Height: 699 metres / 2293 feet Grid reference: NY 42675 11882 Category: The Far Eastern Fells
Sun rising over Gray Crag from the corrals at Hartsop
Gray Crag with Hayeswater now in view
Strange light over Gray Crag from the start of the plateau
Start point: Hartsop (NY 410 130)
Hartsop – Gray Crag – Thornthwaite Crag – High Street – Straits of Riggindale – The Knott – Hayeswater – Hartsop
Distance: 7 miles Total Ascent: 770 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 15 minutes
Weather: Mostly clear. 2°C.
I managed to get over Kirkstone Pass this morning even though it was pretty icy again. This is the fourth walk in a row in the same area, I guess I am just drawn over that way at the moment for some reason. The weather prediction was for great clarity today and it was indeed clear all morning, but the sun did not quite manage to get through the cloud although there were some quite amazing skies over the snowy fells.
Hayeswater route map.
Sun rising over Gray Crag from the corrals at Hartsop.
Looking back to Hartsop from the path to Hayeswater, St Sunday Crag beyond the Hartsop above How ridge.
Threshthwaite along Pasture Bottom.
Hayeswater Gill and the climb up to Gray Crag in view.
Hartsop from the first wall on the steep climb to Gray Crag.
Despite not being sunny there was great clarity today, looking across to Helvellyn with a corner of Brothers Water visible below. Blencathra is visible on the far right.
Strange light over Gray Crag from the start of the plateau as the sun was trying to break through the great sheet of cloud that hung over the fells.
Heading for the summit ridge.
Distant Blencathra.
The Knott above Hayeswater, the route of return.
Casper was not keen on the soft new snow today as it kept balling up on his fur, as he demonstrates here with his snowball beard!
Heading for Thornthwaite Crag from Gray Crag. The sky was amazing as the sun continue to try and burn through the cloud. It looked like sunrise even though it was 10.15 when this photo was taken.
Caudale Moor, the scene of yesterday's walk.
The view through Threshthwaite Mouth into Troutbeck.
What a slog it was to get this far in the deep, virgin snow (apart from the fox tracks in this photo that is. These tracks went all the way round to High Street so perhaps Fantastic Mr Fox was doing the same round as me!) but well worth it. It was a great day to be up here.
The Knott and High Street.
The view back along mine and Casper's tracks to Gray Crag.
Just beautiful on Thornthwaite Crag.
Ill Bell and Froswick.
Windermere from Thornthwaite Beacon.
The sun was starting to shine through now, here looking to the north-west where it is still lovely and clear.
Harter Fell and Kentmere Pike from the wall heading out to High Street.
Ill Bell and Froswick from further along the wall.
The route of return along the High Street ridge.
The Ill Bell ridge and Windermere from High Street Roman Road (well, I think I was on it - I couldn't make out any paths!).
High Street summit.
Looking over the eastern side of High Street to Rough Crag and Haweswater.
Harter Fell and Mardale Ill Bell over Blea Water.
Kidsty Pike and High Raise across Riggindale.
Heading for the Straits of Riggindale, the weather took a decided turn for the worse with an arctic blast blowing in from the west. Time to put another layer on here for me.
Not as bright now across Hayeswater to the eastern fells.
Looking back to High Street from the Straits of Riggindale.
Viewing the circuit just walked from The Knott.
Casper, weighed down with about 3 tons of snow now.
Rest Dodd and The Nab from The Knott.
A last gasp of sunshine on the descent towards Hayeswater.
Hayeswater is part frozen today.
Reflections and ice.
Heading back to Hartsop and the snow is blowing in from over St Sunday Crag and was heavy by the time I reached Hartsop.
Start point: Hartsop (NY 410 130)
Hartsop – Hartsop Dodd – Caudale Moor (Stony Cove Pike) – Threshthwaite Mouth – Gray Crag – Hartsop
Distance: 5.5 miles Total Ascent: 775 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Initially clear then cloud. 10oC.
I didn’t know what to expect today, I certainly didn’t expect any clear photos as it was raining so much! As I went over Kirkstone Pass, there was a certain amount of clarity around Hartsop, so that’s what I settled on. The clouds were hanging around in thick layers in the valleys but eventually it lifted to cover the tops and the highest part of the walk was completed in the mist.
Hartsop Dodd.
Clouds hanging on the side of Angletarn Pikes.
At the bottom of Hartsop Dodd, the steep ascent is straight up alongside the wall.
Lingy Crag above Hartsop village from the climb to Hartsop Dodd.
Looking over to Saint Sunday Crag across the low lying clouds.
Angletarn Pikes with Hartsop through the mist, bottom..
Looking over Brothers Water to Dovedale.
Dovedale.
A glimpse of Ullswater through the clouds in Patterdale.
Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes.
Looks like it is clearing out a bit over Patterdale now.
Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Fairfield.
Brothers Water and Hartsop above How with Saint Sunday Crag beyond.
Middle Dodd.
Dovedale.
Angus and Casper on Hartsop Dodd.
Looking back to Hartsop Dodd summit from the ridge walk to Caudale Moor....and that was it! It was up into the clouds onto Caudale Moor, remaining in them descending to Threshthwaite Mouth, up to Gray Crag and along the ridge.
Out of the clouds at last and over the steep descent of Gray Crag.
Hartsop.
The top of Hartsop Dodd in cloud now beyond this old barn.
Hayeswater Gill.
Looking back to Gray Crag.
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!
Blea Water from High Street
and looking along the Roman road to The Knott and Rest Dodd.
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.
The peat hags of the Martindale Deer Forest and 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.
Hayeswater from Satura Crag,
and Place Fell from the northern top of Angletarn Pikes.
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.
Brothers Water from the summit of Brock Crags. From Brock Crags, we followed the old wall straight down to Hayeswater Gill and picked up the grassy path between two walls which led us back to Hartsop.
Did we really climb straight up the face of that! - Gray Crag from the descent of Brock Crags.
Hard Knott Roman Fort – Hard Knott (25) – Hard Knott Pass
James on Hard Knott summit.
The Eskdale valley from Border End.
The next walk was 27th May 2003 as follows:
Hartsop – Hayeswater – The Knott (26) – Rampsgill Head (27) – High Raise (28) – Kidsty Pike (29) – High Street (30) – Thornthwaite Crag (31) – Gray Crag (32) – Hartsop