Height: 518 metres / 1699 feet Grid reference: NY 13389 16373

Starling Dodd from the top of Gale Fell, the summit being marked by the fence corner post
Height: 518 metres / 1699 feet Grid reference: NY 13389 16373
Starling Dodd from the top of Gale Fell, the summit being marked by the fence corner post
Walked on
Start point: Bleach Green, Ennerdale (NY 085 153)
Bleach Green – Bowness – Brown How (Ennerdale) – Herdus – Great Borne – Gale Fell – Starling Dodd – Little Dodd (Ennerdale) – Red Pike (Buttermere) (357) – High Stile (358) – High Crag (359) – Haystacks (360) – Looking Stead – High Level Traverse – Shamrock Traverse – Pillar – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Haycock – Little Gowder Crag – Caw Fell – Ennerdale Fell – Crag Fell – Bleach Green
Distance: 23.6 miles Total Ascent: 2864 metres Time Taken: 10 hour 20 minutes
Weather: Mainly sunny with lots of snow (!) showers. 7-11°C, valley level – much colder on the tops.
Today’s walk is a long, high level circuit of the beautiful Ennerdale Valley with virtually the whole route being completed at an elevation in excess of 500m. I have had this one on my list of ‘to do’ walks for a while so it was satisfying to complete the walk on a mainly clear day. The photo’s here actually belie the conditions somewhat as the clouds came in when I was crossing from Haystacks to Pillar and there was an icy blizzard. The snow showers continued to come and go throughout the rest of the walk and conditions remained very cold.
Looking from High Stile across Bleaberry Tarn and Red Pike to Mellbreak and Crummock Water. Loweswater is visible in the distance.
Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell at the head of Ennerdale from Haystacks. The clouds were ominously creeping up behind me now and minutes later this view was obliterated by a blizzard.
Thankfully it had cleared up again by the time I reached the High Level Traverse of Pillar. This is a view of Pillar Rock from Pillar.
Walked on
Start point: Bowness Knott Car Park (NY 109 153)
Bowness Knott Car Park – Bowness Knott (148) – Brown How (Ennerdale) (149) – Herdus (150) – Great Borne (151) – Gale Fell (152) – Starling Dodd (153) – Little Dodd (Ennerdale) (154) – Bowness Knott Car Park
Weather: Dull and overcast with the odd sunny spell.
Today’s walk takes in part of the High Stile group of fells from Ennerdale Water.