Stay at home

[johnkaysleftleg]

This walk was done on a superb day back at the end of August, a day of sunshine and cotton wool clouds where the fells looked vibrant and verdant. As ever parking at the idyllic hamlet of Hartsop was a squeeze but we managed and set off for the first target of the day, Brock Crags. Following an initially steady walk the gradients increased dramatically and thoughts of a direct ascent were shelved for the infinitely more attractive path slanting up the hillside. Fine views of the excellent Pasture Beck Skyline and the very imposing, from this angle at least, Grey Crag provided excellent excuses for a rests on a warm day.

Brock Crags is one of those Wainwrights that show the list up to it's best. This fell is not on any other hill list, save for the overtly innocuous Birketts, and would no doubt be seldom visited if not for AW books. The view East from the neat summit taking in Brothers Water, Fairfield, St Sunday Crag, Hellvelyn and Ullswater is quite superb. The fact that the view to the west is nondescript matters not with such a scene on display.

Pasture Beck Skyline by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Grey Crag by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Angle Tarn by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Ullswater from Brock Crag by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Brothers Water from Brock Crag by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Brock Crags Summit by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Our next target was the notorious peat hag ridden Nab. There was quite a bit of boggy rough terrain to cover but in all honesty the journey wasn't too bad at all. If we'd come this way following a wet week in November I'm not sure my opinion would be the same however. We didn't linger on the plain summit adorned with a tiny cairn and re-crossed the Hags to the steep ascent up to the days high point.

Looking towards Hellvellyn by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

The Nab and Its Peat Hags by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Grace and Hughie on the Nab by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Rest Dodd is certainly well named if climbed this way because there will be few who are not ready for a sit down following the steep pull up to the twin cairned top. The views were lovely from here with great clarity providing a sighting of the hills of southern Scotland.

Stile at the edge of the Deer Park by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Rest Dodd View by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Descent was quick and easy with the only worry concerning the location of the herd of free range cattle who had done the decent thing and found a nice pasture away from the path.

On the way down by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Hayeswater by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

Hayeswater Gill by johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr

This was an enjoyable walk on a perfect day with the added satisfaction of ticking off The Nab. a fell that quite often gets awkwardly left till one of the last fells of the round by many.

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[CharlesT]

Nice report and pics JKLL. Clearly a great day for those hills and brought back happy memories for me. I completed the Wainwrights on The Nab in 2005 and was rewarded with a sighting of a large herd of the resident Red Deer.Still wondering where those stones came from for the summit cairn. It's grown since I was there.

[nigheandonn]

Beautiful pictures - I love the light and shade on the hills.

I did The Nab just as the snow had melted in March, and to be honest I didn't find it as bad as the flat ridge between Wether Hill and High Raise, which was stubbornly hanging on to all the melt water - more intricate route finding than sogginess, and fine if you stuck to the Ramps Gill side. But it was my last NE fell, because it just kept getting missed out earlier on. The oddly angled stile picture reminds me that it wasn't much fun climbing it with the wind blowing down towards the valley!

[johnkaysleftleg]

Nice report and pics JKLL. Clearly a great day for those hills and brought back happy memories for me. I completed the Wainwrights on The Nab in 2005 and was rewarded with a sighting of a large herd of the resident Red Deer.Still wondering where those stones came from for the summit cairn. It's grown since I was there.

Thanks Charles, I was on Simon's Seat in the Howgills a few months back and despite there being nothing but grass for miles there was still a tiny cairn, there must be somebody carrying rocks up these grassy tops.

Beautiful pictures - I love the light and shade on the hills.

I did The Nab just as the snow had melted in March, and to be honest I didn't find it as bad as the flat ridge between Wether Hill and High Raise, which was stubbornly hanging on to all the melt water - more intricate route finding than sogginess, and fine if you stuck to the Ramps Gill side. But it was my last NE fell, because it just kept getting missed out earlier on. The oddly angled stile picture reminds me that it wasn't much fun climbing it with the wind blowing down towards the valley!

Thank you very much, that stile was very wobbly and in need of repair when we crossed it.

[CharlesT]

Thanks Charles, I was on Simon's Seat in the Howgills a few months back and despite there being nothing but grass for miles there was still a tiny cairn, there must be somebody carrying rocks up these grassy tops.

I think it's all the work of the Rock Pixies myself.