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Another small excursion to the Lakes to collect odds and ends of Wainwrights, the plan was to do Raven Crag followed by High Rigg then onto Latrigg and Lonscale Fell. I only realised High Rigg was a Wainwright when looking at my Harvey’s map of the Lakes which kindly identifies them by using a colour to distinguish them. I must have driven past it more times than I care to remember, but more of High Rigg later.
No Mick (working) or Jerry (family time) so was rather surprised when Jim asked if Mrs Jim (Cindy) could come as well as the faithful hound Lassie. ‘No problem’ said I ‘see you about 0730’. I was late, well you know how it is, got up in plenty of time then 'dawdle mode' hits and suddenly you’re rushing. I phoned Jim and told him I’d be late, eventually arriving in Blackburn at 0750. The drive up to Raven Crag was good and I was on my best behaviour (no speeding!). We arrived at the Car park duly paid (it always rankles) £2.50, kitted up, went to the start of the path and discovered the path was closed as they still haven’t cleared the trees away!! B****r! we said amongst other epithets and decided not to risk it, so it was back to the car and on down the road to High Rigg. Jim was really miffed as he'd paid the car parking fee! £2.50 for five minutes, worse than Central Manchester.
I parked at the dual carriageway, crossed over the road and arrived at the gate to a well marked track.
- A watery start
Not the easiest manoeuvre to avoid wet feet, but we all managed except Lassie, who is of course waterproof!
Cindy then realised she had lost her hat, so Jim returned to the car but to no avail. We said we’d go back to Raven Crag to look for it once we’d done High Rigg. Halfway up the track Cindy also realised she’d lost the sucky squashy end of her water bladder tube so things weren’t going too well. Nevertheless we followed the track assiduously and eventually the summit came into sight without too much puffing and panting.
- Towards Thirlmere and Helvellyn
- High Rigg
The summit gave nice views back toward Helvellyn range and over towards both Skiddaw and Blencathra and we were admiring same when we noticed the weather closing in and duly took a couple of photos.
- Snow in the distance
- Snow here!
Yes, it was May in England and it was snowing, cold too! We turned around and followed roughly the same way back to the car. Jim and I diligently searched the track for the squashy end of Cindy’s water bladder and found it in that big puddle near the gate, I suspect it will never be used again as the puddle was less than fragrant!
Arriving back at the car, Jim said ‘don’t bother with Raven Crag, Cindy’s found her hat’. It was in the hood of her jacket! This was a large sheepskin hat with flaps for the ears and two big attractive bobbles on the drawstrings! Don’t ask I was baffled too!
Onward then to part 2 of the trip.
We arrived some twenty minutes later at the car park at the bottom of the main Skiddaw path. The path to Latrigg, ‘miles of no stiles’ it said on the sign proved to be the easiest Wainwright I had climbed, sorry, strolled and on reaching the summit stopped for lunch. A fine viewpoint and just in case you were sceptical of the snow in May here it is.
- Snow from Latrigg and the path to summit of Latrigg
Lunch was leisurely and the viewpoint excellent, climbing these smaller hills has been a revelation in providing alternative perspectives of the Big Un’s and I would recommend it to anyone and often do!
Our final objective was Lonscale Fell an outlier of the Skiddaw range, it’s the round hump on the right.
- Lonscale fell and the way up
- Latrigg and The Big Un's
- Skiddaw and the path up
A very good path leads from the opposite side of the car park to the Latrigg path, you can’t miss it its got big signposts, and makes its way uphill towards the col between Lonscale and Skiddaw Little Man. The path is very well made and has clearly prevented much erosion of the original way up. Lassie was in ‘fetch the stone mood’ and was happy pestering any stray dog lover to throw her stone, which meant we had quite a few stops for a chat on the way up and were regaled with tales of blizzards and other wintry hardships. The sight of a lady with two dogs wearing one of the dog’s coats as a neck warmer, her male partner saying ‘the cold had got to her’ made us think we’d been lucky with the weather
.
We finally reached the col and turned right for Lonscale Fell here’s the pic.
- Blencathra and Lonscale Fell Summit
The summit is as it seems, flat, but the views were nice, we tarried for a brew and then returned to the car via the main path.
- Jim and Cindy on the way down,note the hat!
The Farmers Arms on the way to Portinscale (nice place, likes dogs, been three times this year!) was our stop for beer, then off down the M6 to home. Jim texted later saying Cindy thoroughly enjoyed herself, so we may be seeing her again. More little hills soon!