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Kirkstone Foot - Middle Dodd - Red Screes - Little Hart Crag - High Hartsop Dodd - Kirkstone Foot
The onset of winter has finally descended from its northern climbs and as it makes its way down through the UK leaving smatterings of snow and ice across Scotland and Newcastle, the Lakes seem to have avoided the worst of the weather (for today at least) but it has turned bitterly cold.
So, time to try out the newly bought winter padded trousers and don the fur lined "trappers" hat and head over the Kirkstone Pass to park in the small layby / bus stop at the foot of the pass.
Photos were taken immediately as I contemplated the steep incline back up todays first target of Middle Dodd.
Middle Dodd from Kirkstone Foot (taken from car @09:00 as we set off)
Todays walk goes up Middle Dodd (left) round Red Screes & Little Hart Crag and down High Hartsop Dodd (right)
The route took us back up the road for a few metres and through the gates on the right. Following a number of yellow posts round to the bridge over Kirkstone Beck we then turned left on the path back towards the Kirk Stone for 50 meters before breaking off on a faint track up towards the bottom of the wall shown in the picture above. The route follows the wall all the way up the lower flanks, through a small clump of trees before breaking away up the right hand edge of the large grey rock face and onward up to the wall crossing the fell.
The path then winds its way over a number of small humps up towards Middle Dodd summit. Plenty of breathers were required as this is a steep, persistent climb with very little in the way of any flat surfaces all the way to the summit. The views back down to Brothers Water improve all the way up and about half way up St Sundays Crag shows its face above our descent route of High Hartsop Dodds ridge over Scandale.
Brothers Water and Patterdale from Middle Dodd ascent
Link to Middle Dodd ascent 3D panorama :
http://www.dermandar.com/p/cYwROb/middle-dodd-panoramaMiddle Dodd summit is the first time that any level ground is found before the second stretch of ascent up Smallthwaite Band to Red Screes is tackled. This is less steep than the Middle Dodd ascent and half way up denoted today's frost line where the ground took on a white coating and conditions underfoot became a touch slippier. Up until this point the weather had been fairly kind but on Red Screes summit, the wind picked up and the freezing conditions started to bite. Therefore the photo shoot was brief and Damson escaped being lifted onto the trig point. In desperation to get moving again, I also forgot the small walk over to the chimney to get the views over Kirkstone Pass Inn.
Middle Dodd summit with Red Screes behind
Looking over Little Hart Crag to Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield round to St Sundays Crag from Middle Dodd
Looking over Middle Dodd towards Ullswater and Patterdale from Red Screes
Frozen Tarn on Red Screes
Frozen Red Screes summit looking over Kirkstone Pass towards the Kentmere horseshoe and right edge of Cauldale Moor
Obligatory photo of Damson on summit (too cold and windy to lift her onto trig point today)
The passage down and across to Scandale Pass dropped us back below the frost line and conditions improved again with a bit of sun breaking through and adding some welcome warmth. Ahead lay todays third target of Little Hart Crag but a quick pit stop at its foot was taken to grab a bite to eat in the company of the Fairfield Horseshoe fells. Although this walk took 4 hours, a good 30 - 45 minutes of this was taken here playing with Damson and enjoying the tranquillity of our surroundings. Out of the wind and in a small sun trap, it was lovely.
Approaching Little Hart Crag from Scandale Pass
The last bit of climbing for today saw us on Little Hart Crag having great views to St Sundays Crag and back into Patterdale with only the downward ridge walk left to today's fourth and last summit of High Hartsop Dodd.
Damson on Little Hart Crag (Dove Crag behind and High Pike on left)
Dove Crag and St Sundays Crag from Little Hart Crag summit
Looking down ridge to High Hartsop Dodd from Little Hart Crag
Walking down ridge to High Hartsop Dodd. (Hartsop Above How ridge on left - Place Fell, Angletarn Crag and Brock Crag behind Brothers Water)
Little Damson on High Hartsop Dodd
From here we could see the car to our right but our descent took us further north down the nose of the fell on a steepish path to a small barn at its foot.
Looking down on Brothers Water campsite and car (layby right of buildings) from High Hartsop Dodd
At the base of the fell we turned back right to pick up the path leading back to the Kirkstone Beck bridge running to the right hand side of the farm wall through herds of cows before heading back to the car.
The final photos of the day in winter midday sun were captured at the fell foot.
Middle Dodd & High Hartsop Dodd in Winter Sun
St Sundays Crag behind Hartsop Above How with Dove and Hart Crags from foot of High Hartsop Dodd
A nice little round in very cold conditions. The start is very steep and hard going and last for about an hour until it eases. The new trousers work a treat (only a tenner at Aldi this week) and Damson has finally warmed up again after a nice bath and a couple of hours in front of the fire.
