A Whiter Side of Grasmoor - No photos today
Not a promising start to the day, as I drive over Dunmail Raise it is raining and the mist is almost down to road level. I parked at one of the little car parks near Cinnerdale Common on the shores of Crummock Water, Melbreak looks very impressive across the lake.
As I set off towards Rannerdale I was caught in a heavy shower of rain that I was expecting to be the pattern for the day, anyway it stopped raining by the time I reached the start of the path at the bottom of Rannerdale Knotts. At only 1165 feet in height, and in common with many smaller fells Rannerdale Knotts provides a steep and strenuous start to the day, with much scope for losing the path as I found out last time I climbed it.
The steep, grassy slope is quite exposed at one point but after a couple of false starts I found the correct path, helpfully reconstructed at what would have been a difficult crumbling section. The summit is a delightful viewpoint, surrounded by higher fells and lakes, the cloud base surprisingly getting higher all of the time.
I walked along the ridge, visiting each of the subsidiary summits with its own cairn until reaching the start of the path up Whiteless Pike. At first an easy stroll across grass, once you get to the other side of the fell the vast bulk of Grasmoor comes into view and steep slopes are everywhere, above and below.
An easy climb to the delightful little summit of Whiteless Pike and the views are impressive, the green fell just climbed, the dark grey desolation that is Grasmoor, a great feeling of height with a long, steep drop on every side. Continuing over the airy, but very safe, Whiteless Edge to the cairn (man) on Thirdgill Head to the plateau like area of Wandope Moss, walk over the flat, grassy and thankfully dry, Moss to the summit of Wandope. From Thirdgill Head Man the summit of Wandope looks higher but from Wandope it looks as though Thirdgill Head Man is higher.
Walking along the edge of Addacombe Hole to the summit of Eel Crag (Crag Hill on OS maps), I wouldn’t have stayed as close to the edge of this abyss if the strong breeze had been in the opposite direction. The view over to the Buttermere fells and Pillar beyond them allows me to see the squall on its way bringing the last shower of the day. Eel Crag summit, mist free for once, provides a great view of the Coledale valley with an impressive looking Grisedale Pike across the valley.
Down the easy slope to the start of the tedious path straight up Grasmoor, its summit plateau also mist free showing me views that I haven’t seen before despite several previous visits. From the summit shelter start a pathless crossing of the summit, keeping the crags to the left and pick up the path that passes the impressive crags with their snow cornices almost ready to fall, down to Coledale Hause, this is easily the best path for ascent or descent of Grasmoor.
From Coledale Hause there is a trudge up to Sand Hill, but the mountain scenery all around makes up for the calf muscle aches, over to Hopegill Head summit another excellent viewpoint on a walk full of excellent viewpoints. Then along the narrowing ridge towards Whiteside, I had forgotten just how narrow it became and I would have preferred the wind not to be quite as strong whilst crossing the stony arête.
The walk along the ridge of Whiteside is a very pleasant stroll, the path down Whiteside End, over Whin Ben and down to Lanthwaite Green is not pleasant at all. This must be the longest, steepest, most eroded footpath in the Lake District, looking back up as you climb down it looks impossible, from the roadside it doesn’t look as though there is any way up. This challenging footpath cannot be ignored, I must climb it soon!
Andy Wallace 16th March 2002