Monday 18th June 2007

Start point: Swindale Lane (NY 516 133)

Truss Gap - Swindale Head - Harrop Pike - Grey Crag - Tarn Crag - Branstree - Artle Crag - High Howes (Mardale) - Selside Pike - Captain Whelter Bog - High Blake Dodd - Old Corpse Road - Swindale Head - Truss Gap

Distance: 11.5 miles     Total Ascent: 800 metres     Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Overcast and dull. 19oC.

Route Map

It has been very wet of late and the weather didn't promise much today either but I managed to escape the rain for a walk starting from the remote valley of Swindale circling the even remoter valley of Mosedale. There were no views today, the skies were leaden with the merest peep of sunshine. The terrain is generally boggy in this area and I certainly got a good bootful of water today! The remoteness of this area has some advantages though as I only saw one other person all day.

Truss Gap above Swindale Beck.

Swindale Head with Selside Pike up to the right, the route of return.

Following Mosedale Beck.

The gash of Hobgrumble Gill.

Moraine in the glacial valley of Mosedale.

The footbridge across Mosedale Beck.

Following the fence to Harrop Pike - it looks a bit gloomy up there today.

The summit cairn on Harrop Pike.

Casper and Angus on Grey Crag. If you find a red collar up here it belongs to Casper - he managed to lose it shortly after this photo.

Heading for a gloomy Tarn Crag across the bog.

The summit of Tarn Crag with a survey column, a remnant from construction of the Haweswater aqueduct, beyond.

The survey column.

Branstree - the route is following the fence steeply up to the wall, the summit lying at the end of the wall.

Casper on the summit of Branstree. Angus thought the sunken dish of the trig. station made a good water bowl! You may have heard about the plague of caterpillars that has struck the Lake District recently. After seeing great swathes of them near Skiddaw House last week I can report that there were even more on the south-eastern slopes of Branstree today.

One of the cairns on Artlecrag Pike, Selside Pike beyond.

The O.S un-named top (Birkett - High Howes) from Artlecrag Pike. In the centre is another survey column with a couple of un-named tarns beyond. I don't know about a plague of caterpillars but there was a plague of gulls on the slopes of this fell seen as white dots in this photo.

Selside Pike.

The merest glimpse of Haweswater.

Angus and Casper manage a quick swim in the tarns beyond the survey column.

Heading for Selside Pike.

Cascades on the descent to Swindale Head.

Swindale.

Descending to Swindale Head.

This ancient walled track is the Old Corpse Road between Swindale and Mardale.

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