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Day 5 - Group was down to 4 keen folk today, I'd already laid plans for Grasmoor via Whiteside - with return via Lad Hows or Whiteless Pike/Rannerdale Knotts depending on pace. With only us 4 it as clear pretty quickly that we'd get to Rannerdale Knotts with time to spare.
It was the best day of a good week weather-wise, with the Sun out from the very start. It's bit of a slog up to Whiteside over Whin Ben, but the ridge was soon attained - once up you soon realise why it's called Whiteside. A great walk along the ridge to Hopegill Head follows, then to Sand Hill and down to Coledale Hause. Rather than following the obvious path straight head, we opted to cut the corner to summit Grasmoor via the Dove Crag edge. The sun was making great shadows in the valley from the edge, standing on the very edge we tried to spot our own shadows, but the distance was too great (and us too small). From there it was off across the big flat top ("anyone bring a football") to the shelters.
Lunch was taken by the small shelter to the south of the main shelter, as which point the world and his wife seemed to arrive at the main shelter! Wainwright was read - reminding us that the "Gras" is nothing to do with the Grassy nature of this fell (but from Grize).
After lunch we headed around to Wandope, down along Whiteless edge and onto Whiteless Pike - during which we had great views of everything we had walked during the week. Whiteless Pike itself is a great spot for 360 degree views. Rannerdale Knotts was next and again a great spot on a warn Sunday day. Once there a quick check of the watch showed we had time for a pint before returning to base for tea. The next task being to find an open pub between there and Bassenthwaite - nothing on the Lorton Road - so we dived into Cockermouth and stumbled on The Bitter End (
www.thebitterend.co.uk) - recommended, and a great end to the week (well not strictly the end as far as pubs went
)
Photos:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/106459429880001195754/albums/5929914795475787649Route:
http://my.viewranger.com/track/details/NTM5Njc1