Height: 395 metres / 1296 feet Grid reference: NY 46928 12750

Haweswater from the ruins of the fort on Castle Crag
Height: 395 metres / 1296 feet Grid reference: NY 46928 12750
Haweswater from the ruins of the fort on Castle Crag
Walked on
Start point: Mardale Head (NY 469 107)
Mardale Head – Rough Crag (Riggindale) – Caspel Gate – Long Stile – High Street – Straits of Riggindale – The Knott – Rampsgill Head – Kidsty Pike –High Raise – Low Raise – Castle Crag (Mardale) – The Rigg – Mardale Head
Distance: 8.5 miles Total Ascent: 888m metres Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 07:00
Weather: Sunny spells. 11oC.
It was beautiful this morning, very still and sunny and it was pleasantly warm climbing Rough Crag but as soon as I got to the High Street plateau it was covered with cloud which made it feel a lot cooler. It was a great day for it though and we were in total solitude throughout with just deer and sheep for company.
Walked on
Start point: Mardale Head (NY 469 107)
Mardale Head – The Rigg – Rough Crag (Riggindale) – Caspel Gate – Long Stile – High Street – Straits of Riggindale – Rampsgill Head – Kidsty Pike – High Raise (497) – Low Raise (498) – Castle Crag (Mardale) (499) – The Rigg – Mardale Head
Distance: 10.2 miles Total Ascent: 1085 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 15 minutes
Weather: Sunny, a glorious Autumn day. 16oC.
I nearly never bothered today, it was wet and miserable first thing this morning but a chance hearing of the weather report on the radio made me get out as it was supposedly brightening during the day. I could hardly believe my luck as I reached Mardale, for the sun was shining and the skies were blue. This was a really enjoyable round (helped by the weather of course!) taking the direct route to High Street via Rough Crag, walking along the Roman Road, trying and failing to spot the Riggindale Golden Eagles and finishing off on the ancient British Fort on Castle Crag above Haweswater.
Looking across Haweswater to Lady's Seat and Castle Crag, the route used in descent from Low Raise later.
Mardale Waters from the Rough Crag ridge - Small Water is in the cirque to the left, Blea Water in the one to the right.
Haweswater Reservoir and Mardale from Rough Crag - Golden Eagles nest on the crags here, the only pair in England. The valley was flooded in the 1930's to create a reservoir for Manchester and the village of Mardale was lost under the water forever.
Looking south-west to the Coniston fells in the distance, Red Screes and the Fairfield group in the middle distance.
We could hear the bellowing of the stags in Martindale Deer Forest below - they certainly caught the attention of Angus.
Helvellyn from High Raise. Striding Edge is the ridge in the centre with Swirral Edge and Catstycam to the right.