Monday 1st December 2008

Start point: Bottom of Kirkstone Pass (NY 402 113)

Kirkstone Pass - Hartsop Hall - Dovedale - Dove Crag - Bakestones Moss - Little Hart Crag - High Hartsop Dodd - Kirkstone Pass

Distance: 6.4 miles     Total Ascent: 730 metres     Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Strong wind, snow flurries. -2oC.

Route Map

It was really cold this morning again but the blue sky and crisp clearness of the weekend was gone to be replaced by strong winter weather. All was icy and frozen around Kirkstone Pass with heavy snow flurries at first. Once on the climb to Dovedale the wind really picked up and on the Dove Crag ridge it was severe and walking was difficult at times. When I got back to valley level I felt like I had taken a real pounding up there.

Blimey, it was cold this morning when I set off. This photo of Middle Dodd and Kirkstone Beck looks cold too.

A frosty wall - mono photos seemed to match the conditions better than colour a lot of the time I thought.

Middle Dodd and Caiston Glen.

Heading into Dovedale.

Icy Dovedale Beck.

Dove Falls.

A ray of sunshine looking back into Dovedale.

Dove Crag.

Getting closer to Dove Crag.

A bit of blue sky up there on the final part of the climb to Dove Crag. It all looks calm in this photo but the wind was picking up now making it feel even colder.

Looking across to the High Street ridge.

The Far Eastern fells - there seemed to be less snow around to the north.

All hell was let loose once up onto the Dove Crag ridge with very strong winds and painful spindrift.

It was as cold as it looks up there.

Looking back to Hart Crag and Fairfield.

Tough going following the wall.

A bit of sunshine to the west through the spindrift.

The summit of Dove Crag.

A quick descent to Bakestones Moss now to try and get out of the wind.

A view of Brothers Water from the descent.

Windswept Casper.

Place Fell from a frozen pool on Bakestones Moss.

Scandale with Scandale Tarn below from Little hart Crag.

St. Sunday Crag from the summit of Little Hart Crag.

Casper on Little Hart Crag.

Red Screes from the tarn on the summit of Little Hart Crag. I had intended going there but not today, it was too wild.

Escape route to High Hartsop Dodd.

Dovedale from High Hartsop Dodd.

It all looks a bit brighter than it did earlier from the steep descent from High Hartsop Dodd.

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