Monday 2 April 2012

My Top Six Ridge Routes: Part Two


My first three ridge routes featured walks around Buttermere, Wastwater and Grasmere.  The final three cover Haweswater, Helvellyn and Ennerdale.  Whilst all in the Lake District, they are very different areas with Haweswater and Ennerdale being quite remote in the far east and far west of the Lakes and Helvellyn being very central and popular.  These ridge routes continue again the wonderful feeling of being on top of the world with ever changing views that are stunning in any season and (in my view) whatever the weather (although clearly there are less views to be had on misty and cloudy days!)

Rolling mountains and ridges under a beautiful sky
So the fourth ridge route is from Mardale Head and up Kidsty Pike and then a glorious tramp across High Raise and Rampsgill Head.  Mardale Head is at the end of a no-through road and it feels like the end of the world...you get to the car-park at the end and are faced with the imposing massif of Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell and High Street and you would think there was no way to scale those heights.  I have conquered those fells but this route took me around The Rigg at the foot of High Street and the edge of Haweswater Reservoir and up the grassy slopes of Kidsty Pike.  It was another beautifully sunny day and the view down to Haweswater was superb with the sun catching the water as it lapped the lake edge, making it look like champagne bubbles (but then I have champagne on the brain!)  All the hard work was in the ascent of Kidsty Pike and as it is part of the Coast to Coast walk from St Bees in the west to Robin Hood Bay in the east, I met several people doing that route.
View along Haweswater Reservoir

Kidsty Pike in snowy December
Once on top of Kidsty Pike, it was just a wonderful stroll around the summits of Rampsgill Head and High Raise (not to be confused with the High Raise of the Langdale Pikes) with beautiful views towards High Street and the fells beyond and out towards the Pennines to the east.  On this occasion, I walked back down Kidsty Pike the way I had come but next time I do this route I will continue to High Street and descend the ridge back to Haweswater or continue even further over Mardale Ill Bell and down beside Small Water.  I have not climbed High Street since I was eight years old so I am sure it would be a nicer experience as an adult!

Helvellyn & Catsycam from Hartside
The Helvellyn range is not for the faint-hearted!  I did the range in the summer of 2010 with my husband from Dollywagon Pike to Clough Head – that includes the 10 peaks of Dollywagon Pike, Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, Helvellyn Lower Man, Raise, White Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Great Dodd, Watson’s Dodd and Clough Head.  It is about 13 miles all told from end to end.  We went up from Dunmail Raise ascending the beautiful Raise Beck with the cascades and waterfalls crystal clear and certainly not as frozen as in the Seat Sandal episode!  Helvellyn was busy in spite of the mist and it was the first time I saw the plaque marking where a light aeroplane landed in 1926. Rather them than me and really not to be recommended!  The views were not the best for the first three fells owing to the mist but after we left Helvellyn, the mist cleared and Striding Edge looked striking and the views opened out to Thirlmere and the towards Keswick with each glorious step.  All the hard work is in the first fell and there is never more than a few hundred feet of ascent for any of the others – just a happy grassy stroll.  

My parents were on holiday in the Lakes the same week and fortunately, they picked us up from the bottom of Clough Head and drove us back to Dunmail Raise.  This was fortunate as after about 13 miles and over 4,000 feet of ascent, the thought of walking the six or seven miles back to the car was not appealing!  I confess this was not the first or the last time I have prevailed upon their taxi services in the Lake District!  I have also climbed Helvellyn via Striding Edge but that story is for another day and whilst I am glad I completed that challenge, is not one I would rush back to do again so has not made it into my top six ridge routes!

Ennerdale Water
The final ridge is a new one for me that I only did at the end of March in the amazing warm sunshine that engulfed the Lake District (and pretty much the rest of the UK) all week.  This was the first of two days I walked to complete the 214 Wainwrights.  I started at Bowness Point on the shores of Ennerdale Water.  I had not been to Ennerdale for many years and had forgotten how beautiful it is.  The walk took me along the lake shore for about two wonderful miles with woods on one side and the blue still lake backed by Crag Fell and Caw Fell on the other.  My mission was Caw Fell and Haycock.  It took me longer than usual to reach the foot of Haycock as I kept stopping to take photos (honestly, it is becoming an obsession) but the path up through the woods and across streams and then up a heathery path to the ridge was delightful.  The fells of Steeple (one of my favourites) and Pillar and the Buttermere fells (including the ridge route of High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike from Part One) were surrounding me on the ascent and I marvelled again how close everything is in the Lake District!

Looking back to the Haycock ridge
I reached the summit of Caw Fell first and the views to the Wastwater fells were stunning and you could see out to sea for miles towards the mountains of Scotland and the Isle of Man with a thin wisp of cloud between the base and the summits.  Inland, miles and miles of rugged and grassy mountains stretched out like a painter’s canvas.  The ridge to Haycock was wonderful with the views of the Wastwater fells (including my favourite Yewbarrow) becoming more magnificent with each step and the Scafells were basking in the sunshine.  The top of Haycock was one of the best views I have seen from a mountain top and given it is not one of the most popular fells by any stretch of the imagination, this was unexpected.  I would go back to that ridge route again and again however.  Seriously breathtaking and with the summit of Haycock reached, I had only three fells to go to complete the 214 Wainwright’s so I was euphoric!

Sunshine in the woods - just  because I like it!
These are my personal favourites.  Some of you will wonder why some of the most popular ridge routes do not feature here.  Until I climbed Haycock, the route from Arnison, St Sunday Crag and Birks was going to appear but Haycock has overtaken that one now.  I had a disaster climbing Crinkle Crags and Bowfell (a story for another occasion but let’s just say it was before I had GPS and anyone can confuse mountains in the mist in the early days of walking...!) so that has not made it and whilst it was marvellous being on Scafell Pike and the highest point in England, I would not rush back to it over others.  I like the Fairfield Horseshoe, the Coledale Horseshoe and the Coniston fells and the ridge route from Middle Fell, Seatallen and Buckbarrow from Wastwater.  It is all about personal preferences and choices and probably more importantly, the emotions you remember at the time of climbing.  I love hearing about the favourites other people have so do please share them....
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24 comments:

  1. Oh that first photo of the rolling mountains and ridges with that blue sky and puffy white clouds above is just stunning. You can understand why Wordsworth and Coleridge were inspired.

    Many congratulations on completing your 214 Wainwrights. That is some achievement. Your euphoria comes through in your description of the walk to Caw Fell and Haycock which sounds a walk not to be missed. You were clearly on top of the world.

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    1. Thanks Chloe! There is really nothing like being on top of the world in the fells when the sun is shining. I know you love the sea but I think you would love Ennerdale Water - especially with the mountains reflecting in the lake like a mirror.
      Proud to have done the 214 Wainwright's - took me to some places I would never have gone otherwise!
      :-)

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  2. Excellent blog! I love your descriptions - especially the champagne bubbles! I have never been to the Ennerdale area but I will walk the lake next time. Not sure I can brave the fells yet!

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    1. Thanks Joanna - I would recommend the Ennerdale area and if you do brave the fells then there is a good path the whole route to Caw Fell and Haycock...
      :)

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  3. Great photos and some really different routes to the ones I have done. I will try the Haycock one.

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    1. Thanks Robert - let me know what you think of the route when you do it :)

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  4. Another lovely blog post, Tanya. Love the photos and your descriptions. I almost feel I am right there with you.

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  5. Thanks Amberr...had such beautiful weather for the Ennerdale walk...loved it :)

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  6. ;) I'm loving your obsession with taking photos. Ennerdale Water & the Sunshine in the Woods are my favs this time. Seeing heaven mirrored in the water always intrigues me. (yes, I realize I'm a tad strange) and the sun rays in the woods...wow! That picture made me think of angels.

    As always, you've shared a beautiful post. Thank you.

    ~ Aithne

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    1. Thanks Aithne...I knew you would like the sunrays and the Ennerdale photo with the reflections is pretty special. Just like a mirror :)
      My obsession with taking photos is partly because of your comments on them...I find myself thinking "I bet Aithne will like that photo" when I look at them!
      Have a lovely week :-)

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  7. I am just back from my 1st trip to the Lakes with my OH and our 2 dogs. We did some fab walks (probably very tame compared to what you are used to!) and will def be back for more. It was so beautiful.

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    1. I hope you got the great sunshine when you were there. I do tame walks as well and certainly didn't start with walks like these! The low level walks can be just as fabulous as the high ones.
      Thanks for the comment :)

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  8. Another great posting Tanya! Ennerdale is one of my favourite areas too. A summer walk I enjoy (and it has to be done in summer!) takes me to Ennerdale from Buttermere, through Scarth Gap, and back again via Floutern. Sometimes I go high, other times I stay low, but it's a long, highly enjoyable day.

    But as for my favourite ridges... so many to choose from. I have to say, very diplomatically, that my favourite ridge has to be the most recent I walked!

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    1. Thanks Nick! I will go back to Ennerdale lots from now on. I don't know why I had forgotten how nice it is there!
      :)
      (P.S. Diplomacy always sensible!)

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  9. I have never been to Ennerdale but I will later this year. Some unusual walks. My favourite is probably the Fairfield Horseshoe but via Allcock Tarn.
    Great photos

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    1. Thanks Peter :)
      Definitely try Ennerdale if you haven't been there. You can walk around the lake so good for low level walks too.
      I don't remember ever going to Alcock Tarn but it is somewhere I want to get to at some point...

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  10. Hi Tanya - just caught up on your blogs and have really enjoyed them (just re-read part I!) Congratulations on completing the Wainwright's - having nearly done so myself I know it's a big, but pleasureable undertaking) On that point I've still the Mosedale Horseshoe to do so I enjoyed reading about it in part I. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences and keep on blogging!
    Paul
    (Barry_the_Cat)

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  11. Thanks Barry - it has been a great experience completing the Wainwright's even though there has been rain, snow, mist, clouds and even the tail-end of hurricanes! There has also been fabulous sunshine and views that mesmerise.
    The Mosedale Horseshoe is great (although I did Yewbarrow separately) - I hope you get great weather for it :)

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  12. Another excellent post Tanya. As soon as I saw Haweswater and High Street I thought you were going to take the route over Rough Crag which is a great little route. I came down the Kidsty Pike route you took and I agree it's a great route also, especially the view down Haweswater.

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    1. Thanks Simon
      The Rough Crag route was the route I did when I was about 8 or 9 years old with my parents many years ago (and then down over Mardale Ill Bell) so for me it was very hard work! I will try that again though now I can appreciate it more as an adult :)

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  13. Anne Davis-KnightApril 13, 2012

    A big fan of your blog and photos. Delighted you have written a book.

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    1. Hi Anne
      Thanks for the comment! I really hope you like the book :)

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  14. Fabulous blog, have just discovered this and am now reading back! I've not done some of your favourites and it's inspiration to try them!
    My favourite ridge walk is the Newlands horseshoe - up Hindscarth, along and up onto Dale Head and then all along the ridge along the side of Derwentwater and back down to Catbells. Also has the advantage of the same start and end point so no long ground level trek back to the car!!

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  15. Hi - thanks for the comment and compliment. I love the Newlands horseshoe as well and yes - always nice being able to finish without a long trek back! I didn't do Catbells as well but will do next time. :-)

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