Rambling Pete

Date: 27-April-2011

Map: Landranger 90

Weather: A lovely sunshine day

 

From the road near Lanthwaite Green Farm up to Whin Ben and Whiteside, along to Hopegill Head. Over to Grisedale Pike and back to Coledale Hause. Up to Grasmoor and back down to Wandope. Along Whiteless Edge to Whiteless Pike, dropping down to the top of Rannerdale to walk up to Rannerdale Knotts and returning to the start at Lanthwaite  : a superb 11miles as measured on memory map.

 I feel guilty after this walk. My mate Paul has been offering me the chance for plenty of walks lately and unfortunately they’ve either been at weekends, or the plumber has been in, or I’ve been up to my ears in a builders skip munching chocolate bunnies. There was a chance to climb Tryfan on Tuesday, but the plumbing got in the way and when I saw the weather for Wednesday I thought 'sod the DIY I’m going for a big one'. I looked at the remaining Wainwright list and decided to go for Grasmoor as the weather was so fine. Most of the time it has it’s head in the clouds but today the clarity of light was superb. I also decided to ditch the big camera for my long walks and bought a Sony CyberShot WX7 – the prime reason for this was to go light on my Cotswold Way walk in early May, and it will fit nicely into my bum bag. I took the big camera with me in case it got lonely sat at home - and to be honest there isn't any comparison between the shots taken - the DSLR wins hands down over a compact. .

I had an easy drive up to Keswick, popped in to Costa Coffee for a bacon barm and tea, before setting out for Lanthwaite via the Whinlatter Pass. There is plenty of parking along this side of the Lake District and it’s all free - it takes some getting to but it's well worth the effort, just try not to get lost as you drive through Lorton - or catch a bus. Todays route was to take in 7 wainwrights – Whiteside, Hopegill Head, Grisedale Pike, Grasmoor, Wandope, Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale Knotts. All were good views from the various summits and I got twice as many pictures as usual as I had the two cameras.

My initial route was up to Whiteside – probably named after the white appearance of the hill side due to the quartz veins therein – a delightful if steep ascent up to Whin Benn and then up steeply onto Whiteside. A well trod path through the heather and bilberry led us higher up past Whin Benn - a good place to have a breather before pressing on. The valley below with Liza Beck dominates the view on the way up, with Coledale Hause at the head of the valley. Pausing for breathe I could turn around and gaze down over Crummock Water to Melbreak - another hill I will return to as the views from there down over Buttermere are stupendous. After a hot sweaty ascent, once up at the summit the rest of the walk didn’t seem so bad, more of a gentle undulating trail. Gasgale Crags were glistening in the bright sunshine, and the ridge ahead to Hopegill Head looked impressive. Along the ridge up to Hopegill Head it was perfect walking conditions - warm with a cooling breeze, and with astounding views of the surrounding fells - too numerous to mention them all. From Hopegill Head I dropped down to Sand Hill and and then down and up towards Grisedale Pike passing many walkers and families – the busiest part of the day. Plenty of people on holiday as I found out later on, when I couldn’t get a room to stopover at Buttermere or Keswick. Many people were doing the Coledale Round, a great walk in itself but far busier than my route. It was an out and back to Grisedale Pike, and I spent a little time looking around me when I got up there. Grisedale Pike is one of those hills that has a very distinctive shape to it's summit and can be recognised from many quarters of the Lake District. The views were fabulous everywhere and a little bit of cloud bubbling up later on added to the scene some contrast against the harsh sunlight. Skiddaw and Blencathra were cloud free and basking their great bulk in the sunshine. There were also plenty of paragliders out and about, soaring high over the biggest hills, impressive and colourful. I took plenty of juice with me today, but balanced out the weight by leaving out extra layers and waterproofs - not needed on a day like this

After Grisedale Pike it was back down to Coledale Hause along a zig zag scree path in places, looking down on the valley and the old mine road winding it’s way up from Braithwaite to the mines at Force Crag. Across the valley were numerous fells and ridges running from west to east - a remnant of geological upheaval many hundreds of millions of years ago. From Coledale hause it was a steady plod up the valley between Grasmoor and Crag Hill (Eel Crags) on wide well trodden paths up to another hause between Grasmoor to the right and Crag Hill on the left. A cross road of paths and I took the one up towards Grasmoor, a steady pull up to higher ground and then contouring around the slopes to the summit cairns. It didn’t look so forebiding from this side, although it is a massive chunk of hill covered with vast scree slopes on it’s southern flank. A steady walk up and great views everywhere – so many hills to see today, and all captured with my new toy - a sweep panorama with my compact camera. The hills in Scotland were clear to see across the Solway Firth, I could have spent hours stood here, gazing around me - stunning is all I can say. Back down from Grasmoor there was no time for any feeling that the walk was almost done, as the path took me up to Wandope and views down over Addacombe Hole,the Derwent Fells and Buttermere. From the summit of Wandope it was nearly all downhill, with a few little ascents to the odd peak here and there. Down over Whiteless Edge, steeply down towards Whiteless Pike, and it is pretty much devoid of any white – nice and green at this time of year. I really enjoyed the view down from here looking over Buttermere and up the valley to the big hills, it was fabulous, as were the Derwent Fells to the ENE. Even my knees were standing up to the punishment today which was encouraging and even though it was 4600ft of ascent I felt ok the next day, which bodes well for the Cotswold Way next week. Beyond Whiteless Pike it was a steady, very steep descent down mainly grassy paths to Whiteless Breast, and beyond to another small hause. Rannerdale Knotts looked easily attainable from where I was and it wasn't long before I was up to the last Wainwright of the day. Buttermere looked inviting so I decided to eat there once I’d retrieved the car. Up to Rannerdale Knotts was an easy ascent and the reward is a long glorious view down Buttermere, and views down over  Crummock Water to the dark Melbreak on the other side. All that was left was the knee crunching descent off Rannerdale Knotts which again wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, and the steady walk back to the car. An excellent walk and very satisfying too – definitely one to put in my top ten Lake District walks. I loved the quiet nature of this walk and even though the slopes down were very steep it, the views that were obtained were deeply satisfying.

the start of the long haul up to Whin Ben and then Whiteside

a little ground elder and heather to plod through on the way up

glorious views already of Melbreak across Crummock Water - spot the car park

steep slopes looking over to the Loweswater Fells

a nice steady path up to Whin Ben

looking up Gasgale Gill and the huge landslip off Grasmoor - happened a long time ago though

looking along Whiteside - the Gasgale Crags to Hopegill Head

the view back down to Whin Ben

on the top of Whiteside looking back at Melbreak

a lovely wide ridge walk up to Hopegill Head

great views all around - Grisedale Pike in the distance

and the view back down the ridge to Whiteside

looking over to Grisedale Pike from Hopegill Head across Hobgarton Crags

and the view north along Ladyside Pike

a bit of down and up to Grisedale Pike

looking back over to Hopegill Head and Whiteside from my journey over to Grisedale Pike

Grisedale Pike ahead, withy Coledale down to the right

the view from Grisedale over to Keswick, Skiddaw, Blencathra, Derwentwater and the Helvellyn range

and looking back over to Hopegill Head, with Grasmoor across to the middle and Crag Hill to the left

back from Grisedale and it's down to Coledale Hause before the up between Crag Hill and Grasmoor

the view down Coledale from Coledale Hause

on the path up Grasmoor with Crag Hill opposite, and the path to Wandope up to the right

an easy stroll over to the summit of Grasmoor

magnificent scenery from Grasmoor over to the Scafells

Rannerdale Knotts is down at the bottom left, with Melbreak and the High Stile ridge across Crummock Water

the view along Buttermere to some big hills - too many to mention here

and looking back along the flattish top of Grasmoor, Skiddaw in the back ground

Grisedale Pike looking spikey

don't know where Wandope pictures went but this is the cairn on Whiteless Edge looking back to Grasmoor

it was pretty steep down Whiteless Edge and Bannerdale Crags look a long way down

Melbreak is across Crummock Water

looking over to Knott Rigg, with the Scafells in the distance

oh to be a bird on a day like today - high over Grasmoor

another bit of up to Whiteless Pike - great views all around

looking over to Ard Crags with Causey Pike the dark peak

and the same view with the Helvellyn range in the distance

from Whiteless Pike it is very steep down to Rannerdale Knotts, almost as hard for me as going up

but the views down to Buttermere and the High Stile ridge are worth it

Buttermere to the left and Crummock Water to the right - breathtaking when the air is clear

a look back to Grasmoor and the descent path down Whiteless Edge

many layers of valleys running west to east

the route down to Whiteless Breast

Rannerdale Knotts - the last 'Wainwright' of the day

a bit like walking down alpine slopes - Buttermere below Whiteless Breast

Grasmoor - the big lump

looking back down from Low Bank to the slope up Rannerdale Knotts

low down the views are still fabulous to Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks at the end of Buttermere

the summit view from Rannerdale Knotts

and looking over to Melbreak across Crummock Water

the view north to the Loweswater Fells

and a last glimpse down Buttermere - magnificent

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