Ennerdale North - Photo Gallery

Now for the north side of Ennerdale starting from the car park at Bowness Point.

Walk back along the road until you reach a stile and signpost, climb over the stile and uphill through the bracken. As the bracken ends the ground becomes wet and the fence has to be crossed, the way is muddy and wet until the tree line is reached. The heather is in bloom and the Bilberries are full of ripe fruit, the lush vegetation isn't easy to walk through over steep, wet ground, and then you have to walk through the trees.

Paths through the trees are always muddy and slippery and the steepness of the ground doesn't help. When you reach the final ascent there is more thick vegetation to get through to the summit of Bowness Knott with its worthwhile views over Ennerdale Water.

I made my way back through the trees towards Brown How, although it has to be said that thistles and bare legs don't mix. Having crossed over the pleasant rocky top of Brown How the climb to Great Borne becomes visible. It looks steep and grassy but it turned out to be a splendid climb, the only enjoyable way up Great Borne. Steep climbs always seem to be easier the more rugged they are, much better than plodding up through grass and this climb is as pleasant as you can get on steep ground.

The summit of Great Borne is full of the splendid pink rocks that characterise the area, the view all around is showers in the valleys that somehow keep managing to miss me. The way over to Starling Dodd looks wild and windy but the walk is actually much milder and is quite pleasant for a plod over grass. Starling Dodd is an unremarkable hill but it has a remarkable art nouveau metal cairn at its summit.

The walk to Red Pike is another unremarkable but lengthy walk over grass and the final climb to the summit is steep and green and hard on the legs after two days walking. The summit of Red Pike is a real good viewpoint over Buttermere and Ennerdale in the bright sunshine.

How do I get down to Ennerdale? There is a big green line on the map that shows a way down alongside Gillflinter Beck but in reality there is no evidence of any path. I made my way down over grass using a compass bearing until I reached a small stream that must be what I am looking for. More in hope than expectation I followed the beck downwards, on the right hand side at first and then crossing to the left where there were occasional signs of flattened grass.

The beck seems so remote and unfrequented that I really couldn't believe it was the right way down. I had to cross over to the right hand side as the left bank became too steep, still thinking I had come the wrong way down when I came across a substantial cairn as the gully opened out onto flatter ground. From there was a reasonably obvious path heading down towards the valley and much to my surprise I met another walker coming in the opposite direction.

Either by good luck or good judgement I reached the road at Gillerthwaite, just where I expected to be. All I had to do then was walk back to the car park, still three miles away but on a good track. Finally I got caught in one of those showers but by that time it didn't matter.

Even a short walk like this along Ennerdale takes 6 hours.

Andy Wallace 20th July 2003