Height: 726 metres / 2382 feet Grid reference: NY 33393 22541 Category: The Eastern Fells
Blencathra from Clough Head
Clough Head
The Business Meeting, Clough Head
Start point: Wanthwaite (NY 316 232)
1Wanthwaite – Wanthwaite Bank – Buck Castle – Jim’s Fold – Clough Head – Old Coach Road – Wanthwaite
Distance: 4.4 miles Total Ascent: 595 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 09:50
Weather: Changeable but dry. 12°C
The Business Meeting? Well today was a bit of that, taking a walk with Clive Hutchby to discuss various things up to Clough Head. There were some good sunny spells but it was really quite cold on the top with a strong breeze blowing.
Clough Head from Wanthwaite, the route of ascent is from left to right.
Looks promising over Skiddaw.
Leaving the Old Coach Road to climb through the old quarries.
Through the quarries looking to Clough Head.
Wanthwaite Bank.
Skiddaw and Blencathra.
Getting into the groove.
Looking back down.
Bright and sunny towards Skiddaw.
St John's in the Vale and High Rigg.
The light makes it look like a painting.
Climbing higher.
I took Wainwright's intermediate 'sporting' route (Buck Castle on the OS map), the line of the path can be seen in this photo. Clive took the easier and more usual grass slope route to the top.
Looking beyond Threlkeld Knotts from the climb to Gategill Fell, Hall's Fell and Doddick Fell on Blencathra.
On Buck Castle looking to Wainwright's amphitheatre.
A long way down from the top of the rock tower of Buck Castle.
The sheep show the path across Wanthwaite Crags.
The view towards Keswick from high above Wanthwaite.
High Rigg summit in the sunshine, layers of fells beyond.
Looking down from Wanthwaite Crags.
Across Derwent Water to the Coledale fells.
Sunshine and a cold wind on the climb to Clough Head summit.
A Blencathra panoramic...and Dougal.
The Vale of Keswick from Clough Head.
Clive, propping up the trig column.
The Coiled Springs.
Looking for a way down.
Threlkeld Knotts and beyond from the descent.
Looking back to Clough Head from the Old Coach Road.
Clough Head via Fisher’s Wife Rake
Start point: Wanthwaite (NY 316 232)
Wanthwaite – Fisher’s Wife’s Rake – Jim’s Fold – Clough Head – Red Screes – Threlkeld Knotts – Wanthwaite
Distance: 3.5 miles Total Ascent: 601 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 12:25
Weather: Sunny and warm. 15ºC
It was a dogless walk today as I took the opportunity to get up to Clough Head in sunny weather with Robin. We ascended by the steep Fisher’s Wife’s Rake and descended by the even steeper Red Screes north face of Clough Head. Looking around, there were a few fells that were in and out of cloud and I think we caught best part of the day as well.
Clough Head route map.
First view of Skiddaw and Lonscale Fell from the Old Coach Road.
There were some big clouds to the south, here looking into St. John's in the Vale.
High Rigg.
Following the wall to Fisher's Wife's Rake beneath Wanthwaite Crags.
Skiddaw and Blencathra from the foot of Fisher's Wife's Rake.
Climbing the rake.
The key to finding the rake is the single Rowan tree at the bottom of these crags.
The view down Fisher's Wife's Rake - it's a steep climb but not as bad as it looks on this photo as the path crosses from right to left across this scree run.
A panoramic view from the rake.
The view from the top of the rake.
Skiddaw and Blencathra.
High Rigg and layers of fells beyond.
Standing on the edge.
That's one way to get down quick!
Thirlmere across Sandbed Gill with the distant Scafells in cloud.
Jim's Fold.
Sky.
Fells.
Skiddaw from Clough Head, back in sunshine now.
A mono view of the Vale of Keswick.
Robin does a Wainwright (Clough Head 7).
The Skiddaw massif.
Great Mell Fell.
Blencathra.
A glimpse of Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake, Tewet Tarn in the centre.
At the top of the steep descent.
Looking back, it seems almost impossible to descend the north face of Clough Head but we came straight down the centre in this photo.
Threlkeld Knotts summit.
Hall's Fell Ridge.
The more substantial cairn further north of Threlkeld Knotts. Much later, on the way home...
...a beautiful sunset over Windermere.
Clough Head
Start point: Wanthwaite (NY 316 232)
Wanthwaite – Fisher’s Wife’s Rake – Jim’s Fold – Clough Head – Red Screes – Wanthwaite
Distance: 3.7 miles Total Ascent: 592 metres Time Taken: 2 hours
Weather: Showers and sunny spells. 17C.
Fisher’s Wife’s Rake is one of those walks I have had on the agenda for a while and it certainly is the direct route to Clough Head, although it wasn’t as severe as I was expecting. There were showers at the start of the climb up the rake but the clouds miraculously cleared towards the end of the walk, reminding me that it is still late summer yet.
Clough Head route map.
Skiddaw and Lonscale Fell from the Old Coach Road.
Wanthwaite Crags across the disused quarries. Fisher's Wife's Rake is the grassy gully to the right of the crags.
Crossing the wall at the ladder stile.
The Skiddaw massif from the path following the wall beneath Wanthwaite Crags.
High Rigg and the central fells from the foot of Fisher's Wife's Rake.
Climbing the rake in the rain.
Casper does a double take - yes, up there!
Blencathra through the Rowan Tree.
Looking down Fisher's Wife's Rake.
A sunny interlude on High Rigg.
Looking down Fisher's Wife's Rake from the top.
The north-western fells.
A rainbow over St John's in the Vale.
A glimpse of Thirlmere from Sandbed Gill.
Jim's Fold.
Great How and Thirlmere, Ullscarf beyond.
Blencathra from Clough Head.
Striking a familiar pose...
The Vale of Keswick.
Cloud lifting from Skiddaw.
The start of the shelf path on Red Screes.
Suddenly it is summer again!
Sunshine over Keswick.
Blencathra from the wall crossing.
Casper has a dip in a small beck on the Old Coach Road.
The Dodds
Start point: Dockray, adjacent to the bridge. (NY 393 215)
Dockray – Bracken How (492) – Round How (493) – Common Fell – Watermillock Common –Swineside Knott – Brown Hills – Birkett Fell – Hart Side – White Stones on Green Side – Stybarrow Dodd – Watson’s Dodd – Great Dodd – Little Dodd (St John’s Common) (494) – Calfhow Pike (495) –Clough Head (496) – Dockray
Distance: 13.4 miles Total Ascent: 1156 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Overcast, rain later. 14oC.
Another grey day today with just the odd glimmer of sunshine and heavy rain at the end. This is quite a long circuit but relatively easy going across boggy grass. I visited a couple of small tops at the beginning of the walk that I had never been to before which offered great views over Ullswater with little effort. It was very quiet up there though, and we never saw a single soul all day.
About the only blue sky of the day over Great Mell Fell, from Bracken How.
Common Fell from Round How. The bracken is turning brown now.
Sunrays over Ullswater looking to Place Fell.
Great Dodd from Common Fell.
Casper having a rest on Swineside Knott.
Looking to the head of Ullswater.
Brown Hills from Watermillock Common.
Ullswater.
Angus and Casper above Ullswater.
Looking over to Place Fell.
Sheffield Pike.
Catstycam appears from the mist.
You can't miss Birkett Fell with its name plaque set in the cairn. Named after Baron Birkett, KC MP, an early advocate of National Parks and a fierce opposer to Manchester Corporation's attempts to take water from Ullswater. He also went to the same school as me (though he wasn't in my class, I hasten to add!).
Angus on Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd behind.
Looking down Stanah Gill on Stybarrow Dodd to Thirlmere.
Great Dodd from Stybarrow Dodd.
High Rigg and St John's in the Vale from Watson's Dodd. Beyond is Keswick, Bassenthwaite Lake, Dodd and Skiddaw (in mist).
Thirlmere from Watson's Dodd.
The wind was howling across Watson's Dodd.
A retrospective view from Great Dodd - in the distance is the pointed Catstycam with Helvellyn in cloud. Centre left is Stybarrow Dodd with Watson's Dodd to the right.
Skiddaw from Little Dodd. Below is the next objective, the spur of Calfhow Pike.
Angus has spotted the rain coming on our final summit, Clough Head - the end of the Helvellyn massif.
Blencathra from Clough Head. Now it was time to put on the jacket and put the camera away for a very damp descent to the Old Coach Road and a wet trudge back to Dockray.
The Dodds
Wanthwaite – Threlkeld Knotts – Clough Head (113) – Calfhow Pike – Little Dodd (St John’s Common) – Great Dodd (114) – Watson’s Dodd (115) – Great Dodd – Randerside – Mariel Bridge – Old Coach Road – Wanthwaite
Skiddaw from Wanthwaite, the start of the walk.
High Rigg from the climb to Threlkeld Knotts. The colours have just started to turn autumnal.
Skiddaw from Threlkeld Knotts summit.
Blencathra from the summit of Clough Head.
Great Dodd from the summit of Clough Head.
Calfhow Pike from the descent of Clough Head.
Thirlmere from Calfhow Pike, High Seat in the far distance.
Great Dodd summit.
Watson's Dodd from Great Dodd.
Skiddaw and Blencathra from Watson's Dodd summit.
The summit of Randerside on the descent of Great Dodd, Catstycam and Helvellyn are in the distance.
The old coach road crossing the Mosedale Beck, Blencathra is in the distance.