All the drama and ‘mountaineering’ of this route is in the first mile, climbing the impressive rocky eastern face of Carrock Fell via a steeply slanting grass traverse and then an even steeper gully. Exhilarating, if lungbusting, stuff, but the path is clear enough and stays the coward’s side of being really exposed. Still a fair climb through the heather to the summit once the gradient eases, but nothing so breathless.
- East face of Carrock Fell
- Looking down the ascent route to Stone Ends
- South from the grass traverse
- East towards the North Pennines from Carrock Fell ascent
- Knott from Carrock Fell
- Carrock Fell summit
After dropping off Carrock Fell, the rock and heather disappear and the next few miles are over swampy grasslands. The way is always clear, but you spend plenty of time zigzagging and leaping between the firmer bits in the vain attempt to avoid a bootfull... By High Pike, you’re already grateful for its signature seat and a lovely vista west to the sea. As for much of the day, long views south were lost in the hazy sun, but – given conditions in recent months – that isn’t a real complaint!
- Bowscale Fell & Blencathra
- High Pike over Drygill Beck
- Uldale Fells from High Pike
- High Pike summit furniture
It’s a long trudge over Knott, higher but otherwise lesser than the other peaks on this route, to Great Calva - the gentle slopes seeming to stubbornly refuse to drain at all – and it’s rather a surprise to find a decent path at the end steepening up to the summit; also to see, at this low level and after a warm week, deep drifts of snow still lying in the gullies beside the way.
- Mosedale between Carrock and Bowscale Fells
- Great Calva & Skiddaw Little Man
- Towards Sale Fell & Bassenthwaite Lake
- South to Lonscale Fell from Great Calva
After a steep, cling-to-the-heather descent from Great Calva, it’s a long, flat five miles footbashing home, first through the bleak unchanging Caldew valley and then, welcomely, into verdant Mosedale.
- Mungrisdale Common rising above the foot of Great Calva
- Carrock Fell over the Caldew from the Cumbria Way bridleway
- Carrock Fell and Mosedale
- Looking up Grainsgill Beck
- The bowl of Bowscale Tarn
- Knott at the head of Mosedale
It really is a long, long way back… probably better in hindsight to park in Mosedale for this route, break it up a little, and finish with the best views of the day.
Dave
