Caudale Moor to Dove Crag

[dav2930]

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We (Karl and myself) set off from the car park at Brother's Water at about 8.30am and walked up the road to Hartsop village to begin this round which has quite a lot of up and down for the number of tops it takes in (only four). The weather was breezy and rather chilly (especially in comparison with the previous weekend), but at least the tops were clear of clag.

Pasture Beck

Retrospective view of Pasture Beck

Head of Ullswater from Threshthwaite Mouth

We were expecting it to be blowing a hoolie at the col of Threshthwaite Mouth, but it wasn't too bad after all.

Froswick and Ill Bell from Threshthwaite Mouth

On reaching the plateau of Caudale Moor the wind actually died down, which seemed quite strange - not that we were complaining!

Summit of Caudale Moor (Stony Cove Pike).

The Ill Bell ridge from Caudale Moor

A snow-dusted Helvellyn range from Caudale Moor

Coniston Old Man from Caudale Moor

We stopped briefly at Kirkstone for a swig of coffee, before the steep slog up Red Screes. Pity the Inn was closed (for the season).

Kirkstone Inn from St. Raven's Edge

Glimpse of Windermere from St. Raven's Edge

The Scafells, Gable, Pillar and High Stile from Red Screes

At the top of Red Screes the wind started gusting in earnest. It certainly made it difficult to hold the camera steady, or even to stand still on one spot.

Fairfield and Helvellyn from Red Screes

Windermere and Morecambe Bay reflecting silvery sunlight

Summit of Red Screes, Karl enduring the gale while I try to keep the camera steady...

View north from Red Screes over High Hartsop Dodd

Down to Scandale Pass and back up to the rocky summit of Little Hart Crag.

Dove Crag and Helvellyn from Little Hart Crag

Back to Red Screes, Ill Bell and High Street from Dove Crag

Lunch stop in the lee of the summit rocks of Dove Crag.

Windy weather on summit of Dove Crag

Descending into Dovedale

Interesting descent into Dovedale - one of my favourite Lakeland side-valleys - on a well-laid path, passing beside the awesome Dove Crag after which the fell is named.

Dove Crag

Craggy head of Dovedale

Getting lower down in Dovedale

Across Patterdale from Dovedale

Lovely autumn colours in the trees lower down in the valley, though the branches are starting to look bare now. Winter's around the corner.

Late Autumn in lower Dovedale

Back at the car by 3.15pm. - another very enjoyable walk. Plenty of daylight left but the days are getting shorter now and it'll soon be time pack the rucksacks with those extra items reserved for the rigours of Winter.

[Alteknacker]

Nice one. The dusting of white stuff in the far distance augers well for the next months!

Dove Crag looks great for climbing/scrambling. I've done a bit of chasing, but only managed to find an E2 climb. Do you know if there are any scrambles on it??

[ChrisW]

Another nice hike Dav and covering some distance and ascent with so much daylight to spare

[dav2930]

Nice one. The dusting of white stuff in the far distance augers well for the next months!

Thanks AK.
There's already a lot more snow on the fells (and the North Pennines) than there was on Saturday. Let's hope we get a proper winter this time round!

Dove Crag looks great for climbing/scrambling. I've done a bit of chasing, but only managed to find an E2 climb. Do you know if there are any scrambles on it??

Well it's certainly great for hard climbing (i.e. HVS and above) - it's one of the steepest and fiercest crags in the Lakes. No scrambles are mentioned in R.B. Evans's Scrambles in the Lake District and the easiest climb on it is Westmorland's Route (Mild Severe) which goes approximately up the left-hand edge of the crag. I've not done this so I can't say how viable it would be as a solo - probably pushing it a bit I'd think. I'm guessing the E2 you mention is Extol - a legendary Whillans classic. I've not done that either and probably never will now.

Elsewhere in Dovedale it might be worth considering Gill Crag (aka Dovedale Slabs) which has a Diff and several VDiffs of around 50m long. The Main Slab Route (VD) makes a good solo as there's no protection on it anyway! Did it many years ago and found it very pleasant with no particular difficulties.

But, if you haven't already done it, by far the best top-end scramble in the Patterdale area (if not in the entire Lakes), is Pinnacle Ridge on St. Sunday Crag. It's a grade 3 with a short, avoidable crux of Mod/Diff and a fabulous crest of pinnacles above. Going by some of the things you've done before, you shouldn't have any problems soloing this. It can be tricky to find but is well worth seeking out. It ends just below the summit of St. Sunday Crag, from where you can carry on to Fairfield, Hart Crag and down the Hartsop-above-How ridge; or alternatively across to Dollywaggon Pike and Helvellyn and down Striding Edge.

[dav2930]

Another nice hike Dav and covering some distance and ascent with so much daylight to spare

Thanks Chris. We maybe should have extended it a bit, but we didn't want to be too late for tea and sticky buns in Glenridding

[Alteknacker]

....
Well it's certainly great for hard climbing (i.e. HVS and above) - it's one of the steepest and fiercest crags in the Lakes. No scrambles are mentioned in R.B. Evans's Scrambles in the Lake District and the easiest climb on it is Westmorland's Route (Mild Severe) which goes approximately up the left-hand edge of the crag. I've not done this so I can't say how viable it would be as a solo - probably pushing it a bit I'd think. I'm guessing the E2 you mention is Extol - a legendary Whillans classic. I've not done that either and probably never will now.

Elsewhere in Dovedale it might be worth considering Gill Crag (aka Dovedale Slabs) which has a Diff and several VDiffs of around 50m long. The Main Slab Route (VD) makes a good solo as there's no protection on it anyway! Did it many years ago and found it very pleasant with no particular difficulties.

But, if you haven't already done it, by far the best top-end scramble in the Patterdale area (if not in the entire Lakes), is Pinnacle Ridge on St. Sunday Crag. It's a grade 3 with a short, avoidable crux of Mod/Diff and a fabulous crest of pinnacles above. Going by some of the things you've done before, you shouldn't have any problems soloing this. It can be tricky to find but is well worth seeking out. It ends just below the summit of St. Sunday Crag, from where you can carry on to Fairfield, Hart Crag and down the Hartsop-above-How ridge; or alternatively across to Dollywaggon Pike and Helvellyn and down Striding Edge.

Thanks for all this incredibly useful information, dav. Yes, the climb I found was Extol!
Unfortunately I left it very late in life to start climbing, and I'm pretty well sure that I shouldn' t be tackling anything tougher than VDiff as a solo now (unless the consequences of problems aren't too serious, like the TD Gap).
I've looked up Pinnacle Ridge, and from what I can see from the images it looks both fun and eminently doable. The crest of pinnacles looks quite exhilarating. Many thanks - once again - for the tip. I really appreciate the inf.

BTW do you happen to know whether the narrow gorge/gulley just down from Broad Stand, as you descend towards the Foxes Tarn Gulley, is a recognized scrambling route?? I passed by this at the end of a longish walk, and set off up it, only to decide after about 6 metres that I was too tired to cope with a down-climb if I was forced to retreat. But it looks quite enticing ...

[dav2930]

My pleasure AK.
If that gully/chimney is just down from Broad Stand then it'll be Mickledore Chimney (Diff). The FRCC climbing guide says it's best avoided in summer conditions but that it can give a good ice climb in winter. (So it's probably very loose.)

[Alteknacker]

My pleasure AK.
If that gully/chimney is just down from Broad Stand then it'll be Mickledore Chimney (Diff). The FRCC climbing guide says it's best avoided in summer conditions but that it can give a good ice climb in winter. (So it's probably very loose.)

Yes, that's the one. I didn't notice whether it seemed loose on the abortive attempt I made, but what I did see was how horribly wet and slimy it seemed, and hence most unsuitable if I was forced to retreat.

OK, not one for me then - I've no experience of ice climbing at all.

Thanks - yet again - for the inf.

[simon-b]

A fine route, dav. Nice walks in and out along those two valleys were just as good as staying on the ridge to get more tops. At least there was no temptation to resist at the Kirkstone Pass Inn.

[The English Alpinist]

That's an interesting route of 2 halves, pity about the Inn being closed - would have made it just perfect! Great photos capturing an early winter's day. We truly are on the edge of the wild season now.

[dav2930]

A fine route, dav. Nice walks in and out along those two valleys were just as good as staying on the ridge to get more tops. At least there was no temptation to resist at the Kirkstone Pass Inn.

Hey, thanks Simon. Yes those two valleys are well worth exploring.
And if the Inn had been open we definitely could not have resisted the temptation!

That's an interesting route of 2 halves, pity about the Inn being closed - would have made it just perfect! Great photos capturing an early winter's day. We truly are on the edge of the wild season now.

Thanks TEA! We kind of knew the Inn closes in October for the season; but that didn't stop us secretly hoping they'd changed the rules! Our hopes were raised a bit when we saw the number of cars parked there, only to be dashed when we arrived
Yep, winter's on the way (though it's turned mild again now!). It's amazing to think you did all the Wainwrights last winter; a fantastic achievement to look back on.