Today was one of those days which began as a mission to bag a couple more of the few remaining unclimbed Wainwrights on my personal list and ended up a really good day out in the hills - and that
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| Looking back from below the pumping station building |
despite technical issues involving camera batteries. In the Lakes, every second walker I talk to seems to be doing the Wainwrights just as in Scotland the obsession is with the Munros. The one advantage of this gratuitous peak bagging though is that it does take you away from the usual routes and into new places often far from the beaten path. After all there's only so many times you can climb Scafell Pike or Ben Nevis!
The route - which was made up as I went along - began as a walk up the track from Hartsop just off the Kirkstone road near Patterdale. Staying on the north side of the beck I followed said track past the turn off for Hayes Water (this was to be the return route) and on as far as the old pumping station building. Just before the building another grassy track doubles back across the hillside giving some great views of the
Brothers Water area and Fairfield across the valley. When a large boulder is reached after the wall, a fainter path leads back again and up the steep slopes. This way - with some meandering near the top - brought me to Brock Crags the first summit of the day.
For its lowly altitude Brock Crags is a fine viewpoint and well worth the climb which while short, is steep in its latter stages. From here I followed a path that led back to the main trail to High Street that crosses the fells here. A short distance from the path, Satura Crag is worth a visit for the views it affords in all directions - especially to Boardale and to Angletarn Pikes just beyond Angle Tarn. For peak baggers who haven't already been to the Pikes, it's a short distance left or west on the main path but my route lay the other way over Rest Dodd which would be my high point of the day at 2278ft or 696m.
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| Brothers Water and Fairfield |
From the summit of Rest Dodd I headed steeply down in a northerly direction along a path that led to the grassy plateau between Rest Dodd and the Nab. Numerous peat hags are in evidence here though keeping right avoids the worst of the bogginess and if the path is followed you should stay dry. Halfway to the Nab was a large isolated boulder - the only rock for some distance around - that I termed a "rest rock" as it was a good place for lunch. The location was extremely peaceful on what was a fine day and curious in the fact that from here one can not see the valleys or indeed any sign of human life. Only the surrounding fells are visible seeming to rise like islands in a sea of grass. Rest Dodd in particular is well seen from here.
So it was on to the summit of the Nab and another tick in the Far Eastern Fells book and a fine view
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| Angle Tarn, Angletarn Pikes and Place Fell from Satura Crag |
of Martindale too. The Nab is something of a sea of grass too but a pleasant enough place. Even in the summer holidays you'll likely have it to yourself. It's situated in the Martindale Deer Forest and there's apparently a good chance of spotting them though I wasn't lucky in this respect today.
Returning from the Nab and back over the wide grassy section which lasts about a mile, a wall is reached just after the ascent of Rest Dodd is started. Instead of climbing all the way up to the top again I passed the wall and followed it to the right across the fell side which saved a steep climb. A faint path is presently joined that emerges on the north west side of Rest Dodd, rejoining the path I'd earlier taken to that summit.
Onward and downward then - a return over Brock crags and the way I came would be okay but to
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| The Nab from Rest Dodd - Ullswater far distant |
vary the route I headed back to the main High Street path and turning left, followed it approximately south east towards the bulk of the Knott, leaving it to descend to Hayeswater. Incidentally; for those who may be unfamiliar with Lakeland, High Street is the highest point of the area known as the Far Eastern Fells and is named after the Roman Road that follws the ridge. There are no shops up here!
From the lonely Hayeswater reservoir in its steep sided valley, a wide track was followed all the way back to my start point at Hartsop. In all a walk - as done - of 12km or about 8 miles visiting three summits; Brock Crags (561m), Rest Dodd (696m) and the Nab (576m) though it would not add to much to also visit Angletarn Pikes and even the Knott if so desired.
I have recently started making some film clips of these outings but as my spare batteries had even
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| Martindale seen from the Nab |
less enthusiasm than the old ones it didn't happen today. I did manage these few photos though. The film clips will appear on my
new channel which will be called
Pete's Tales from the Hills.
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| The "rest rock" in a sea of grass with Rest Dodd beyond |
