Height: 628 metres / 2060 feet Grid reference: NY 45428 11244
Haweswater from the Rough Crag ridge
Blea Water from Rough Crag
Rough Crag (Riggindale)
Riggindale Round
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.
Calm reflections on Haweswater.
Harter Fell.
Haweswater from the Rough Crag ridge.
Harter Fell from higher up.
Small Water is nestling somewhere in the combe to the left and Mardale Ill Bell.
Fabulous views today.
A glimpse of Small Water.
Blea Water from Rough Crag.
One mucky pup!
Long Stile, the climb to High Street.
Blea Water.
Long Stile over Caspel Gate.
Caspel Gate Tarn.
There were some lovely sunny spells and it was quite warm when the sun was out.
Looking down Long Stile.
On High Street though it was suddenly cloud covered and felt a lot cooler.
High Street summit looking to Helvellyn.
Hayeswater.
Looking back to High Street.
The Knott.
The Knott summit cairn.
Rest Dodd and The Nab with Ullswater catching the sun in the distance.
High Street and Thornthwaite Crag from Rampsgill Head.
Ramps Gill from Ramspgill Head.
High Street from Kidsty Pike.
High Raise.
Low Raise...back in the sunshine!
Haweswater from the south-east ridge.
Descending the south-east ridge. If you find a lens cap along here it could well be mine!
The British Fort on the south-east ridge with Haweswater beyond.
The view from The British Fort.
Riggindale.
On the way home, the head of Haweswater. Select on the image to see a larger version. This photo will be available as a premium canvas print, e-mail me if you are interested for sizes etc.
Mardale Round
Start point: Mardale Head (NY 469 127)
Mardale Head – Hollow Stone – Branstree north ridge – Artlecrag Pike – Branstree – Gatescarth Pass – Little Harter Fell – Harter Fell (Mardale) – Nan Bield Pass – Mardale Ill Bell – High Street – Rough Crag (Riggindale) – Mardale Head
Distance: 8.2 miles Total Ascent: 960 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Sunny and bright, becoming cloudy. 10oC.
It was sunny and bright first thing this morning with hardly a cloud in the sky – fantastic conditions for a walk around Mardale Head. Once up to High Street, the clouds came in and made it all a bit flat and I felt in hindsight it might have been better walking anti-clockwise…but then again, who knows? You never can tell what the weather will do.
It's a lovely morning with sun shining at the head of Mardale.
The route from the road up to the north ridge of Branstree is certainly initially steep and direct. There is a great view over Haweswater into Riggindale, the rock in the foreground being the Hollow Stone.
Kidsty Pike above Riggindale.
The head of Riggindale.
Kidsty Pike and Kidsty Howes.
High Street with a touch of snow on top from the old sheepfold.
Selside Pike from the north ridge.
Looking north east from Artlecrag Pike.
The view to the west from the same place.
The summit of Branstree with a hot air balloon over Harter Fell.
Harter Fell from the descent of Branstree. The path used in ascent across Gatescarth Pass can be seen starting from the mid-left.
Looking back to Branstree.
The path to Harter Fell.
Casper Wainwright (see Harter Fell 10, The Far Eastern Fells below). The benchmark in the Wainwright self-portrait can be seen on the rock in the photo. All you need now is a pipe Casper!
High Street and Small Water from Harter Fell.
The summit of Harter Fell.
Mardale Ill Bell and High Street.
Descending to Nan Bield Pass.
Yoke, Ill Bell and Froswick above Kentmere Reservoir.
Harter Fell from Nan Bield pass.
Looking back to Harter fell from the climb to Mardale Ill Bell.
Small Water and Haweswater.
High Street from Mardale Ill Bell.
Casper on Mardale Ill Bell.
Once on High Street, it started to cloud over. This view is to the western fells with the Scafells and Great Gable in the distance and Helvellyn mid distance on the right. That's an icy looking puddle!
Helvellyn from High Street.
The wall on High Street.
The flat top of Harter Fell from High Street.
Long Stile and Rough Crag, the route of descent.
Blea Water from the snowy eastern edge of High Street.
Long Stile.
It has completely clouded over now looking back to High Street and Long Stile over Caspel Gate Tarn from Caspel Gate.
High Street from Rough Crag.
Colourful trees on The Rigg looking along Haweswater.
Haweswater.
Autumn on The Rigg.
Orange grass crossing Mardale Beck.
Riggindale Round
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.
The ridge route for today's walk over Rough Crag and up to High Street, here seen over Haweswater.
Harter Fell at the head of Mardale.
Mardale Ill Bell.
Mardale Beck in spate, as were all the watercourses in the area due to recent heavy rain.
Harter Fell from The Rigg.
Looking across Haweswater to Lady's Seat and Castle Crag, the route used in descent from Low Raise later.
Riggindale and the Mardale skyline.
Haweswater from the steep climb to Rough Crag.
Mardale Waters from the Rough Crag ridge - Small Water is in the cirque to the left, Blea Water in the one to the right.
Some warm Autumn sunshine on Rough Crag for Casper and Angus.
Blea Water, High Street above.
Looking across Riggindale to Kidsty Pike.
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.
Long Stile leading to High Street over Caspel Gate.
Looking back to Rough Crag, Branstree in view over the tarn.
Rough Crag from Long Stile.
A sparkling Blea Water, Harter Fell beyond.
Looking along Riggindale to Mardale.
The summit of High Street, deserted today.
Looking south-west to the Coniston fells in the distance, Red Screes and the Fairfield group in the middle distance.
A closer shot of Fairfield. Great Gable and the Scafell range are in the left distance.
The shadows of the three amigos looking to Hayeswater.
...and the uncluttered version.
Walking along the Roman Road to the Straits of Riggindale.
Kidsty Pike from Twopenny Crag.
Ramps Gill from Rampsgill Head, The Nab to the left.
The eastern fells from Rampsgill Head.
We could hear the bellowing of the stags in Martindale Deer Forest below - they certainly caught the attention of Angus.
Where Eagles Dare - Angus on Kidsty Pike, well known perch of the Golden Eagles.
Looking across to the Helvellyn massif from the path to High Raise.
Fairfield from High Raise, Great Gable on the distant right.
Helvellyn from High Raise. Striding Edge is the ridge in the centre with Swirral Edge and Catstycam to the right.
The rock littered summit of High Raise.
The tumulus and cairn on Low Raise.
Haweswater from Lady's Seat and the magnificently situated ancient British fort atop Castle Crag in the foreground.
Whelter Bottom from Castle Crag.
Haweswater from the ruins of the fort.
Still lots of sunshine for the boys to soak up.
Crossing Randale Beck.
Mardale Skyline
Start point: Mardale Head (NY 469 127)
Mardale Head – Gatescarth Pass – Adam Seat (1) – Little Harter Fell (2) – Harter Fell (Mardale) (3) – Nan Bield Pass – Mardale Ill Bell (4) – High Street (5) – Rough Crag (Riggindale) (6) – Rampsgill Head (7) – Kidsty Pike (8) – Mardale Head
Weather: Sunny with snow and hail showers.
This is the start of my quest to climb the 541 Birkett Fells!
Haweswater from Mardale Head...
and Gatescarth Beck.
The Boundary Stone at the summit of Adam Seat, 'L' on one side
'H' on the other (Longsleddale and Haweswater).
Haweswater from the summit of Little Harter Fell. (Compare AW The Far Eastern Fells - Harter Fell 10).
Harter Fell summit in a snow shower.
Kentmere
A rainbow over Small Water ('the finest of Lakeland's tarns), from the descent to Nan Bield Pass.
Mardale Ill Bell summit with Yoke, Froswick and Ill bell in the background.
Two views of High Street summit.
Rough Crag and Haweswater from High Street. The area around the small tarn is called Caspel Gate.
Harter Fell and the Nan Bield Pass from Rough Crag summit, Small Water is just visible.
Hayeswater and the distant Patterdale Fells from the Roman Road.
The mist swirls across High Street on the walk to Rampsgill Head.
Looking North from Rampsgill Head's summit. The Nab is to the left with Hallin Fell in the centre adjoining Steel Knotts. Ullswater is just visible right of centre.
High Street from Kidsty Pike summit.
The sun shines on Riggindale and Rough Crag.
A long meander of Riggindale Beck...
and the ruins of Riggindale Farm.
The Mardale Skyline.