Start Point:Â Stone Ends, Caldbeck Common (NY 354 338)
Stone Ends – Rake Trod – Carrock Fell – Carrock Beck – Stone Ends
| Distance: | 5.3 km |
| Total Ascent: | 429 m |
| Time Taken: | 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Start Time: | 11:05 |
| Weather: | Very windy. 14ºC |
| Finlay’s Wainwright Count: | 56/214 (1 new this walk) |
I was up in Keswick at the shop this morning so I thought I would use my time wisely and have a walk up there somewhere. The weather was not playing ball really, it was absolutely throwing it down throughout the lakes so nowhere looked particularly likely. I did have high Pike in mind so I drove up that way, stopping at Mungrisdale to give Finlay a short, flat walk around there and a much need ed comfort break for him. We got pretty wet during that short walk!
I continued along Caldbeck Common and it did stop raining so – as the saying goes – faint heart never won fair maiden, I donned full waterproofs under a leaden sky to head up to Carrock Fell and High Pike…
Rake Trod, the route used in ascent today, is the path that can be seen climbing right to left up to the scree section. Once up there, the path is steep and almost a scramble in sections. Today, thankfully, it was sheltered and kept the worst of the wind off us on the climb. 
Almost unbelievably, after about 5 minutes of walking with full waterproofs on expecting to be drenched, the sun came out with barely a cloud in the sky looking out to the east. 
A boiling sky looking southwards to Great Mell Fell. 
At the top of Rake Trod on Carrock Fell we were met by a welcoming committee! Finlay was straight by my side when we came across these three – ‘I don’t bother with sheep dad!’ Good lad Finlay! 
Bowscale Fell and Blencathra beyond. 
The wind was really picking up as we climbed out onto the exposed fell side making walking more and more difficult. 
Carrock Fell summit cairn ahead – and what a handsome cairn, it looks like it has been rebuilt since I was last here – and what a great job someone has made too. 
Carrock Fell summit. 
A view into the Caldew Valley and the back of Blencathra. 
It was too windy to stand right up on the summit plinth for long but Finlay did manage to sit for a blurry-furry pose. Wainwright #56 for him. 
At this point I was almost getting blown over and going was extremely arduous. I cannot overstate how bad it really was, I was crouched down on all fours at one point and I put Finlay on the lead to make sure I could keep him close. I cannot remember conditions quite that bad for a long time. I really didn’t fancy walking the exposed route along to High Pike, in fact it would have been foolhardy I felt, so I took the path to the right leading back down to Caldbeck Common. High Pike (seen in this photo) and the others can wait for another time! Goodness knows what it was like on the higher fells. 
The path used in descent looking back up to Carrock Fell. On the way down I bumped into three ladies who were climbing that way. I did tell them about the wind but they carried on – I don’t think they believed me. From here it was an easy road walk back to the car and some much needed shelter.
Hi Sean,
Carrock Fell’s cairn must have been rebuilt at some point between 2018 and 2020 according to our photos, It a was just an untidy heap of stones in 2018, but by 2020 it had been rebuilt and on our last visit in 2022 it was still in the same condition as in your photo.
You might have met up with us on your walk as we had been thinking of taking a walk on the same day in the same area but when we saw our neighbour’s tree, the branches of which were being blown horizontally, we decided to give it a miss and stayed home instead. Carrock Fell and its neighbours will always be there waiting, all we are waiting for is this very unsettled weather to calm down.
Your description of the Rake Trod route brought back memories of when we walked (scrabbled) up via that route on a hot day in July 2018 when the gully was like an oven on the hottest temperature! John shudders every time we drive past the start of it now as he had such a hard time getting up it in the heat and the very dry condition of the path.
Congratulations to both of you for persevering in the strong wind and for the ‘blurry furry’ shot of Finlay posing so patiently in the gale force wind, its a great shot of him. Did you have to kneel down to take it?
Best wishes.
John and Brenda
Hi John & Brenda, it is good to see that someone takes the time and trouble to rebuild cairns like that and they should indeed be proud of their work when it is that good 🙂 That was the correct call to delay your walk, it is the same reason I came down sooner than I really wanted to – they will always be there another day – although it was little annoying as I had done all the hard work (as your story tells) climbing Rake Trod. I certainly was kneeling for the Finlay shot; prior to it he was lying down to take a little shelter, he is not daft.
Best Wishes, Sean
Hi Sean,
I walked Carrock Fell, Round Knot, Milton Hill, High Pike and West Fell the following day, Saturday 5th), my last day of six in The Lakes, staying in a guest house in Keswick. Much better conditions than what you ‘enjoyed’ but still a tad breezy although at least it stayed dray (almost). Having noted the forecasts, it was a Plan C walk for me on the Friday: Latrigg via Spoony Green Lane, down to the railway path then back to Keswick where I had a pootle about and visited places I’d never been before despite visiting Keswick regularly for over 30 years – High Fitz Park, the cafe in the Youth Hostel (coffee and a slice of fabulous orange drizzle and chocolate cake), the far side of Crow Park and the far side of Hope Park and, of course, I had to pay a visit to The Wainwright and The Fox Tap (my two favourite drinking establishments in Keswick).
ATB
Rod