Land of Hope and Grisedale - Photo Gallery
As I leave the car at the Whinlatter Forest Park car park it is already raining heavily and cold enough for me to be in full winter clothing.
Walk past the visitor centre buildings and take the forest road that rises up to the left, there are several junctions of paths and I just take the highest path at each one. Arrive shortly at a big open space overlooking Grisedale Pike, take the highest path again looking steeply down to Whinlatter Pass.
The path ends at a fence with a stile, climb over the stile and follow the fence steeply up to the start of the ridge. Then follows an excellent ridge walk, a perfect short walk with plenty of views, or it would be without the heavy rain and strong wind.
Pass over the east top with its cairn and then follow the undulating ridge over to the summit, Brown How, with its shelter which although nicely built isn’t really big enough to keep out the wind and rain today. Carry on downwards until reaching an old wall partnered by a newer fence, the perimeter of the Aiken How plantation. I can’t tell exactly which part of the wall I am at so I turn left to follow the sheep trod keeping parallel to the wall. I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve chosen the right way until I see the Whinlatter Pass road below.
A small path materialises at the corner of the plantation that leads me easily to the retaining wall at the side of the road. It has stopped raining but the stones in the wall are still greasy and the barbed wire is at an awkward height so I follow the wall, in the wrong direction for me, to a gate rather than try and climb over the wall.
Walk back along the road until the signpost indicating a Small Gated Road to Hopebeck turning off to the left. Take the left fork again at the next junction where there is a Public Footpath sign that also states No Through Route - a footpath to nowhere?
The gate that I am looking for is locked and barb wired, maybe I won’t go that way today. Carry on down to the small gate in the road or is it the gate in the small road, where there is access to the open fell of Swinside on the left hand side. No wonder there’s no need for a wall to keep people off the fell, it’s one of the steepest, steep green ascents that I have done. Not much in the way of footholds, I have to resort to all fours at first and then use the fence at the side of the wall going straight up the fell.
Eventually the gradient eases and I am on what is an excellent walking ridge, with good views near and far, the only problem is that the wind has become much stronger and I have to force my way against it. Ladyside Pike is a splendid little summit but there is now the anticipation, with a little apprehension as I can see the way up to Hopegill Head.
The place that Wainwright called “the notch” is one of those places that when you reach it there is suddenly nothing between you and the bottom of a very long way down. On a dry day I would have had no hesitation in scrambling up the bare rock slope but the rocks are slippery with being wet so I have to take a route around the edge of the rock, I’m just glad I’m sheltered from the wind.
Suddenly I arrive on the small summit platform of Hopegill Head, the sun is threatening to shine and the place is bright with excellent views of the adjacent fells and ridges. I walk over to Grisedale Pike, admiring the rocky architecture of Hobcarton Crag as I pass by. At the summit of Grisedale Pike I see other walkers for the first time today and we swap photograph taking duties for each other.
Finally, down the easy north east ridge of Grisedale Pike, following the wall all the way down so no problems with navigation, then a last quarter of a mile along the road back to the car.
Andy Wallace 25th May 2002