walkhighlands

This board helps you to share your walking route experiences in England and Wales... or overseas.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Excellent day around Dale Head

Excellent day around Dale Head


Postby The English Alpinist » Mon Mar 14, 2016 1:40 am

Wainwrights included on this walk: Cat Bells, Dale Head, High Spy, Hindscarth, Maiden Moor, Robinson

Hewitts included on this walk: Dale Head, High Spy, Hindscarth, Robinson

Date walked: 03/03/2016

Time taken: 7

Distance: 23 km

Ascent: 1496m

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

1 Moning.JPG
The morning clouds of Borrowdale.


Into March now, the fifth and last month of my bid to do all the Wainwrights in one winter. With 11 walks still to do, clearly a big effort was going to be required. I was paying the price for missing 3 weeks at the end of January to mid-February. Luckily, a cluster of routes could be approached from Borrowdale, so I based myself for 3 days in about the only affordable and vacant accommodation I could find at short notice (Scales Bunkhouse) and used the excellent bus service around there to go to and fro.

I started this one from Grange Bridge bus stop. The morning presented moody clouds which gradually improved as the day went on. Only the Dale Head to Robinson section remained liable to cloud by the time I got there, but it was intermittent and I had lots of great views. A difficult section of settled snow in the col and climb between High Spy and Dale Head gave me doubts about being able to complete the route, but with patience I got through and the rest was exhilarating with the weather behaving itself.

I had made good time and figured out I could have walked into Keswick from Newlands, and got there before the last bus would get there (I could not make the one before, but was early for this one). It would have taken exactly the same time to do this as it would to walk over the Hawse at Cat Bells to return to Grange Bridge. However, it didn't feel 'right' not to complete the full circle (this was one of my self-imposed rules for the project, each walk to end where it began). So, over the Hawse I went, and I'm glad I did. It was truly picturesque in the late afternoon sun, and neat to compare it to my ascent there 6 hours earlier. I killed the time waiting for the bus by sitting in a cafe in Grange (disappointing coffee though, not up to Costa standard).

3 scales.JPG
My base camp for 3 days: Scales.


2 Bunkhouse.JPG
The bunkhouse at Scales.


4 Cat Bells.JPG
The view from Cat Bells.


5 Maiden clouds.JPG
On Maiden Moor.


6 Maiden to Spy.JPG
Ascending to High Spy.


8 High Spy point.JPG
Excellent summit cairn on High Spy. Finger points the way to Dale head.


9 Dale head slog.JPG
I hit difficult snow on the climb to Dale Head.


10 Dale Head.JPG
Dale Head is reached, with High Spy behind.


10a cairn.JPG
AW at his best and most informative.


12 Dale view.JPG
One of the iconic views of Lakeland. Dale Head.


11 Dale cloud.JPG
Cloud was intermittent on there. Makes a very different atmosphere!


13 to Hindscarf.JPG
Heading along to Hindscarf.


14 Hindscarf sky.JPG
On Hindscarf.


15 to Robinson.JPG
Around to Robinson now.


16 Honister.JPG
A view of Honister Pass (looking back to Dale Head).


17 Robinson.JPG
The summit of Robinson, looking across to Grasmoor


18 descent.JPG
The excellent descent of Robinson (north ridge).


19 Newlands.JPG
Newlands valley.


19a church.JPG
Wish I could draw like him.


20 Full circle.JPG
I come full circle.


21 Bull.JPG
No bull on this walk. An excellent day!



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



22 Skiddaw.JPG
Great view of Skiddaw from Grange.
Last edited by The English Alpinist on Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
The English Alpinist
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 297
Munros:56   Corbetts:11
Fionas:22   Donalds:18+10
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:136
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Oct 27, 2015
Location: Lancashire England.

Re: Excellent day around Dale Head

Postby ChrisW » Mon Mar 14, 2016 3:09 am

Another cracker of a day TEA, it's getting so close now I'll bet you can taste it....edge of the seat stuff to finish :shock:
User avatar
ChrisW
Rambler
 
Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Outside Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests