Small Mountains, Big Views - Photo Gallery
As I parked the car at Stanah, at the St. John's in the Vale turn off from the main A591 road to Keswick, I could see Blencathra, looking magnificent in white capped winter colours. Better take crampons and ice axe if it is going to be icy on the tops, I set off on my annual quest to find Fisher's Wife's Rake when I realised that I had forgotten to put my boots on, the reason being that I had left them at home. I decided to carry on wearing trainers, the ground would be hard and I'll take an alternative lower level route, Fisher's Wife's Rake eludes me again.
It is bitterly cold, the wind providing the chilliest of chill factors, I had called the National Park Weatherline (017867 75757) earlier and I was prepared with three layers of clothing under my jacket.
I set off regardless along the A591 and within half a mile there is a stile in the wall and a gate on the right hand side giving access to the start of the path leading up to High Rigg. The path is quite steep but easier when it is not wet, as height is gained quickly there are views of the surrounding higher hills, the visibility is good today.
High Rigg is an excellent little ridge, full of interest in itself a miniature Lake District with crags and tarns and an all round view as good as any. Blencathra in particular put on a stunning display all day, Skiddaw isn't seen at its best from this direction but it too put on a good display. Clough Head is also well seen and I was able to study it in the good light, I'm sure that I now know where Fisher's Wife's Rake is and one day it will be mine.
The steep grassy descent of High Rigg is a good deal easier today than when the grass is wet. Arriving down at the road, by the side of the Youth Centre I decided to turn left and head for the fells on the other side of Thirlmere. Unfortunately I didn't have the map for the North Western area with me but the visbility is good and I've got plenty of time so I'll see where I end up.
There is an obvious footpath across the fields over to the A591 again, cross the road and head towards Keswick and after about a quarter of a mile is a footpath signposted as leading to Walla Crag – that will do. The sheep are wintering at this level and they are used to being fed and quite often will walk towards walkers in the hope of getting something to eat. One of them today came right up to me and didn't run away when I turned to face it, I can't help feeling sorry for them being so hungry and I don't eat lamb these days.
I followed the path between the fields and ended up on a farm track that seemed to be going in the right direction but a woman at the farm buildings was yelling something about it not being a path, and that the path was the other side of the wall. Back at the farm gate there was a sign post “path to stone circle” without any directional arrows so I followed a wall that seemed to bypass the farm. As I passed through a gate a couple of dozen sheep ran over to a nearby feeding trough, sorry girls, and I had to pass over a muddy field to another wall.
There was no obvious way to get over the wall so I had to climb over a wooded barrier, squeezing past its barbed wire defences. On the other side was a path of sorts that traversed the fellside, passing what looked like a solar panel, and I followed an unclimbable wall down to a track that emerged from the other side of the farm that wasn't a footpath. The track climbed uphill alongside Brockle Beck, I left the track as it reached level ground and made my way over the frozen ground and found a place where I was able to cross the beck. It was a short pathless walk over frozen ground to the rocky platform that forms the summit of Walla Crag. There can be no better place to view Derwentwater and Skiddaw and the whole of Keswick in the valley below.
The walk from Walla Crag to Bleaberry Fell is consistent with other walks in this central group of fells, horribly wet except on days like today and even then there are places where some of the ground is still wet. In contrast is the final steeper climb up an eroded footpath where a large cairn greets you at the start of Bleaberry Fell's summit. For a small mountain it has a very big view, as well as Blencathra and Skiddaw you can see the North Western Fells, Scafell Pike and Great Gable as well as the ridge from Clough Head to Helvellyn.
From feeling quite warm after the climb upwards, in the strong cold wind I began to feel colder and I had to batten down the hatches again as I headed east. I was expecting to find myself walking along an edge overlooking Thirlmere, I hadn't expected to find the deep valley of Shoulthwaite Gill. I followed a vague path southwards, high above the steep sides of the valley, when I lost the path I would take the most natural way around the head of several gills and each time I found the path again.
Eventually I reached the Watendlath to Armboth path and made the easy climb to the summit of Armboth Fell. On my first and only other visit to this fell I had decided that I probably wouldn't visit it again because the path to it is horribly wet. I dropped down to the forest road heading northwards towards Raven Crag on the other side of Shoulthwaite Gill.
I have had trouble with forest roads before, there are so many going in all directions that even with a map they can be confusing. When I saw a branch road going upwards to the right, signposted “no access beyond this point” I knew I was heading in the right direction. The forest road continues almost to the summit of the fell, past a birdwatching hide, then there is a final pathless climb through the trees to the most unremarkable of summits. Surprisingly, there seemed to be no view of Thirlmere but as I realised later I should have explored a little bit more, there was a brief snow flurry as I left the summit.
The forest road is an impressive piece of engineering as it follows the contours of the fell, the crags are impressive on the opposite side of the valley. As I passed the steep cliffs at the side of the road I began to wonder if I had actually visited the summit of Raven Crag, the steep cliffs here would be a much more likely summit. I followed another branch of the road steeply upwards to its summit and climbed through the steep sides of the fell through trees to a rocky outcrop. From here I could see Raven Crag and I was satisfied that I had visited it but I wished I had explored it a bit more whilst I had been there.
All I had to do now was get down, after a few minutes wandering aimlessly through the trees I took a compass bearing and headed north and soon found the forest road again. I followed the road in the direction of Thirlmere in hope rather than expectation of finding a way downwards but it was alright and I eventually got down to the lake side road and found the path bath to Stanah.
Not bad for a scratch walk, but I need a new pair of trainers.
Andy Wallace 30th January 2003