~Little Hart Crag~
13th June 2015
Little Hart Crag Summit
Saturday morning and the forecast heavy rain has failed to materialise. I expected to be packing a wet tent, but instead I picked a fell to climb in the present locality and Little Hart Crag got the nod.
Brothers Water
The walk started at 08:50hrs from Cow Bridge car park. Brothers Water is calm, the suncream will not be required today.
Hartsop Dodd
Of Little Hart Crag, Wainwright offers two ascent routes: one from Ambleside and the other from Patterdale. This is the Patterdale version with a slight cheat by starting closer to Brothers Water.
Common Sandpiper |
Reflections |
The CS was noisy and I knew exactly what that meant, so me n'Mols beat a retreat and returned to the path, so as to leave the nesting site undisturbed. Brothers Water has always been popular with reflection enthusiasts. The CS is not Bird of The Day...
Hartsop Hall Farm
This scene serves to remind walkers that this is a working farm and there is always at least one herd of cows in the vicinity. We proceeded past the conifers and then left - right is the miners track and leads towards a favourite Dove Crag ascent route.
Hogget Gill Ascent
That's the way we went - I didn't know how it would pan out at the time of taking the photo and whilst it resembles Wainwright's effort, it might not be exactly as he did it. He (AW) says: "No poet ever sung the praise of Hogget Gill, and few walkers ever go there. It is worth a visit for its impressive scenery"
Glacial morraine in the valley and the last barn before finding the bridge crossing for the ascent route chosen. Stand Crags are seen above the woodland beyond the barn.
Dovedale Beck
Ahead |
Behind |
Within Hogget Gill, the OS map shows a dry section along the watercourse, something more characteristic of limestone territory.
Hogget Gill
It's true, there are waterfalls higher up and a dry course lower down before the beck becomes wet again. We followed the beck until a series of waterfalls made progress difficult. So, it's off to the left and up the hill following a subsiduary watercourse.
Hartsop
Wheatear
This is my "Bird of the Day". Great little companions on a fellwander, chirping away as they scoot from rock to rock.
Molly
To Black Brow |
High Tree |
~~~
Little Hart Crag
A couple of walkers are on the top of Little Hart Crag taking souvenir photos.
Molly on top of Little Hart Crag 2,091ft asl
The couple asked for a little advice on the route to Dove Crag and Hart Crag. I had no firm plan as the weather was the governing factor, but it seemed settled, if a tad disappointing and the route to DC and HC seemed as good as anything, so after a sandwich and a Bonio, we set foot across Bakestones Moss.
To Dove Crag |
Dove Crag Summit |
Those who might only see this much of Dove Crag are missing out on great things. Come back another day, when the sun is shining and ascend from Hartsop Hall via Hunsett Cove.
Darren and Hannah
I've caught up with the couple and their Bedlington Terrier. It could be quite useful that I have a map and a compass as the higher reaches of Hart Crag are in mist. AW: "Hart Crag can be a dangerous place in mist, the path across the summit being indistinct."
Me n' Molly on Hart Crag Summit
Molly is not too good at keeping still for the camera and likes to be a short distance away from me, just in case I throw the ball - which I don't do on rocky ground ... and she should know that by now! The map and compass and my knowledge of the area did prove useful and soon enough we found the route to Hartsop Above How.
Hartsop Above How
~~~
The way down and we are looking for the stile for the quick descent to Cow Bridge.
~~~
Molly and ???
Perhaps if D&H see this report, they can get in touch and remind me of their dog's name. Ted?
Hartsop Dodd |
Cow Bridge |
That's another Lakeland walk completed. Not something I would have been likely to undertake on a day trip, but as we were already here it seemed rude not to!
Walkers: Me n' Molly, with Darren and Hannah for company from Dove Crag onwards. Good luck to these walkers and their quest to visit all the summits in Wainwright's Books.
Time taken: 5hrs 50mins over a distance of about 8 miles. 2,800ft of ascent.
Route: Cow Bridge, Brothers Water, Hartsop Hall, Dovedale Beck, Hogget Gill, Sales, Black Brow, Little Hart Crag, Bakestones Moss, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Hartsop Above How, steep descent through the woods back to Cow Bridge.
Weather: Dull, still warm, misty on top of Hart Crag.
There is a fine gill called Hogget.
I've been there and now I will log it.
It's good for a scramble,
Well worth the gamble,
To clamber up that gill named Hogget.
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2015 ©