High Pike

Walked on 05/01/2017

Start point: Stone Ends (NY 354 338)

Stone Ends – Rake Trod – Carrock Fell – Round Knott – Miton Hill – High Pike – West Fell – Carrock Beck – Stone Ends

Distance: 6 miles Total Ascent: 530 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 50 minutes Start Time: 08:50

Weather: Cold but exceptionally clear. 2°C

‘Caldbeck fells are worth all England else’ so the saying goes…and they certainly were today. What a fabulous morning in the Lake District, I could have walked forever in those conditions if only I had the time. The wind was certainly bracing at times but the going was easy across iced over bogginess that is the usual terrain across here.

Early morning on the Caldbeck road looking to Great Mell Fell.

Carrick Fell with Rake Trod, today's route of ascent, clearly picked out by the low sun.

Climbing Rake Trod.

...and looking back down. It is going to be a great day on the fells.

Wainwright's "rowan on crag".

The summit of Carrock Fell where there are fabulous, clear views today but with a biting wind.

The back o' Skidda'.

How cold is it boys?

Carrick Fell from Round Knott.

Heading for High Pike.

Looking back to Carrock Fell.

The view from Drygill Head.

Beautiful on High Pike.

High Pike summit - O.S column, shelter and seat.

This looks comfortable!

Looking across the Solway Firth to Criffel.

The ruins of a cottage (a room with a view!) from the site of the beacon.

The view from Driggeth Mines, I descended along West Fell to the left.

Looking back to High Pike.

Howthwaite Stone.

High Pike

Walked on 25/02/2011

Start point: Stone Ends (NY 354 338)

Stone Ends – Rake Trod – Carrock Fell – Round Knott – Miton Hill – High Pike – West Fell – Carrock Beck – Stone Ends

Distance: 6 miles Total Ascent: 530 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 50 minutes Start Time: 11:40

Weather: Clearing, windy. 11°C

Today I was joined by Robin for a walk up to Carrock Fell and High Pike and the weather wasn’t looking too clever early on this morning when it was absolutely bucketing down with rain. We held off the start for a little while and found the best of the weather anywhere in the Lakes I think for this good, if squelchy, round of the Caldbeck Fells.

Carrock Fell at the start of the walk - Rake Trod can be seen running diagonally right to left above Casper.

At the foot of Rake Trod.

...and looking back down.

'Rowan on crag'.

Climbing the gully from Rake Trod.

Living on the edge.

'A well made cairn...' looking towards a clearing Great Mell Fell.

Drama in the sky over Souther Fell.

At the top of the Further Gill Sike gully.

Ancient sheepfold on Carrock Fell.

Skiddaw and the valley of the Caldew from Carrock Fell.

High Pike from the west gate, Carrock Hill Fort.

Casper and Dougal, windswept on Carrock Fell summit.

Skiddaw and the remains of the old British Hill Fort.

Boggy on Round Knott.

Carrock Fell and Round Knott to the right from Miton Hill.

Onwards to High Pike from Miton Fell summit cairn.

The path to High Pike.

Carrock Fell and Dry Gill.

The summit of High Pike, Bowscale Tarn is visible to the distant right.

Room for one Beardie on this sofa on High Pike.

Bowscale Fell and Blencathra under cloud.

It was really windy up here now and the cloud was coming across. This stony area is the site of the beacon, reserved for special occasions and beyond are the ruins of a shepherd's cottage.

Carrock Beck and Carrock Fell, to the left is the route of return over West Fell.

Carrock Fell from the mega cairn on West Fell.

Back down on the Driggeth Mine track.

Blue sky and sunshine on the return leg, here at Apronful of Stones.

High Pike

Walked on 21/11/2008

Start point: Stone Ends (NY 354 338)

Stone Ends – Rake Trod – Carrock Fell – Round Knott – Miton Hill – High Pike – West Fell – Carrock Beck – Stone Ends

Distance: 6 miles Total Ascent: 530 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Frequent snow showers and an icy cold wind. 5oC.

It started off bright enough this morning but once on Rake Trod, the wind really picked up and almost immediately it started snowing. The arctic conditions were predicted this weekend but it came as a shock to the system nevertheless. I normally run warm when I am out but I was chilled to the bone today, so I wonder what the wind chill factor was?

The start of the walk near Stone Ends passing Carrock End Mine.

Climbing Rake Trod.

Looking back down Rake Trod, Carrock End mine is to the right near the cars.

Up onto the summit ridge and the snow showers were coming in thick and fast now, here looking to Bowscale Fell.

Heading for the summit of Carrock Fell.

High Pike from Carrock Fell.

Casper models the windswept look. That wind was absolutely arctic, pity there isn't 'freeze-o-vision' to let you feel it...

.the Fell Assassin on Carrock Fell! That's a windstopper fleece below a soft shell with a polartec buff under a LA mountain hat - nice photo Casper!

Looking into the Caldew Valley from Carrock Fell, Little Man, Skiddaw and Great Calva at the head. The wall in the foreground is part of the ruins of the ancient British hill fort that once topped this fell.

Knott to the left, High Pike to the right.

Bowscale Fell and Blencathra.

Bowscale Tarn below Bowscale Fell, Blencathra beyond with a fresh dusting of snow from Round Knott.

Sharp Edge is visible on the left in the close up.

The view from Round Knott.

The panorama to the west from the path to High Pike.

Looking back to Carrock Fell from Miton Hill, the cairn on Round Knott to the right.

Golden sunshine on the way to High Pike.

The summit of High Pike.

Casper makes himself comfortable.

It is a bit clearer to the north with a view across the Solway Firth to Criffel.

The route of descent is down West Fell.

The eastern face of High Pike - Dry Gill to the left, Red Covercloth centre and Driggeth Beck to the right. There is evidence of lots of mining activity around here.

High Pike from West Fell.

Sunny Bank.

Crossing Carrock Beck.

Carrock Beck. What better way to finish off a walk to High Pike...

Hesket Newmarket lies to the north west of High Pike and Hesket Newmarket Brewery is owned by a co-operative of villagers including Sir Chris Bonington. It is available at a fantastic shop in Bowness!

Back O’ Skiddaw

Walked on 13/07/2005

Start point: Bowscale (NY 358 317)

Bowscale – Bowscale Tarn – East Top on Bowscale Fell (387) – Bowscale Fell (388) – The Tongue (389) – Bannerdale Crags (390) – Blencathra – Mungrisdale Common – Cloven Stone – Lonscale Pike (391) – Lonscale Fell (392) – Jenkin Hill (393) – Skiddaw Lesser Man (394) – Skiddaw Little Man (395) – Skiddaw – Bakestall – Whitewater Dash – Little Calva (396) – Knott – Coomb Height (397) – Little Lingy Hill (398) – Great Lingy Hill (399) – Hare Stones (400) – High Pike (401) – Miton Hill (402) – Round Knott (403) – Carrock Fell (404) – Mungrisdale – Bowscale

Distance: 25.8 miles Total Ascent: 2447 metres Time Taken: 10 hours 50 minutes

Weather: Sunny and warm with a slight breeze. 25°C.

Today’s walk was a long circuit of the quiet fells known as ‘The Back o’ Skiddaw’. The weather was very pleasant, not as hot and muggy as it has been recently with a slight, welcome, cooling breeze. The views were absolutely superb at times and I was glad I chose today to do this long walk. The only problem was I forgot my food and 26 miles is a long way without any fuel…

Back O' Skiddaw route map.

Early morning light on Carrock Fell. This was to be the last fell of the walk, some 11 long hours later.

Looking along the Mosedale valley.

Bowscale Tarn, keeper of two immortal fish so legend has it and mentioned by Wordsworth in his poem 'Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle', 1807. '...And both the undying fish that swim, Through Bowscale Tarn did wait on him, The pair were servants of his eye, In their immortality, They moved about in open sight, To and fro, for his delight...'

Strange light and a band of thick low lying cloud to the south from Bowscale Fell's subsidiary east top.

The north western fells seen between Blencathra and Skiddaw.

Blencathra from Bannerdale Crags.

Skiddaw across the summit tarn on Blencathra.

The summit of Blencathra.

Skiddaw from that most derided of Wainwright fells (for not being a true summit), Mungrisdale Common.

Lonscale Fell from Mungrisdale Common. It was a sharp drop off from Blencathra down to Mungrisdale Common then an incredibly steep pull to get back up onto Lonscale Fell via Burnt Horse.

Great Calva from the climb to Lonscale Fell.

The view from Lonscale Pike, the east peak of Lonscale Fell. In the centre is High Rigg with Tewet Tarn visible and Thirlmere behind.

Skiddaw Lesser Man. Little Man and Skiddaw from Jenkin Hill.

There were superb, breath taking views from the climb up to Skiddaw.

The north-western fells from Skiddaw.

Bassenthwaite Lake and Sale Fell from Skiddaw. Not as cold as the last time we were here.

The view reached as far as Scotland over the Solway Firth to Criffel.

Binsey along the Dash Valley. To reach this point was another steep drop off from Bakestall down Birkett Edge and then a hard climb following the fence up to Little Lingy Fell.

The path to Knott.

A quick rest on Coomb Height, Carrock Fell in the background.

High Pike had a welcoming seat...

Evening light and the cloud begins to form on Skiddaw, seen from Round Knott.