Picking up Splinters around Scandale

[johnkaysleftleg]

I am well behind in my reports for several reasons I'll not go into, but thought I'd start to catch up by seeing what I can remember from this day as it seems, and is, a while ago now.

My aim was to complete a Scandale round which would conveniently knock off the remaining Eastern fells I'd still to complete on round two. I could of course have started from Ambleside but decided upon a spacious layby towards the bottom of the Struggle. When I turned up (fairly) bright and early the layby was close to being filled by two 'overnighters' in camper vans. I managed to squeeze in, held my breath at the stench from the on board chemical toilet, and set off down the struggle on what was a truly blissful morning.


The Struggle on a perfect morning


Middle Grove Farm


Dramatic clouds over Wansfell

To avoid the climb at the end of the walk I chose a clockwise direction and was soon enjoying the shade on the track up Scandale heading towards High Sweden Bridge. It was soon obvious, once the climb started in earnest that It was going to be a really warm day and the breakfast stop at the summit of Low Pike was most welcome.


Nab Scar


Lakeland Lane


Bowfell and the Langdales


Shady


High Sweden Bridge


Scandale Bluebells


Little Hart Crag at the head of Scandale


Windermere


Light and shade in Scandale


Wall up to Low Pike


Low Pike Summit


Hot Dog

Breakfast done with the climb continued up to High Pike which once reached, an easier gradient could be enjoyed. My initial plan was to take in Dove Crag at this point but I decided that High Bakestones was a more fitting destination for a Scandale round so off we trotted to visit the one remaining cairn from a purge a few years back. The survivor is a beautifully built construction and in all honesty far more elegant in it's isolation than with a gaggle of inferior siblings.


Scandale Beck


Ahead to High Pike


Back to a sunlit Low Pike


Little Hart Crag


Looking back down the ridge


Coniston Fells


High Pike Summit


Scandale


Towards the Scafells


First glimpse of Brothers Water


Fine Cairn on High Bakestones

Height now needed to be lost as we plunged down towards Little Hart Crag. This day could not be more of a contrast when compared to my last visit to this fell top when conditions verged on total white out. This time I wandered over the summit before finding a bed of Bilburrys in the little hollow over looking the view of Brothers Water and enjoyed lunch in the warm, calm conditions. This had to be one of the nicest, most comfortable lunch stops I've ever enjoyed on my Lakeland wanderings, pure bliss.


Scandale Tarn


High Hartsop Dodd and Brothers Water from Little Hart Crag


Hughie cutathon part one


Part two


Part three


One last Hughie shot


Towards Helvellyn from Little Hart Crag


Scandale from the summit of Little Hart Crag

Next up was the losing of more height as we dropped down to Scandale Head before heading off the path in the direction of Middle Dodd. If I'm honest I'd hoped to come across a trod for this section but none materialised out of the rough uneven terrain and with Hughie objecting to my choice of route it became a real chore which eventually came to an end when the summit was reached. I sat an had a rest and a few more rations and also started to notice the pain in my shins which I hadn't suffered for years and never in my hill walking days. That said I had been a bit sore following some recent walks but thought it was more fitness issues. With not a lot I could do about it at this point we plodded up the final top of the day, Red Screes.


Scandale Head


Caiston Glenn


Middle Dodd Summit


Red Screes


Looking back to middle Dodd

Final top reached I found an out of the way spot to enjoy the views before starting the long slog down the broad, poorly defined South ridge. This was a long, easy but largely dull descent brightened in part with the lovely view of Rydal Water which comes into view around half way down.


Trig point on Red Screes


...and again, looking North


South from Red Screes


My eyes!


Middle Dodd from Red Screes


Summit tarn, Red Screes


Kirkstone Pass


Rydal Water


Downhill all the way


One last shot

Once back to the Struggle and walking on tarmac my shins were certainly feeling it as I hobbled back to the car on what was now a roasting hot afternoon at this altitude. The next few days I was in a lot of pain and eventually I looked at the Svartz footbeds of my Alt-Bergs. Unsurprisingly for a set of footbeds I'd had since I purchased the boots many years back and didn't replace when I got the boots re-soled, were totally gone and almost see through in places Well that might explain things.

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[trailmasher]

Good report and pics there JK as ever and a great weather day for it also. Hughie looks quite laid back and unfazed by the distance and height gain . I did a similar route to you on an equally hot day but I started at Cow Bridge and did anti-clockwise climbing up to Red Screes via the ridge and dropped off down Middle Fell for which my knees suffered for a while

[johnkaysleftleg]

Good report and pics there JK as ever and a great weather day for it also. Hughie looks quite laid back and unfazed by the distance and height gain . I did a similar route to you on an equally hot day but I started at Cow Bridge and did anti-clockwise climbing up to Red Screes via the ridge and dropped off down Middle Fell for which my knees suffered for a while

Hughie is generally Ok but this summers outings have shown him to be slowing up. He's never liked the heat but now he seems to really not like the heat. I even ended up leaving him on an outing to Ennerdale on what was a boiling hot day. I think the really long outings with rough terrain are probably beyond him a bit now so I think his hills will become a bit smaller and grassy.
I love walking from Hartsop but most routes certainly test the fitness going up and the knees coming down, I descended Hartsop Dodd on a walk this summer and even though i was expecting it and i'd been up that way previously it still comes as a bit of a shock just how steep it is.

[dav2930]

Looked a perfect day for a nice alternative to the Fairfield Horseshoe. Outstanding photos, as we've come to expect from you JK! Sorry to hear Hughie is slowing down a bit. Age creeps up on us all, I suppose, though I reckon he does pretty well for a small dog.

[past my sell by date]

Lovely pics of the Lakes. Hartsop is a great starting place (if you can get a parking space). We used to head North: then up the miners track to Boredale Hause, back over High Street via Angle Tarn, on to Thornthwaite and down the ridge over Gray Crag (hard on the knees). Until Bob Allen wrote "The ridges of Lakeland" that descent ridge used to be near trackless. He was a lovely man but had a lot to answer for

[johnkaysleftleg]

Looked a perfect day for a nice alternative to the Fairfield Horseshoe. Outstanding photos, as we've come to expect from you JK! Sorry to hear Hughie is slowing down a bit. Age creeps up on us all, I suppose, though I reckon he does pretty well for a small dog.

Thanks Dav. Hughie is 12 or the equivalent of 64 in small dog years, if I'm doing half as well when I'm 64 I'll be pretty chuffed

Lovely pics of the Lakes. Hartsop is a great starting place (if you can get a parking space). We used to head North: then up the miners track to Boredale Hause, back over High Street via Angle Tarn, on to Thornthwaite and down the ridge over Gray Crag (hard on the knees). Until Bob Allen wrote "The ridges of Lakeland" that descent ridge used to be near trackless. He was a lovely man but had a lot to answer for

Thank you very much. I agree entirely about Hartsop, a bit less time in bed is always worth it to have a day out from there. I've found a few pathless ridges in the Lakes over the years but not many I must admit.