Rambling Pete on Walking Places

Skiddaw in the sun

Date: 08-Apr-2011

Map: Landranger 90 OL 04

Weather: Wall to wall sunshine.

From the road near Briar Rigg, Keswick, up along the flank of Latrigg to walk up the steep side of Lonscale Fell, over Jenkin Hill to Skiddaw Little Man. Up to Skiddaw summit and down to Bakestall. Return to Latrigg by the Cumbria Way path : 14 miles as measured on memory map.

I nipped up to the Lake District on a Friday as the weather was fantastic. Clear blue skies all day, but a little hazy. The last time we were up here it was perishing cold and we didn't see much up on the top. I had a couple of odd Wainwrights to tick off in Lonscale Fell and Bakestall, so took the opportunity to walk up Skiddaw again to see the views we missed last time I was here. Today's walk ticked off 5 Wainwrights and made a nice leg stretcher for my forthcoming Cotswold Way - I haven't done many long days lately and was in desperate need of a walk. I started off on the NW side of Keswick with some free parking near Briar Rigg, crossed over the main road by bridge and soon started to ascend the wooded sides of Latrigg on the Cumbrian Way - no warm up today, just a long, long plod to the top. I met a yound lady on horseback who told me they were just plodding along, and surprisingly my plodding along kept pace with them - I wasn't speeding along either. It didn't take her long to get fed up of me following along and they trotted off to put some distance between us - very considerate to take the flies up and away, although the horse did leave me a present or two on the path. There wasn't much wind about until I broke out to higher ground, and I knew it would be busy for a while as I passed through the car park at the northern end of Latrigg. I joined the tourist route for a little while, but left the crowds behind as the path swung right onto Lonscale Fell just before the sheep farmers cross. I suppose the easiest way up Lonscale Fell would be to walk up the main path to Jenkin Hill and then across, but I chose to ascend up by a small beck - steep and unrelenting whichever way you go up. I could see the route up when I was walking up, but when I got across Whit Beck it wasn't easy to spot on the ground. So I bumbled around the heather clad slopes for a while, getting higher with each stride and eventually found a little dry valley that holds the path to the top. It was steep most of the way up to 2000ft then the gradient eased off and the summit cairn finally came into sight. It wasn't a very inspiring summit, but the views down to the south were superb today - if I had taken the time I could have picked out many peaks that I have visited over the past two years or so. To the east was the backside of Blencathra and the mangy Mungrisdale Common - it doesn't look any better from up here. Further around were the bulk of the Northern Fells - not my favourite part of the Lake District, but at least I can pick them off in one big walk, when it's dry in the summer.

the start of the walk up to the side of Latrigg

Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man, and Lonscale

looking down over Keswick and a whole host of hills across Derwent Water

Lonscale Fell summit, with Little Man and Skiddaw on view

Skiddaw Little Man from Jenkin Hill

Skiddaw Little Man ahead, not the twisted metal pile here

looking south from Skiddaw Little Man

Next stop was a little jaunt across Jenkin Hill where I was tempted to bypass Skiddaw Little Man to avoid a little steep ascent, but I didn't - everyone else was walking around it. There were a lot of 'tourists' out today, all sorts and age ranges, with most walking up to the top and then back down again. Up on the top was a lovely breeze, but the sun was beating down - a fantastic day to be out. I don't have a Grad filter for my camera yet, so some of the pictures turned out a little bright. I enjoyed a bit of solitude up on Little Man, and then dropped back down the hillside before the final ascent up to the main peak of Skiddaw another plod up to the top, but worth it when your up there. I had great views down over Longside Edge, it looks a narrow ridge from up there, with three Wainwrights along it's top, and no doubt great views down over Bassenthwaite Water. Towards the top three guys steamed past me, and I thought blimey they're fast walkers - but then I found out they were fell runners walking. The top was busy around the trig point and the information marker, so I didn't hang around and my next objective was another one of Wainwrights less inspired choices - Bakestall. I lost a lot of height going down to Bakestall and the view north wasn't fantastic - on a clear day you could no doubt see up into Scotland, but today I could just make out the Solway Firth, Binsey and two whacking big masts. The route down was easy to follow as you can see Bakestall far below and I just followed the fenceline down - very steep in places on shale scree. Lower down the slopes the path skirts Birkett Edge and looking back up to Bakestall there are some impressive crags. After loosing a lot of contours I joined the Cumbria Way for my return route back to Lonscale Fell - a metalled track that winds between high heather clad slopes, around the back of Skiddaw - very quiet and isolated. I sat and had my lunch close to the Dash Beck and whiled away a pleasant 10 minutes doing nothing but contemplate the scene before me - actually I was thinking about which way to walk the Cumbria Way - NS or SN - both have their merits. I continued my journey along the stony track, with heather clad slopes either side. The views up to the right were of the back of Skiddaw, and it looks a lesser hill from this side - there is also plenty of boggy land between the track and the mountain - no short cuts here. On the other side was Little Calva and Great Calva, whose company I have yet to enjoy.

the view down and up to Skiddaw, with Carl Side to the left

Ullock Pike and Longside Edge to the west of Skiddaw. Barf is across Bassenthwaite Lake

the information pillar atop of Skiddaw looking SW to the Derwent Fells

the north end of Skiddaw with Bakestall far below to the right

following the fenceline down to Bakestall - the northern fells beyond

Bakestall summit looking north to a misty Solway Firth past Binsey

steeply down to meet the Cumbria Way

my lunch spot by Whitewater Dash

There is an old YHA building at Skiddaw House, it still runs - and it's a long way to go to nip to the shops, but on the upside if you went outside on a clear night the views high above to the stars would be good as there isn't any light up here - I think it's about 3 1/2 miles from down below. After passing Skiddaw House the route took me down around the spur of Burnt House before splitting away to higher ground with some great views over the Glenderaterra valley, with the beck far below. The steep sides of the valley continued as I passed beneath Lonscale Crags, with the path becoming rockier as I progressed. I was surprised by a cyclist who spent plenty of time getting on and off the bike, passing over rocky slabs, but by the time I'd turned the corner into the sunshine she was gone. Once past the crags the path skirted around Lonscale Fell to return me to Whit Beck and back down the tourist route to the Latrigg car park. It was all over bar the shouting walk wise when overhead swooped a paraglider coming in to land near the Latrigg car park - spectacular, especially as two jets flew past at a lower altitude than the paraglider. Over on Clough End at the end of the Helvellyn range I counted up 13 in the air - I suppose the thermals were top notch today. I got a bit excited as I descended the path as I thought I spotted an Ice-cream van here, but alas it was a campervan, which left me a little thirsty. All that was left of the walk was to tick off the final Wainwright with a quick jaunt up Latrigg, always a busy summit as the authorities have mad easy access for all and a lot of people take advantage to enjoy the panoramic views down over Keswick and Derwent Water. There are plenty of options for descent off Latrigg and with hindsight it would have been quicker to walk back down to the car park, but I had a knee cruncher of a descent down through the woods off the front end of Latrigg, and I'm glad it was dry underfoot. Once back on the bridleway it was a short walk back to the car. A great walk up to Skiddaw - a great bulk of a hill, and very different to it's noisy neighbour Blencathra - but go when it's sunny - it's brilliant.