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Cow Bridge - Low Wood - Hartsop Above How - Hart Crag - Fairfield - Cofa Pike - St. Sundays Crag - Gavel Pike - Birks - Arnison Crag - Patterdale - Cow Bridge
No John this weekend as his daughter is off to Uni, so plans for Blencathra were challenged on Saturday morning as we awoke to clear blue skies and the sun already starting to warm up a chilly morning. As visibility was going to be fairly exceptional today, I decided upon a walk I knew in my head fairly well as I'd planned on doing it a fair few times but for one reason or another not got round to.
A quick fuel and food stop at Asda in Barrow was first call before a rather irate drive to Patterdale following too many drivers who shouldn't have their driving licences, braking on every corner and not getting above 20mph on road with speed limits of 50. This is becoming much more of a problem throughout the lakes as well as coaches thinking they can get over the passes without causing problems (what are they thinking ?
, pity they don't have a sarcastic clapping smilie as thats what they normally get from me)
Any way, from Cow Bridge car park, we crossed the bridge and through the left gate and took the steep upward path to the left heading up onto the ridge above the nose of Hartsop Above How.
http://www.dermandar.com/p/cTPrfe/place-fell-to-red-screes-from-above-low-woodPlace Fell to Red Screes from above Low Wood (link above is to 3D Panorama)
Last part of ascent onto Hartsop Above How ridge
Looking back to Place Fell & Angle Tarn Crags from ridge
We headed up the ridge which was wet underfoot but not as bad as expected and a nice gentle breeze cooled us down enough to ease with the climbing yet not enough to throw on a fleece or overcoat (T-Shirt only was worn for entire trip today)
More great views opened up as we climbed over Hartsop Above How and on towards the steep ascent to Hart Crag.
Kirkstone Pass from Hartsop Above How ridge
Damson on Hartsop Above How summit
View to Red Screes from Hartsop Above How
View across Deepdale to St Sundays Crag from Hartsop Above How
Place Fell from Hartsop Above How
Arnison Crag & Place Fell from Hartsop Above How
Start of steep ascent up Hart Crag
On the final ascent we missed a little hook left in the path around a large rock and ended up having to walk across a grass shelf on its right face over a shear drop into Deepdale and a very tight slippery scramble up to the top which didn't bother Damson but petrified me for a few minutes.
Damson on Hart Crag
Heron Pike & Nab Scar leading down to Windermere from Hart Crag
Great Rigg to Fairfield from Hart Crag
The traverse across the top of Rydal Head over Link Hause was next and onto the busy summit of Fairfield. There were over 20 people milling around up here today (probably more tucked into shelters or spread over the fell top taking photos. We took some of our own as the views were exceptional in the clear, cool air and then descended down over Cofa Pike before stopping above Grizedale Tarn for a bite to eat.
View down Rydal Beck to Windermere from Rydal Head
Zoom over Low Pike to Windermere from Rydal Head
St Sunday Crag from Rydal Head
Damson on Fairfield summit
View back down Deepdale across to Hartsop Above How from Fairfield
Helvellyn Range from Fairfield
http://www.dermandar.com/p/agFHRZ/helvellyn-range-panorama-from-fairfield(Link above is 3D panorama of Helvellyn Range from Fairfield)
Large westerly panorama from Fairfield (Dollywagon Pike on right)
http://www.dermandar.com/p/cWvwbd/fairfield-panorama(Link above is 3D panorama of westerly panorama from Fairfield)
Drop onto Cofa Pike and St Sundays Crag from Fairfield
St Sundays Crag under blue skies
Grizedale Tarn & Dolly Wagon Pike from Cofa Pike where we stopped for lunch.
Can anybody have had a better lunch spot than this yesterday ??
The ridge to St Sundays Crag is fairly relaxing compared to the rest of the walk thus far and has some of the best views across Grizedale Beck to the Helvellyn range, and upon reaching the summit views towards Ullswater and the north open up. A special mountain on a great day.
Descent off Cofa Pike on St Sunday Crag ridge
View back across Deepdale to Hartsop Above How
View back up Cofa Pike
St Sunday Crag ascent
View back to Fairfield and most of todays walk from St Sundays Crag ridge
http://www.dermandar.com/p/bcUhzz/hartsop-above-how-hart-crag-farfield-from-st-sLink above is to 3D Panorama of View back to Fairfield and most of todays walk from St Sundays Crag ridge
Damson on St Sundays Crag summit
Ullswater from St Sundays Crag
Rather than taking the North East ridge, we headed over to the much neglected Gavel Pike for a few more piccies before heading down the right hand flank of the ridge to pick up the boggy path leading on to Birks.
The broad expanse is topped by a tiny pile of stones denoting its summit.
Ullswater from Gavel Pike summit
Damson on Birks
Looking back up St Sundays Crag from Birks
Birks Panorama showing Striding Edge and Helvellyn on left across Ullswater to Place Fell on right
http://www.dermandar.com/p/eCTPvg/birks-panoramaLink above is to 3D Birks Panorama
About 100m after the summit stones we took a path leading right off Birks down a grassy bank to meet a stone wall leading very sharply down to Trough Head. The best path kept crossing the wall on the way down and crossed the beck at the bottom on the left hand side of the wall. We saw a small path part way up the opposite bank and headed straight for this, then headed left again following a wall round a small grassy hill before making our final ascent of the day up the flanks of Arnison Crag.
Descent off Birks follows the wall from top right to bottom left down to Trough Head
Damson on Arnison Crag summit overlooking Ullswater
Damson ready to pounce on Arnison Crag
Ullswater and Place Fell
Boredale Hause & AngleTarn Crags from Arnison Crag
View back to Hartsop from Arnison Crag
Hartsop Above How ridge from Arnison Crag
The descent from Arnison follows the wall on the west of the fell top and drops down then right to the Hotel in Patterdale. The beer garden was packed so we didn't stop and headed back down the road towards Hartsop and Kirkstone Pass. A final stroll down a wooded path to the right of the beck leading to Cow Bridge ended todays adventures.
Last photos of Ullswater from Arnison Crag
Heading down to Hotel in Patterdale to pick up road back to car park
The fact that there are few words and tons of pictures tells everything you need to know of this walk. Why add more words when the pictures tell it all. This goes down as one of my favourite walks as it had a bit of everything in perfect fell walking conditions.
Pretty much explains why we go fell walking in the first place.
