Height: 567 metres / 1860 feet Grid reference: NY 41333 14830 Category: The Far Eastern Fells

Brothers Water from Angletarn Pikes northern and main summit

Angle Tarn from Angletarn Pikes southern summit
Height: 567 metres / 1860 feet Grid reference: NY 41333 14830 Category: The Far Eastern Fells
Brothers Water from Angletarn Pikes northern and main summit
Angle Tarn from Angletarn Pikes southern summit
Walked on
Start point: Hartsop (NY 409 131)
Hartsop – Brock Crags – Angletarn Pikes – Satura Crag – The Nab – Rest Dodd – Hayeswater Gill – Hartsop
Distance: 7.4 miles Total Ascent: 846 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 15 minutes Start Time: 09:15
Weather: Overcast with spots of rain. 15ºC
After endless days of sunshine and warm weather, this morning was dull and threatened rain constantly. It was good to be back on the high fells and I made it back before the rain eventually came. I ended up doing a few direct routes to places rather than following the paths today for a bit of a change.
Walked on
Start point: Martindale Old Church (NY 434 184)
Martindale Old Church – Beda Fell – Angletarn Pikes – Angle Tarn – Brock Crags – Satura Crag – Rest Dodd – The Knott – Rampsgill Head – Kidsty Pike – High Raise – Red Crag – Martindale Old Church
Distance: 10.6 miles Total Ascent: 1048 metres Time Taken: 5 hours 40 minutes
Weather: Long sunny spells. 13C.
Today I was joined by StridingEdge stalwarts Andy Lang and Gary Jones for a circuit of Martindale. The occasion was to take in my final two Wainwrights to complete my third time round them, namely Beda Fell and High Raise. After the early mist lifted, the sun shone making it a great end to the walk and of course to completion of the 642!
As we climb higher the mist completely circles Hallin Fell, here with Winter Crag in the foreground.
Bannerdale just before the mist started pouring over the tops from the south and obliterated everything for a while.
Angle Tarn in sunshine but Angletarn Pikes in mist again, showing how quickly conditions were changing.
Walked on
Start point: Sandwick (NY 423 196)
Sandwick – Beda Fell (475) – Heck Crag – Angletarn Pikes – Boredale Hause – Place Fell – High Dodd –Sleet Fell – Sandwick
Distance: 9.4 miles Total Ascent: 1300 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 20 minutes
Weather: Sunny at first, gradually worsening. 13oC.
It was lovely and sunny this morning when I set off from Sandwick for a circuit of Boredale – so much so that the legs were soon zipped off from my trousers to make the first walk in shorts this year (was it really only a month ago I was on Harter Fell in the snow?). This was Casper’s first ‘big’ walk and he seemed to cope okay, with a few tips thrown in from the master, Angus.
Winter Crag in the foreground with Hallin Fell behind, Ullswater and Little Mell Fell in view beyond from Beda Head, the summit of Beda Fell.
Enough heads for Cerberus? Casper's first Wainwright on Beda Fell and (almost!) Angus' last (not forever, only of the 214 count, of which there are 5 left).
Walked on
Start point: Hartsop (NY 410 130)
Hartsop – Gray Crag (110) – Thornthwaite Crag (111) – High Street – The Knott (112) – Rest Dodd (113) – The Nab (114) – Satura Crag – Angle Tarn Pike South (115) – Angletarn Pike North (116) – Brock Crags (117) – Hartsop
Weather: Overcast, some rain later.
Another walk chosen by my 13 year old son today, principally to take in some wildlife; the promise of wild ponies on Thornthwaite Crag, a Golden Eagle over Riggindale and deer in the Martindale Deer Forest spurring him into action. Of course, there was also the lure of walking in the footsteps of Roman soldiers across High Street.
From the car park through the hamlet of Hartsop, we followed the old mine road along Hayeswater Gill and over Wath Bridge.
Threshwaite Mouth from the Hayeswater Gill path. We decided to ascend Gray Crag by the direct route - straight up the sickeningly steep nose leading directly to the summit.
The Eastern Fells from the summit of Gray Crag, Catstycam is the conical peak on the right. From the summit, it is a simple stroll along the grassy undulations to Thornthwaite Crag, sometimes referred to as Thornthwaite Beacon due to the distinctive 14 feet high column on its summit.
Thornthwaite Beacon. From the beacon the path U-turns on to the Roman road and follows the gentle rise to the summit of High Street.
Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and Windermere from the Roman road on High Street. We then left the Roman road to cross the wall which traverses the summit plateau and headed for the trig. column that marks the highest point.
The summit of High Street looking to Fairfield and Dollywagon Pike. From the summit, we headed over to the Eastern side of the fell to look over Haweswater and along Riggindale with binoculars out trying to spot the Golden Eagle. Oh dear, no wild ponies and no eagle!
A view along Riggindale to Haweswater. After returning to the Roman road, it was a simple climb to the summit of The Knott.
The Knott summit with Rest Dodd near left and The Nab to the right. From The Knott, a steep descent/ascent following the wall took us to the summit of Rest Dodd.
Rampsgill Head from the summit of Rest Dodd. Again from Rest Dodd, it was straight over the nose and onward over the difficult peat hag terrain of the Deer Forest to The Nab.
Rest Dodd from the summit of The Nab. Then it was back along the same peaty path to the wall - at last we were rewarded with the sight of a deer herd. We then followed the wall over to Satura Crag and then skirted Angle Tarn to ascend the northern top of Angletarn Pikes quickly followed by the southern top as the rain set in.
Angle Tarn from the southern summit of Angletarn Pikes. Skirting around the other side of Angle Tarn, we ascended directly to the summit Brock Crags with views over Hartsop and Brothers Water.
Walked on
Hartsop – Hayeswater – The Knott – Rest Dodd (144) – The Nab (145) – Satura Crag – Angletarn Pikes (146) – Brock Crags (147) – Hartsop