Great Calva

Height: 690 metres / 2264 feet Grid reference: NY 29089 31188 Category: The Northern Fells

The view from Great Calva along the deep geological trough that runs to the south

214 Wainwrights completed for the second time on Great Calva

Great Calva from Blencathra

Blencathra via Hall’s fell Ridge

Walked on 29/04/2009

Start point: Threlkeld (NY 318 256)

Threlkeld – Hall’s Fell Ridge – Blencathra – Mungrisdale Common – Great Calva – Skiddaw House – Blencathra Centre – Threlkeld

Distance: 10.7 miles Total Ascent: 1123 metres Time Taken: 5 hours

Weather: Sunny spells, cold on the tops. 12°C.

Blencathra was not even considered when I set out from home this morning but when I saw it I knew I had to climb it. I decided on Hall’s Fell Ridge as it must be a good 10 years since I have climbed this way, the bonus of it is that it climbs directly to the summit cairn. After that I just made it up as I went along and it turned out to be quite a pleasant walk although towards the end it looked as though I might get a soaking as the clouds thickened and hovered ominously overhead, but in the end I thankfully made it back dry.

Blencathra via Hall's Fell Ridge route map.

Early morning at Threlkeld heading for Hall's Fell. The summit of Blencathra is the point at the top of Hall's Fell Ridge.

Blencathra panoramic.

Crossing Gate Gill.

Doddick Fell from the climb.

The mist was constantly swirling around Hall's Fell then lifting giving some enticing glimpses of the way ahead.

Hall's Fell Ridge.

Further along.

There is some excellent scrambling sections along here and the Hall's Fell Ridge makes a great alternative to the more popular Sharp Edge.

Casper the scrambler.

Narrow Edge.

Looking back down the ridge.

From further up with Clough Head and Thirlmere in view.

The summit of Blencathra.

It looks like there is plenty of sunshine over on Mungrisdale Common, so that's where we'll go Casper!

Lonscale Fell along Roughten Gill.

It is all cloudy over on Skiddaw from the cairn on Mungrisdale Common.

It looks like there is plenty of sunshine on Great Calva now Casper, so that's where we'll head for next!

There was one small problem and that was how to cross the River Caldew - wade or jump? I used the tried and tested method of trying break the Olympic long jump record - which worked out rather well as I made it across with dry feet!

One of the circular sheepfolds of Skiddaw Forest, Lonscale Fell behind.

Wiley Gill and Knott from the foot of Great Calva.

The view from Great Calva along the deep geological trough that runs to the south.

Casper in the sun, Knott behind.

Skiddaw from the descent.

Skiddaw House and Lonscale Fell catch the sun.

Heading for Skiddaw House YHA.

Great Calva from Skiddaw House.

Lonscale Fell.

Leaden skies now looking back along the Glenderaterra Valley.

High Rigg and Tewet Tarn from the path to the Blencathra Centre on Blease Fell.

Bluebells at the Blencathra Centre.

Skiddaw

Walked on 28/01/2008

Start point: Peter House Farm (NY 249 323)

Peter House Farm – Dash Farm – White Hause (526) – Little Calva – Great Calva – Skiddaw house – Sale How (527) – Skiddaw – Hare Crag (528) – Whitewater Dash – Peter House Farm

Distance: 11.6 miles Total Ascent: 1100 metres Time Taken: 5 hours

Weather: Overcast with the odd sunny spell. 9°C

Well, at least it wasn’t raining today! It turned out to be quite a pleasant day, more than a bit breezy but there was some sunshine around but it was great to be back up on the high fells again with a few Birkett humps and bumps taken in for good measure.

Great Cockup in the morning sun with Brockle Crags prominent to the right with its distinctive white stones.

Following the Skiddaw House track to Dash Farm. The first objective today is White Hause, the grassy hump in the middle, to the left of and above Dash Farm.

Burn Tod and White Hause.

Little Calva with Dash Fall to the right.

Bassenthwaite lake from the top of White Hause.

Bakestall and Dead Crags from the same place.

White Hause gets some golden sunshine looking back from the climb to Little Calva.

Great Calva from Little Calva.

Bakestall from Little Calva.

Looking south along the geological fault line from Great Calva with Thirlmere glinting in the sun.

High Pike and Carrock Fell across Knott.

Skiddaw from Great Calva with Sale How to the left of the central cleft and Hare Crag to the right.

Hare Crag, the route of descent from Skiddaw.

Sale How with Skiddaw Little Man beyond - the route of ascent.

Crossing the infant River Caldew.

Little Calva and Great Calva from Skiddaw House.

Blencathra is clear of cloud now from the climb - or should that be slog - to Sale How.

Skiddaw, however, remains under cloud from the top of Sale How.

Blencathra over Sale How, Lonscale Fell to the right just before we enter the cloud layer.

A break in the cloud cover on the climb to Skiddaw summit with the sunrays over Derwent Water and Keswick through the low ceiling of cloud.

Newlands Valley.

It was wild on the top of Skiddaw with a cold, cold wind.

Descending through the clouds again towards Broad End. The wind was fierce here and made taking a photo difficult.

The sun is still out over to the east on Great Calva from Hare Crag.

Great Calva again from the descent.

Binsey from the path above Dash Falls.

The upper section of Dash Falls.

Dead Crags and Binsey along the Dash Valley from the falls.

A final view of Binsey.

Skiddaw Forest

Walked on 07/06/2007

Start point: Gale Road End (NY 281 253)

Gale Road – Lonscale Fell – Lonscale Pike – Jenkin Hill – Skiddaw Lesser Man – Skiddaw Little Man – Skiddaw – Bakestall – Birkett Edge – Whitewater Dash – Little Calva – Great Calva (514) – Skiddaw house – Lonscale Crags – Gale Road

Distance: 13 miles Total Ascent: 1190 metres Time Taken: 5 hours

Weather: Overcast, clearing. 20oC.

After the sunshine and blue skies of the last few days, the clouds were hanging ominously over Skiddaw when I set off for a circuit of Skiddaw Forest from Gale Road this morning. From Lonscale Fell onwards, I was in the clouds with Skiddaw being windswept and cold as it so often is. The main objective today was Great Calva as I completed my second recorded set of 214 Wainwright fells on it. I haven’t been actively pursuing that goal and it has taken me 3 years to get round them all again.

A cloud covered Skiddaw at the start of the walk, the blue sky looked promising though.

The Hawell monument and the path to Skiddaw. We weren't going this way though as we descended right to Whit Beck and then continued along the bridleway below Lonscale Fell.

Descending to Whit Beck.

Latrigg and Derwent Water from the steep climb to Lonscale Fell, just before disappearing into the clouds.

Casper at the summit of Lonscale Fell. Someone has been doing a bit of cairn building.

Sat in the bog cotton on Jenkin Hill.

A windswept Skiddaw summit.

Descending the north end of Skiddaw, the clouds fleetingly parted here looking to Lonscale Fell...

...and a glimpse of Bassenthwaite Lake.

Ullock Pike across Southerndale.

Descending to Bakestall.

The Back of Skiddaw from Bakestall.

The route from Bakestall - descend Birkett Edge then climbing steeply with the fence before heading to Little Calva then Great Calva.

The steep descent of Birkett Edge.

Dash Beck, above the main falls.

Looking back to Dead Crags on Bakestall from the steep climb to Little Calva.

Oops! A bit deeper than you though Casper?

214 Wainwrights completed for the second time on Great Calva.

The summit of Great Calva.

The south cairn of Great Calva looking down the fault line that should have a view to Windermere. Skiddaw House is to the right of the post, encircled by trees with Lonscale Fell beyond.