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A short stop off in the Lakes on the way back from a party in Scotland, staying in Ennerdale Bridge. The plan for the week (well, three days) was to try to tick off some of the more inaccessible Wainwrights in this area - in particular I was hoping that I might be able to cross off Caw Fell, which seems to be a long walk from anywhere but slightly less so from Ennerdale.
To break ourselves in (reasonably) gently for the first day of walking, we decide to try Starling Dodd. We had attempted it once before but been forced back by injury and snow. The latter was not going to be an issue this time!
On our previous attempt, we had climbed Great Borne by way of Herdus and a very steep pathless (because of the snow) hillside that had left us too exhausted to continue to Starling Dodd. I was hoping this time that with no snow hiding the paths, we might be able to at least find a less steep way up this side - but as it turned out we ended up taking a different route up altogether, following up beside Rake Beck. A much nicer way up, I think, though there was one slightly tricky section beside the waterfall, where a short scramble did not seem to have very many available handholds and rather slippery-looking rocks. It turned out to be easier than it first appeared, but I can understand why Wainwright described it as "a short scramble that some people may find difficult".
Just as we approached the summit of Great Borne it started to rain - though fortunately it was not too heavy and it soon passed.
We arrived at the summit feeling in much better shape than on our previous visit, and Starling Dodd looked to be within very easy reach.
And so it proved - before long we were at the top, and I was one summit closer to completing my 214. We stopped for lunch while contemplating how best to find a route down to the valley. Not quite sure how it happened, but somehow we decided that the easiest way to find a good path down would be to head to the summit of Red Pike - a new summit for Lorraine but not for me. I remember climbing it in my youth and very nearly getting struck by lightning on the top...
The pull up to the summit of Red Pike was a little harder work than the pull up to Starling Dodd had been, but we still arrived feeling like there was plenty in the tank - we even briefly contemplated going on to High Stile, but decided that another mile walking away from the car, when there was already quite a long way back ahead of us, was probably not sensible.
The path down from Red Pike to the valley road was indeed easy to find, though not especially pleasant - we were glad not to be ascending it! Near the bottom we passed a group of Duke of Edinburgh students heading upwards, and did not envy them. It seemed like an odd time of day to be heading upwards on such a path...
Once we reached the valley road, just beyond the youth hostel, it was a simple matter of following it back to the car. Got a bit tired of the road by the end though - it seems to go on for a long time before you even get to the lake, and then it's still a mile of more back from there.
Got back to the car feeling like we had had a good day's walk, with three Wainwrights completed - one new (two new for Lorraine).
Car park at Bowness Knott
Bowness Knott
View back over Ennerdale
Pillar in the distance
Ascending Rake Beck
Beside the waterfall
View up the ridge
Great Borne summit
View over Mellbreak
Grassmoor
Looking back at Great Borne
Starling Dodd summit
Grasmoor from Starling Dodd
Panorama from Starling Dodd
Grasmoor from Starling Dodd
Red Pike summit
Robinson from Red Pike
Pillar and Scafell from Red Pike
Nice light on the trees
Pillar and Steeple
Pillar, Steeple and Haycock panorama