Rambling Pete on Walking Places

Bleaberry Fell

Date: 16-Nov-2010

Map: Landranger 90

Weather: Rain initially, clearing to bits of sunshine

From the lakeside car park up to Walla Crag, up onto Bleaberry Fell and along to High Tove. Follow the fence to High Seat and then across to Armboth Fell. Return over to High Seat, through a gate and down the slopes to Watendlath. Follow the valley down to Ashness Bridge and along the slope to descend to the shore at Calfclose Bay. Return to the start along Derwent Water : 12.5 miles as measured onSatmap GPS

I had just got back from two weeks working over in Norway and looked at the weather forecast, thinking it was the best day of the week. I had a low level of va-va voom the night before, but told myself to get on with it. I was still on Norway time, so I woke up early any way, showered and got ready at a leisurely pace. As I drove up over Shap summit there was a very strange and exhilarating light from the east, as heavy rain combined with sunrise threw a deep yellow cast over the sky, with some superb rainbows. Alas I'm not officially allowed to stop in the fast lane of the motorway, so no pictures unfortunately. I parked at the lakeside car park in Keswick and paid my dues, and as I could see the rain showers approaching I dallied a while. But it wasn't going to go away anywhere soon, and as I could see blue skies to the north and I knew it would clear eventually. I nipped up onto Crow Park next to the theatre to take a picture of a rainbow - a good omen for the day. As I'd walked this path up to Walla Crag about a month ago, I couldn't get an old Motown hit out of my head - 'I've been this way before'. I couldn't delay any longer, so I set off along the shores of Derwent Water, which had big banks of pine needles washed up from the storms of the previous week, and the trees didn't have many leaves left on after that battering.

a strange early morning light as I drove towards Keswick

a sheep admiring a rainbow

this one came and dumped on me as I walked up to Walla Crag

looking back to the Derwent Fells

on my way up to Walla Crag - the view to Skiddaw and Blencathra

the path climbs gently up to Walla Crag

great views across to Cat Bells

the Derwent Water islands

the glinting path up to Bleaberry Fell - sorry about the smudge

the view over to Cat Bells

nearly up to Bleaberry Fell - Walla Crag in the middle of picture, Skiddaw behind

The route took me through Cockshot and Castlehead woods on the way up to Walla Crag, a gentle start to the day, but it started to pelt down as I walked up through the woods to Rakefoot. There were a few people out enjoying the sunshine as it cleared away after this apart from a short sharp shower on Armboth Fell. Out of the rain there was a distinct nip in the air and I made sure I had enough layers on today. I was soon up onto Walla Crag and could see the path stretching ahead of me away to Bleaberry Fell, with the sun glinting off the route ahead I knew it was going to be a bit of a bog trot - but I have new boots and gaiters, so I didn't mind. I also bought my boots a size bigger for winter walking, to comfortably allow me extra thick socks to keep my toes happy. It is a long steady ascent up to Bleaberry Fell, winding around the worst of the soggy spots. There were a lot of splodgy sucking noises as I walked along, but that's what fruit pastilles do to me - I can't just suck them. I met a group of six teenagers in their bright orange Duke of Edinburgh award kits, warning me of perilous snow up on the top - I didn't find any apart from the odd patch, just a dusting. I sat in the shelter on the summit and enjoyed the views around me - quite pleased with my dodgy knees, as the anti-inflammatory seem to be working OK. There were good views to the north of Skiddaw and Blencathra, the Helvellyn Dodds to the east. But the best views were to the south up to Bowfell, and Glaramara, and a host of smaller peaks. It was cold on top, which prompted me to don another layer and remind myself to purchase some new winter gear.

well worth the effort - the summit view

the summit shelter with Helvellyn in the background

and the view to Blencathra, High Rigg and Clough End

Keswick shining in the sunshine

looking over to the Derwent Fells from High Seat

from High Seat looking towards Seathwaite

looking over to Armboth Fell with Helvellyn beyond - Catsty Cam is the pointy one

Rosthwaite Fell is in the middle of the picture - Pike of Stickle on the horizon, as is Bowfell

High Tove summit with Brund Fell over the valley, and Cat Bells beyond

The route ahead was easy to follow as I had a fence to follow all the way along this wide ridge, but whichever way I chose to go was going to be soggy. The undulations were easy to walk along, with small pockets of icy snow in the north facing hollows - I took every opportunity to walk through these to clean up my boots. The next Wainwright along and the highest of the day was High Seat, but it didn't have such good views as the ridge is wide and there are no valley views here, and it wasn't until I reached High Tove that I started to see the southern fells a little better down in Borrowdale. These were lit up by shafts of sunshine pouring through the cloudbase on the green fields below. I continued along the fenceline to the non descript summit of High Seat and ahead of me the skies were dramatic, revealing some of the higher peaks occasionally, with the distinctive shapes of the Pike of Stickle and Bowfell easy to pick out. Over on the Helvellyn range Catsty Cam was pointing it's pointy peak above the horizon with a snowy top. I didn't hang around long as I could see the rain approaching, and as I plodded across to Armboth Fell I had a short sharp shower, so away went the camera as there wasn't anything to see in the conditions. I about turned to get back to High Seat and walked through a gate to take me across towards the descent to Watendlath. The sky brightened ahead of me to the north, while the showers randomly dumped on the peaks to the south. The path over to the edge of the fell is well trodden and easy to follow and as I got to a stand of fir trees the path steepened down the slope. But it was partly paved with easy steps leading me down to the tea rooms. I looked down on the tarn and the farm and knew that it would be busy as it's the weekend - I was right as well. I walked through the car park and over the old packhorse bridge to find a nice perch next to the falls for some warming soup and a sarnie. Ahead of me in the distance was Skiddaw lit up in the sunshine, but I walked down the shady side of the valley, otherwise I would have been walking on the road. The path beside the beck took me down Watendlath to a wooden bridge where I crossed over into woodland, and eventually sunshine.

the view over to Helvellyn

through here to drop down to Watendlath

plenty of cairns mark the way

dramatic skies

dropping down to the steeper slopes - Great Crag and Brund Fell across the valley

steeply down to the tea room

looking back up to the windy path down

Watendlath Tarn and farm

The valley in shadow - my route down Watendlath

This route led me to Ashness Bridge, a picturesque spot where many a photograph has been taken. The light was a bit dim for my skills so I didn't get the money shot! But my path led me along to walk along the hillside and lead me to underneath Walla Crags, with great views out over Derwent Water and beyond. I met a load of Japanese tourists walking through the woods towards Loder Falls - all smiling and enjoying our lovely fells. Above me in a fenced area of the fell was a herd of Banded Galloway cattle, looking like Newcastle United's reserve team. The path along the hill took me along to Cats Gill, a delightful wander with views towards Skiddaw - it dominates your view while walking to the north. I gradually dropped down to the Borrowdale road and walked down to the shore to take me back to Keswick. I was struck by the amount of increase in the level of the lake in only a month since I was at Walla Crag - the millennium stone had almost disappeared from sight, a rise of at least 3ft - that's a lot of rain. As I reached the jetties once more the birds were coming in to roost and they sat one a piece on the jetty poles, it's a shame I couldn't get them to face the same way though. An excellent walk, but don't go up to Bleaberry and onwards if it's been raining for a while - save it for a dry summer or a frosty winters day.