BURNBANK & BLAKE FELLS, CARLING KNOTT - WESTERN FELLS

[susanmyatt]

Hi, this morning was a lovely day as we set off for an area we hadn't been to before, we crossed the Whinlatter Pass to Loweswater where we stopped to watch a red squirrel, gorgeous On alongside the water before parking up at the roadside at Fangs Brow, room here for around 12 vehicles and quite popular for a walk around the lake.

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We set off on a good path and could see straight ahead the initial slopes up to Burnbank Fell.

First climb

We could look back to the road as we climbed

Back to the car

The route took us to the left and around onto the top from where we could see the second top of Blake Fell

Blake Fell

It was a bit boggy here as we saw the fell ponies grouped ahead.

Burnbank ahead

Fell ponies

We squelched up to the top of Burnbank Fell which offered good all round views at 475m

Summit with Blake Fell behind

It was now a steady climb through ever wetter ground as we followed the fence up, on the way on the horizon was this strange tree/bush, like two Xmas trees point to point.

???????

We reached a very windy Blake Fell summit at 573m from where Knock Murton, Gavel Fell etc were evident.

Windy Blake Fell with Carling Knott behind

Grasmoor and its neighbours

We had to lose some height as we dropped down towards the double top of Carling Knott

Towards Carling Knott

Looking back to Blake Fell

As we crossed the first top of Carling we continued to the summit at 544, called Loweswater End.

Carling Knott at 544m

It was too steep to drop off at the lake end but the views were wonderful, we could see Fellbarrow and Low Fell north of the water.

Wow

Whiteside zoomed in

Whiteside, Grasmoor and Mellbreak

We took a cross country descent that was quite steep and hard work to get down to Holme Beck which was very pretty

Holme Beck

We met the undulating path that led back to the car, quite a few walkers circumnavigating the lake, the views into the valley were superb

Towards Grasmoor

Looking up to Carling Knott

Woderful to Buttermere

Mellbreak peeps in

It was a really good walk with different conditions and the views got better as the sun warmed up

[mountain coward]

Those ponies are pretty unusual for the Cumbrian Fells - the native fell ponies are invariably black but there are all sorts of colours there. Even most of the trekking stables use native fell ponies so it's rare to see many other colour of pony in the Lakes.

I liked Blake Fell and Carling Knott - haven't seen or done them for years though - will have to stop spending quite so much time in Scotland I think!

[susanmyatt]

Yes MC, we saw the black smaller ones near to the ford on the Carrock Fell walk

[fedupofuserids]

Those ponies are pretty unusual for the Cumbrian Fells - the native fell ponies are invariably black

Possible explanation : http://www.kerbeck-fell-ponies.co.uk/index.htm