Rambling Pete on Walking Places

Carrock Fell and High Pike from Calebreck

Date: 15-Nov-2011

Map: Landranger 90

Weather: Low cloud over the summits, but dry

From Calebreck by the road around the northern contours of the Caldbeck Fells to Dale Beck. Up the valley to Roughton Gill, heading up higher to Birk Moss. Contour around the hill and cut up steeper ground to High Pike. Follow the paths around to Milton Hill and onto Carrock Fell. Walk west down off the steep top and find a path to drop down the slopes to Carrock Beck and across the slopes to Calebreck: 10.2 miles as measured on Satmap GPS.

A real surprise this walk was, thanks to my walking buddy Paul. An inspired route took us around the northern edge of the Caldbeck Fells before turning into the wind and up Dale Beck to Roughton Gill. From here we turned east gaining height up to Birk Moss, before walking up to High Pike – Wainwright number 207. From High Pike it was a relatively easy stroll over to Carrock Fell – Wainwright number 208, and then down the slopes to Carrock Beck and back to the car at Calebreck. I knew we were in for a good day as we met up at the Little Chef for a bacon sarnie at 9am, a nice leisurely start to the day. Lately the MWIS website has been getting some stick for innaccurate forecasts, but today unfortunately their forecast was 100% spot on – low cloud persisting to the east near the Pennines between 550m and 750m. Our peaks today were 658m and 663m! No surprises then that we didn’t have great views on the tops, but that didn’t take anything away from this great little walk. Up in the mist the cloud was thin enough that we kept dry – quite a good trick really.

Anyways we set off walking from the small parking area at Calebreck, and had a rough idea where we were going as Paul had used an Etch-a-Sketch to plot a GPX track the day before. Brain of Britain, me, had created a slightly more accurate track and loaded it to my Satmap, but when I turned it on the track had disappeared. Undaunted I followed Paul, as he can’t get lost on every walk he does, and he had printed out the route. Walking around the northern side of the Caldbeck Fells I was immediately struck by how lumpy and bumpy the terrain was – vast tracks of old mine workings and in places reminiscent of Gunnerside – old lead tailings leading to vegetation free slopes here and there. It was misty early on, but the going was easy and the ascent gentle, gradually climbing the contours as we tracked around the hillside on the old mine roads – no bogs and dry feet. It’s a shame we didn’t have the views up to the north but the local valleys looked fine, and I’m quite looking forward to doing the Cumbria Way soon. I shall revisit this route on a fine day to see the big telecomms tower and wind farms, to see how they sit in the landscape. Once we reached Dale Beck we turned south into the sun and the wind – it was quite gusty, but as the gradient was easy and the ground dry, we made good headway. Not great for taking pictures without a filter today, with the sun in the lens and a dull sky, but one or two turned out interesting. We passed by stone remains of old houses, mine works etc and all along the valley are signs of the former industry. Apparently the mines were last worked in the late 19th century, and the tailings worked over at a later date. Caldbeck Common is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and you’re not allowed to sample the delights of the minerals around here without a permit. To be honest I didn’t know about this area before Paul pointed it out, and it’s a real hidden gem – you can even get some PLUMBOGUMMITE with PYROMORPHITE if you keep your eyes peeled – but don’t let anyone catch you – the rock police maybe watching, and the fine is an eye watering £20,000.

At the head of the valley is the old mine site, where we had a little break before we hit the higher ground, and all around here are many spoil heaps, and tailings – very interesting to have a mooch around, and very quiet as well – we didn’t meet a sole all day, apart from a fat fell runner at the end.

Break over it was time to find a path up the Roughton Gill, over some rough ground, mine leets and ditches, and up onto the fells proper. Paul found a good sheep trod which led us up onto Birk Moss and into the mist. At this point we couldn’t see where High Pike was, just a general direction, so we headed off across the heather and tussock grass, high stepping until we reached the steeper slope up to High Pike. It was ‘fresh’ up on the top and we eventually found the motorway path that took us along to High Pike. The summit was frustratingly cloudy, with the occasional clear patch blowing through now and again, so we sat and waited for a photo opportunity…but every time a gap came I was a bit tardy with the shutter. Never mind it was actually too cold to be hanging around – probably down to 4 deg at times, so off we set for the walk across to Carrock Fell – no guesswork as Paul had been up here before, and the path was a well trodden route. Up on the summit it was very misty and even colder, so after a sit down in the fine wind shelter – long enough to freeze fingers, it was all downhill from here. Finding the route down wasn’t too bad – we just headed back to the west to pick up the path descending to the north. This took us down below the clag and across the slopes down to Carrock Beck. We’d just crossed the beck and I was saying what a rubbish day for taking pictures, when a caravan of fell ponies appeared, plodding steadily up the path towards us. There were about 20, one after another – no grazing, just plodding along silently. It’s a shame I didn’t manage a decent shot, as they made their stately way higher up the fells. Never mind the walk back to the car was in lovely soft late afternoon light completing a fine walk around these two northern fells. A really enjoyable day out and if you think that Wainwrights 'Northern Fells' are boring, then think again.