For Over and Nether - no photos today

It was a bit of a surprise when I arrived at the little car park at Overbeck Bridge, it wasn't raining! There had seen plenty of rain of the journey however and it didn't look good.

I walked up the steep green path that leads towards Yewbarrow, there are a few more foot holes than last year but the short grass still makes for a hard slog. I resisted the temptation to climb Yewbarrow, instead I chose to walk up the valley of Over Beck hoping to save time and energy for a few extra fells at the other end of the walk.

The walk up the valley is relatively easy but it wasn't long before the rain came in, heavy enough for full waterproofs. When I arrived at Dore Head I couldn't even see Yewbarrow let alone the view down to Wasdale.

Turned left and found the path to Red Pike, not the easiest path to find in the conditions, reminding me of the first time I attempted to find it when I gave up and turned around, wet and demoralised. Not these days though and I found the path easily, it is quite an easy gradient with just a couple of rocky outcrops that need a bit of effort. It was easy to almost lose the path as it made its way over the outcrops because the amount of water coming down the fell made the paths look like streams in places.

The path eventually reaches the flat summit plateau of Red Pike, not a good place to be lost when the visibility is so bad. Just as you arrive at the plateau you can see a large cairn on the left, this is the summit. From the summit cairn I always have to go and visit the chair, or a least the chair shaped cairn about 100 yards away from the summit. Small things eh?

Navigation along the summit ridge of Red Pike might look difficult but it is one of those ridges that falls away steeply, on the right hand side from this direction. As long as you keep close to the edge and don't fall off then you will arrive at the col between Red Pike and Scoat Fell. Don't be tempted to follow the cairns off to the left hand side if you are heading for Scoat Fell, you will descend to Scoat Tarn using that path.

The obvious path that starts to traverse the fellside, rising slightly, will take you past Scoat Fell if you are not careful, taking a bearing Scoat Fell should have been at 330 degrees (North North West). Continuing along the path will lead you the cairn on the rocky intermediate summit of Black Crag on the way to Pillar. The path to Scoat Fell is on the left and is not obvious so care, well some navigation anyway, is required. When the path begins to turn east of north. I set off up the fell in a north westerly direction and soon came across the ridge path leading up to Scoat Fell.

Soon the path crosses a boulder field, many of the rocks being greasy and slippery, within a short time arriving at the end of a stone wall. Keep to the left hand side of the wall initially and cross to the other side at one of the convenient broken down sections. Walking by the side of the wall across the summit you will see a cairn perched on top of the wall, this is the summit. The large cairn further along a few yards away from the wall isn't the summit, it just marks the start of the path to Steeple.

Navigation couldn't be simpler, just walk alongside the wall but be aware that there is a steep drop to Mirklin Cove on the right, I couldn't see the drop with the visibility being so bad.

As you reach the bottom of the descent there is a crossroads of paths at a break in the wall, cross to the left hand side of the wall for the climb to the summit of Haycock. The path becomes stonier as you gain height until you reach the summit which is all stones, unexpected for a fell that seems to be completely grassy from a distance. A large cairn and a stone shelter either side of the wall occupy the summit.

In order to avoid steep wet grass I retraced my steps back down to the col and turned right for Nether Beck. This is a long walk out from the hills, it is 3 miles back to the road but it is a wonderful valley, full of interest and variety, well worth a visit in its own right. After the waterfalls, at a somewhat dishevelled cairn on a boulder turn left and go down the wet fellside towards the beck. Follow the beck for a short distance until you are back at the road at Netherbeck Bridge.

Turn left at the road and it is half a mile back to the car park at Overbeck Bridge.

I suppose I could have just said that it was misty so I couldn't see anything and it rained for 6 hours and I got wet, but that would have sounded as though I hadn't enjoyed it.

Andy Wallace 17th May 2003