~Wether Hill and High Raise~
15th October 2011
One of my post-completion (Wainwright 214) ambitions is to walk new ground. The above fell summits have been reached before today, so here's a different way of going about it.
High Street
Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....
Far Eastern Fells
My brother and I left Burnley early in the morning and stopped off at Tebay Services for breakfast. It's just a little less than 75 miles to our start point of Burn Banks. The above photo is taken from the road between Shap and Bampton. The reservoir of Haweswater can just be seen, with the fells of Naddle Forest in shadow to the left of the water.
Burn Banks
No, not an instruction to rioters and anarchists; it's a rebuilt village close to the Haweswater Dam. After the reservoir navvies had left, the village fell into disrepair, but it was subsequently rebuilt in the original style. We set off for Wether Hill at 08:45hrs.
Bracken
The bracken is in delcine and clear paths lead the walker up the hillside and in the direction of Four Stones Hill.
Haweswater
It was rather windy early in the morning and the surface of the reservoir is rippled accordingly.
Cairn
My theory that if someone builds a cairn, someone else will come along a take a photo of it, is proved correct once again. Haweswater is about 750ft above sea level and holds 76 million cubic metres of water when full.
4
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Four Stones Hill, then two Standing Stones; it's time to head up the fell from one path to another and join the route from Bampton to Low Kop and then Wether Hill.
3
Strangely, as we gained height the wind decreased. Low Kop is a "Birkett" for those with more than one list, not really my thing.
Low Raise
Longgrain Beck
Longgrain Beck meanders down the fellside from High Raise. Long Grain Rice is three words; Longgrain Beck is only two! Dunt look right.
Wether Hill 2210ft
The stones marking the summit crown an uninteresting place, or they nearly do. The land to Peter's left is obviously a few feet higher. Loadpot Hill is further away and the only previous time I came here, I arrived via Loadpot Hill and felt underwhelmed. This time we've walked more than four miles and climbed all the way up from Burn Banks.
High Street to Red Crag
As I said to Peter, if all fellwalking was like this, I wouldn't bother. But we take the rough with the smooth. The Romans surely laid a better surface than this, where have all the stones gone?
Redcrag Tarn
Redcrag Tarn on Red Crag. The Eastern Fell range from Fairfield to Helvellyn and along to the Dodds looks very appealing today.
The first "Hello" - 3hrs into the walk
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Rest Dodd |
High Street |
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Steel Knotts |
Fairfield and Cofa Pike |
Walk Views
A little cloud is teasing the top of Fairfield, that'll be a treat for walkers up there just now.
High Raise Summit 2634ft
Lunch time on High Raise, the second time I've been here this year. Debate followed and the first choice of Kidsty Pike / ridge down to Haweswater was substitued for Low Raise and the walk down to the reservoir due to time issues.
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Low Raise |
Blencathra |
The descent route takes us over Low Raise and we catch a glimpse of Blencathra, Carrcok Fell and Great Mell Fell. The cloud shadow appears to fall on Gowbarrow Fell.
Peat
Interesting Pete structure. I might send this to the Peat Appreciation Society.
Haweswater
The dam is about two and a half miles away (as the crow flies) from our position on Long Grain.
Waterfalls in Measand Beck
The waterfalls are quite something and not too easy to photograph. At the foot of the falls is a footbridge allowing walkers to follow the contours around Haweswater.
Low Raise
Looking back to Low Raise from the route back to the car.
Like it says
Burn Banks
Back where we started.
The Plan
Walkers: Peter Ratcliffe and me.
Time taken: 6hrs over a distance of 11 miles,
Route: As above. All new routes for me, including the bit between Wether Hill and High Raise.
Weather and conditions: Sunny, windy early on but much calmer higher up.
Greetings Count: Our first "hello" was the chap in the photo. Another walker and three at the top of High Raise, then one lady and her dog on Low Raise - she was the only other person on our up or down routes. We also met quite a few folk on the Haweswater path near the end of the walk.
Richard's Refreshment Review: We called in at Hideaway Coffee House, near the M6 at J36. Their hours don't usually suit my trips to the Lakes, opening at 09:30 and closing at 16:00 - we got in just in time.
Hideaway Cafe, Lupton
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2011 ©
Take me back to the start ....