed steadily upwards towards the falls with the views behind us opening up more the higher that we climbed. Today, on this walk, Binsey is most prominent, being in view for most of the way round and lines up perfectly with Dash Beck as it makes its way along the valley bottom.
Binsey We passed through the second gate that defends the Cumbria Way at the head of Dash Falls and now we were beginning to get a glimpse of Lonscale Fell and Blencathra with the now flowering heather on the lower slopes of Skiddaw - Hare Crag and Sale How - rising away to our right.
Lonscale Fell on the skyline From the top of Dash Falls there is quite a steady height gain to the point just before Dead Beck from where it begins its slight descent to the footbridge over the River Caldew and it is just as we started the downhill that we turned off the track at Dead Beck to begin our climb up to the summit of Great Calva. But first of all we needed a drink and a bite to eat.
Great Calva from Dead Beck From a distance Great Calva - like Catstycam - look as though they would be more comfortable in an area of volcanic activity as they both have that Mount Vesuvius stature, but thankfully their days of activity was over many thousands of years ago and now they just groan as thousands of boots walk over them eroding them faster than any weather conditions could do.
Skiddaw from Dead Beck There was plenty of water in the beck today which gave Sonny a chance to cool off before starting on his rampage up the fellside. Suitably refuelled we set off along the grassy path that follows the beck for a few metres and then takes off in a north easterly direction, the path now becoming much wider and wetter, worn away by those thousands of boots that make their way up this fellside. On the positive the views behind us were opening up nicely showing the back of Skiddaw in full panoramic mode.
Back 'O Skiddaw I remember this path when it was merely a narrow trod through the grass and heather but now…
Boggy patches on the way to the summit We were soon off the worst of the path and it reverted back to the narrow trod that it once was. A steady plod along the path soon had us near the south summit where the path is now worn down to the stony under layer that is only 50 or so millimetres below the peaty surface. This summit is adorned by thousands of rocks, a small shelter and the fence corner.
The south summit Needless to say the views are outstanding, especially on a day such as this with beautiful blue skies and just a slight distant haze.
We didn't linger here and after a photo or two we moved on to the north top.
Moving on to the north summit of Great CalvaThe main summit has a large cairn adorned with old iron fence posts in the fashion of the ones on Harter Fell and Starling Dodd. Carrock Fell was prominent in the background as was Knott and quite a few of the Uldale Fells with the view south being the best as a whole panorama of Lakelands finest are to be seen, including Blencathra and the Skiddaw ranges.
Great Calva summit 
South towards Keswick from Great Calva
Skiddaw from Great Calva 
Bakestall The views were outstanding and despite the haze we could see the hills of Scotland as a faint line over to the far north behind the large rounded dome of Little Calva.
A not so little Little Calva As well as being hot it was also quite humid with even the breeze now feeling quite warm as we set off along a well seen path that follows the fence northwest until we had reached the point where the fence stile is and for those going on to Knott…
Knott where we then turned slightly south of west to make our way up the easy slopes to reach the small cairn of stones.
Great Calva from Little Calva The heather is beginning to come into flower and some of the larger areas look quite outstanding in their purple/pink array whilst the wetter patches are full of the yellow flowering Bog Asphodel. The views and the heat were the same as before so we didn't linger here either as we now turned to the northwest leaving this hill and the colourful plant life behind to then clamber over a nearby wire fence to begin making our way across rough grassy clumps and pathless ground.
Binsey and a touch of Bassenthwaite It was all downhill from here on and we made steady progress as we crossed over Black Nettle Hause, Little Nettle Hause and Whitehause Gill to eventually pick up a quad bike track that first had us walking towards Burn Tod before swinging around to take us along the ridge to White Hause summit.
Great Cockup and Orthwaite Bank behind White Hause 
Burn Tod We had a good view along Hause Gill, a route that we had taken just a few weeks ago when Chris was mopping up the remaining Northern Fells in that area and as we got lower down onto the summit of White Hause we also got a good view along Burntod Gill giving us a good view of Meal Fell and Great Sca Fell.
A view along Burntod Gill from White Hause summit Over to the south we could see Bakestall's Dead Crags in all their glory with the point of Skiddaw peeping up behind.
Bakestall's Dead Crags The walk was all but over now and all we had to do was make our way down the southwest slopes heading towards Dash Farm where there is a gate that would put us onto a track and a return to the car park. Alas, it was not to be as the gate was now loaded with no less than three no entry signs barring our quick way off the fell. Just another example of farmers blocking rights of way but so as not to be the cause of any confrontation we decided to follow the path towards Whitehause Gill but that came to nothing as the way was impassable in that direction. So, it was about turn to walk past the farm and follow the wall to a point where it was tumbled down and we could access the rough pasture and walk down to the rough lane beyond from where we easily picked up the metalled lane again to make our way back to Peter House Farm. Three last photos to see us on our way.
A view up to Dash Falls 
Bakestall and Cockup 
Little Nettle Hause and Black Nettle Hause Hot, hazy, and humid was the order of the day, but it has been a pleasant one with nary another soul seen apart from one youth on the Cumbria Way whom we presumed had spent the night at Skiddaw House, unless he had set off walking very early in the morning. All that was required now was to sink into a comfortable seat at the pub and slack that sort of thirst that water or juice can't. There are but two hills that Chris hasn't been on yet behind Skiddaw, Hare Crag and Sale How but combined with a walk up Skiddaw will make a decent walk for another day.
