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~Western Excursion Part One~

2nd March 2011

New month, new weather, new place to stay for a few nights. This is Part One of a short walking holiday in the western extremities of Lakeland. I might have taken this holiday in February but the skies were dull and there was plenty of rain about.

Strands Inn

Strands Inn, Nether Wasdale

Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....

Grike

Flat Fell

I parked on Cold Fell Road and began an ascent of Grike. The sun was in my eyes most of the way up and therefore this photo is looking back to the road (not easy to see). Flat Fell is on the other side of the road, with Dent (fell) behind. Short-notice holiday taken to coincide with high pressure system sitting over the UK.

Grike

Grike

Grike is in view. Wainwright was worried about the effect of forestry work on the right of way, but the path is clear all the way, part of which was through the trees. Grike is the most westerly of the Western Fells - it's the westest! You now how it works, bigger photos if/when the views get better.

Grike

Grike Summit

The sky is undecided. It's clear now but to the north and south there is misty low cloud and it seems to be closing in.

Crag Fell

Crag Fell

I'm taking the "Ridge Route" to Crag Fell. I wanted to ascend CF directly and up over Anglers' Crag, but it would have been difficult to make a good route covering all three fells I was aiming to summit. So it had to be this way.

Ennerdale

Ennerdale Water

Two photos from the summit of Crag Fell. They could be knitted together to make a panorama shot, but they're not.

Ennerdale Water

Ennerdale Water

Showing Great Borne (left) and the ridge up to High Stile.

Pillar

Pillar

It's a bit too hazy for decent photos.

Crag Fell

Crag Fell Summit

In case you haven't noticed, I am trying to reach the summit of all the fells described by A.Wainwright in his Pictorial Guides. This is 202 out of 214. Lank Rigg is targeted as being 203 and it's just around the corner.

Whoap

Whoap

That's Crag Fell over there and the route took me through the forest and up to the top of Whoap (behind me somewhere), en route to Lank Rigg. Whoap has no fan club, even guidebook writers give it a miss.

Lank Rigg

Lank Rigg Summit

From Whoap it's a beeline to Lank Rigg summit. Sadly the atmospheric conditions prevent me showing LR to best effect. Mr.Wainwright put two-shilling piece under a flat stone in the vicinity of the trig column. There are no flat stones on view, could it be under the pile of stones shown? Despite the incentive, I left the stones as I found them.

Whoap Beck

Whoap Beck

My route down is along Whoap Beck, the path being to the right of the beck.

Comb Beck

Comb Beck

The path crosses Comb Beck. The beck feeds the River Calder which flows down to Calder Bridge. My route rises up again and leads to Cold Fell Road.

Lank Rigg

Lank Rigg

Looking back at Lank Rigg, I'm wondering if my start time of 08:50 was a good one? Look how it's cleared up now, it's 13:10. Maybe a later start would have been better for the camera, but that's not my usual my way of doing things.

Sillarthwaite

To Sillathwaite

I decided it was too early to head back to the pub. So I extended the walk by heading down to Sillathwaite and Nannycatch Gate -what a name for a gate, got to see this one!

Nannycatch Gate

Nannycatch Gate

Something of a disappointment. That's Dent (a fell) behind the gate. I've decided to make for the summit of Flat Fell - on the right of this photo. Not in AW's PGs.

Flat Fell

Route Around Flat Fell

The footpath runs all around Flat Fell, I've branched off to look for the summit.

Flat Fell

Flat Fell Sunmmit

Bumps further away include (l-r) Grike, Blakeley Rise and Lank Rigg.

Cold Fell Road

Cold Fell Road

Back to the start. An enjoyable, if unexciting walk. See below to find out how many "Hello's" were issued to passing walkers.

Buckbarrow

Buckbarrow

Strands Inn

The Strands Inn & Brewery

My home for three nights. They brew their own beer. Just now I'm on my second pnit of Corr's Berg, better not carried away, it's Buckbarrow and Seatallan tomorrow.

Strands Inn

Head Brewer

The head brewer, Dick, is doing some quality control.

Walkers: Just Me

Time taken: 5hrs 50mins over a distance of about 10.5 miles.

Route: Cold Fell Rd, Grike, Crag Fell, Whoap, Lank Rigg, Whoap Beck, Sillathwaite, Flat Fell and back to Cold Fell Road.

Weather and conditions: Sunny start, hazing over, clear afterwards.

Greetings Count: Nil.

Richard's Refreshment Review: Nothing to report, but the pub will be reviewed at the end of my stay.

All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2011 ©

Take me back to the start ....

Take me home....