We enjoy walking these smaller fells despite the many ups and downs between the tops as the views are very good in most cases even if they only include the area that is being walked. Varied ground conditions, mostly dry, lots of bracken, long grass, rocky ground and humps and bumps to pass over but nothing serious. Pathless after leaving Water Crag until we got to White Pike then a path to follow to Yoadcastle but from thereon, you're on your own again. What a good day we've had.Ī disappointing, murky start to the day that made sightseeing a tad difficult, but at least the day did eventually improve and it was warm and dry apart from the fallout from the low flying cloud. Into the car, off to the Boot Inn, swift pint, shower, meal, more beer. It is now just a matter of leaving this fell by the easiest way down and making our way to the track that we used at the start of the walk and then the half mile walk back to the car where we found that the temperature was now 23°c. Straight across from the car park there is one of those old fashioned and rusty cast iron road signs whilst just behind it there is a bog standard fingerpost advertising the way to Devoke Water a half mile away along the track. There were two more cars parked up on the level area of grassy ground one of which belonged to a local dog walker and we didn't see the owner of the other one. It has taken us 2½ hrs to get here and E needs a well deserved break so it's coffee and cake before we got dressed for the occasion. Before too long we had arrived at our chosen parking place opposite the road to the farm of High Ground and the track that would take us on the start of our journey around Devoke Water. Onwards we drove past Boot and Beckfoot to arrive at the T junction from where we turned left onto the Ulpha to Eskdale Birker Moor Road where the 'good bit' ends at Fisher Gate and a cattle grid before reducing itself into a good but narrower road as it does a sharp right to follow alongside and above the deep ravine of Red Gill. As we got lower we found that we were dropping below the cloud and it was in fact just hanging high enough to cover the valley but was fairly clear at the valley bottom although low enough to drape the fell tops in its grey shroud. Upon arriving at the top of Hardknott Pass we could see that Eskdale was nowhere to be seen but being grown up we sort of grimaced at each other before E closed her eyes as we dropped down into the valley bottom. The drive in had been in brilliant sunshine and we were enjoying the drive - well I was - untilįrom the top of Wrynose Pass we could see a bank of low cloud over the far side of the Hardknott Pass summit which didn't bode well for our first walk which was to be a circuit of the fells around and above Devoke Water. So beds booked we duly set off on a lovely, sunny, Monday morning from home to take my beloved and the hater of narrow, winding roads over Kirkstone Pass followed by a rather narrow and circuitous drive through into Little Langdale, up Wrynose and then of course the climb and descent of Hardknott Pass that has, to say the least, some pretty steep and tight bends in its makeup. The title of 'lesser fells' is a bit derogatory in some respects as some of these fells are well over 500 metres with plenty more well above the 400 metre height and they also have the advantage of gifting one with superb views of the surrounding countryside, sometimes even more so than some of the giants that are at the top of the tick list.Į - who is not a summit bagger - is always ready for a day or two away so we planned to settle ourselves in Eskdale for three days and knock off 15 of the best whilst staying at the Boot Inn that is in the old mining hamlet/village of Boot. Having climbed all of the Wainwright's, Hewitt's, and all but two or three Nuttall's in the Lake District my sights for the last year have been firmly set on completing these so called 'lesser fells' this year. Mixed amongst the list of significant hills yet to climb - Hewitt's and a couple or three Nuttall's - I have also got to see off 73 Birkett's that are sometimes not so significant, but nevertheless are there to climb. Ring of Devoke Water.gpx Open full screen NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |