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Skiddaw

Skiddaw


Postby Derek T » Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:07 am

Wainwrights included on this walk: Carl Side, Long Side, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man, Ullock Pike

Hewitts included on this walk: Long Side, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man

Date walked: 05/06/2010

Time taken: 6

Distance: 25 km

Ascent: 1056m

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of a guided tour of the best route up and down Skiddaw in the company of Mountain Coward.

Starting at High Side we ascended a beautiful ridge known as "The Edge" which takes in Ullock Pike, Long Side and Carl Side before reaching the col below the southern screes of Skiddaw. From there we followed the zig-zag route to the east of the main path for a lung-bursting 700ft of very steep scree. This part of the ascent is punnishing on the calf muscles but isn't actually as bad as it looks from the bottom. The summit ridge of Skiddaw provides excellent views of the northern Fells and we were lucky enough to reach it during a break in the cloud.

From the summit we descended south east, up Skiddaw Little Man and its lesser partner Jenkin Hill and then east to Lonscale Fell. This final hill looks nothing from the summits of Skiddaw and Little Man but is actually a good long pull to get to the summit where there is a spectacular and unexpected view of the rift between the Skiddaw range and Blencathra. From this final summit we descended north to the Burnt Horse ridge and then followed the Cumbrian Way north and then north east past the beautiful Whitewater Dash waterfalls. Upon reaching the road we turned south west back to our starting point.

This was a fantastic route and a great way to see the many routes up and down Skiddaw as is completely encircles the mountain.

A big thanks to Mountain Coward for showing me the way :wink:


our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



Bassenthwaite Lake from Ullock Pike.jpg


Carl Side.jpg


Skiddaw.jpg


Derwent Water.jpg


Blencathra from Skiddaw summit.jpg


Skiddaw Little Man.jpg


Skidaw from Skiddaw Little man.jpg


Jenkin Hill, Skiddaw Little Man and Skiddaw from Lonscale Fell.jpg


Blencathra from Lonscale Fell.jpg


Lonscale Fell.jpg


St John's in the Vale and Helvellyn.jpg
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Derek T
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 517
Munros:22   
Sub 2000:8   Hewitts:55
Wainwrights:100   
Joined: May 17, 2010
Location: Chesterfield & Edinburgh

Re: Skiddaw

Postby mountain coward » Mon Jun 07, 2010 7:48 am

'Twas my pleasure - one of my favourite walks anyway and I'd probably have been exactly there on Saturday anyway as I usually start off with that round from my caravan... Did you do anything on the Sunday on the way out? I went late as usual and paid the penalty on my Lakeland favourite Grisedale Pike... I could see a huge black cloud sitting on it all the way to the final 'arete' of Sleet Hause. It was obviously waiting for me as it proceeded to throw it down heavily for the rest of the walk. For some reason, I decided not to put my waterproof trousers on so had a lovely drive home for 2 hours in soaking wet trousers sat on one of the floor mats from the car to try to soak some of it up! :lol:

Your GPS track makes it look a long walk we did :D
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Re: Skiddaw

Postby Derek T » Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:11 am

No, didn't do anything on the way out. Everywhere was covered with thick mist when I got up and the rain and potentially thunder was on its way so I chickened out and went home.

My knees agree with the GPS map - it was a long walk! :D
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Derek T
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Posts: 517
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Sub 2000:8   Hewitts:55
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Location: Chesterfield & Edinburgh

Re: Skiddaw

Postby mountain coward » Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:15 am

Have to say that, luckily, the thunderstorm bit never came true - thank goodness! :D
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Re: Skiddaw

Postby susanmyatt » Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:08 pm

Great report Derek, yet to do this ridge and it always looks spectacular, will probably not do your distance as when we are there for a week we have to pace ourselves to save husbands knees :lol:
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Re: Skiddaw

Postby mountain coward » Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:12 pm

We definitely took the long option - quicker options are to either descend over Bakestall and walk out via the Dash Falls - but pretty steep and could be hard on dodgy knees... or preferably, go over the North Summit and walk along the large plateau in front of you (Cockup/Broad End) and trend left as you descend the ridge until, about 1/3 of the way down, you should find a path going back under the fellside and into Barkbethdale. The path then continues across Southerndale. Very pleasant route the second one...
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Re: Skiddaw

Postby fedupofuserids » Mon Jun 07, 2010 7:19 pm

Defo the best way up Skiddaw, although I prefer parking in the layby by the Ravenstone Hotel, or the small pull off area in the woods a few hundred yards closer to Keswick. If you are quiet and lucky enough you usually see a red squirrel.

The weather certainly hit on Sunday !
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Re: Skiddaw

Postby mountain coward » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:55 am

Yeah but the weather at least waiting till the afternoon... when I set out :lol:

I usually park at Peterhouse Farm as it's much nearer my caravan and away from the main road (honesty box for path repair in the wall - usually pay a quid)... But we didn't know which way we were coming back so we picked the middle option...
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Re: Skiddaw

Postby fedupofuserids » Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:28 am

I think a pound is fair. It annoys me when landowners (1 major nationwide one in particular) charge sky high prices for what is basically a piece of non productive waste ground. Ripping people off can only hurt the tourist industry. Sorry to hijack thread !

Its amazing how much quieter Skiddaw's lesser peaks are, you don't have to travel far to get away from the crowds. Athough from your photos it looks like the tops where quiet or did you push them over the side ?
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Re: Skiddaw

Postby mountain coward » Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:45 am

Actually, for a weekend at the end of what I believe was half-term (don't have kids so only realise about half-terms when I find everywhere is mowed out! :( ) it wasn't that busy really, although there were some about... Maybe Derek did push them out of shot before he took the photos - not sure... Derek?? :lol:
mountain coward
 

Re: Skiddaw

Postby Derek T » Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:17 pm

mountain coward wrote:Actually, for a weekend at the end of what I believe was half-term (don't have kids so only realise about half-terms when I find everywhere is mowed out! :( ) it wasn't that busy really, although there were some about... Maybe Derek did push them out of shot before he took the photos - not sure... Derek?? :lol:

Only one or two :roll:

...but in my defense, they had just thrown banana skins off the north summit :shock:
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Derek T
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 517
Munros:22   
Sub 2000:8   Hewitts:55
Wainwrights:100   
Joined: May 17, 2010
Location: Chesterfield & Edinburgh

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