walkhighlands

High Raise and Ullscarf, Cumbria

Date walked: 09/10/2011

Photos are not of usual standard due to rain, slog, wet feet, weight of mud etc etc leeching a small bit of the enthusiasm! Also, for some reason the report it has put photos in totally the wrong place but after 2 attempts have failed to get them to appear in correct order?
After a false start from Grasmere due to satnav issues we were late to start walk...and no way are we embarrassing ourselves by giving any more detail on that!
Started from road west of Thirlmere just North of Deergarth How Island where there is a free layby rather than london prices pay and display that have sprang up all round this area. Decided to keep with original plan and set off the few km to Wythburn and followed the Southwest path from the bridge opposite the car park.
The moment we were off the road we knew not bringing the gaiters may have been a mistake as we slogged across boggy ground adjoining the river.
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bit windy up top

After a few k along the river the ground begins to slowly ascend but it is one of those long slow slopes that feels like a slog without gaining much height or distance...or was that just our legs after too long without getting out in the hills?
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High Raise trig point

After some height you see the water falls of Wyth Burn with good rear views of Hellvellyn which was partly covered with the low cloud that day. Apparent path routes are plentiful with people taking there own routes leaving lots of choices which route to follow to Middle How which is where the real choice began. Follow a clear westerly path across bogs or follow the non existent mapped path wouth westerly. Two gents coming down did give us clear advice....but the problem is I am convinced they forgot to reverse there handing when describing the most solid route to follow to keep out the bog. Should also have noted that one of the two did not believe his colleague they were on there way down to Thirlmere until we reassured him they were on right track....so, after a good forty minutes of bog trotting and island hopping without any lost boots but a good few kilos of added mud weight we finally got the path up to Greenup edge which you can see at all times but can only see the connection once up close...stay on a south westerly route!!!
We reached Greenup Edge crossroads with a lovely view across to Great Gable and Glaramara which slowly appear over the dip in the main path.
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reaching Greenup Edge

To most of you probably an easier walk but after some months with no real hills or mountains walked it really was a slog...and we did note this seemed to be same for the few others we saw on top that day with noone having any great pace.
We moved on towards High Raise where Marian was fooled by the Low White Stones into thinking we were at the top and not until had we reached them do you see the top still a few hundred metres away.
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starting the slow climb

After a brief pause to admire the distant peaks around Great Gable we headed back North retracing our tracks towards the dip and on towards Ullscarf which is more long slow sloping ground with alot of boggy ground. The rain finally found us at this point but we were lucky to be surrounded by low cloud to East and West but our route remained clear visibility. The wind also got up and our time at Ullscarf was extremely short, just long enough for a photo and then get a move on, the only other person we could see on the tops at this time being a lone fell runner who had walked upto Ullscarf and then given us a beaming smile and a cheery hello as she went running past...don't you just hate it when you are wet, cold and with boots full of water and mud :lol:
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Loooking back at start of walk

We continued North to meet the Eastern trail back to Thirlmere, picked up near Blea Tarn. We cut a diagonal path and found the route as it was not too clear from our vantage point on the way downslope and soon made the woods and path towards Dob Gill.
The map shows a path that runs down through the woods and near the bottom meanders south but our path followed the side of the stream all the way down which is extremely steep and slippy all the way and added an hour to our walk. It is south of the Dobgill bridge car park and well worth a visit...on a dry day we think! towards Harrop Tarn.

Would expect better longer views on a clear day....and less hosing down once home!

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Comments: 5


fazerneil


Activity: Rambler
Pub: any real ale with fire
Mountain: Bein Alligan
Place: Gairloch so far
Gear: watch
Member: none
Ideal day out: mixed bag ascent followed by ridge walk

Munros: 6
Wainwrights: 30
Hewitts: 27
Sub 2000: 1



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2011

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Joined: Feb 21, 2011
Last visited: May 13, 2022
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