Height: 338 metres / 1109 feet Grid reference: NY 24489 20568

The path to Catbells from Skelgill Bank
Height: 338 metres / 1109 feet Grid reference: NY 24489 20568
The path to Catbells from Skelgill Bank
Walked on
Start point: Hawes End (NY 247 212)
Hawes End – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Hause Gate – Allerdale Ramble – Hawes End
Distance: 3.7 miles Total Ascent: 451 metres Time Taken: 1 hour 30 minutes Start Time: 10:00
Weather: Cold and clear. 2oC
What a beautiful day for a short walk up to Catbells, I would love to have continued and done the Newlands Round today but any walk is better than none. There were views for miles today which was accompanied by a sometimes bracing wind.
Walked on
Start point: Hawes End (NY 247 212)
Hawes End – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Hause Gate – Allerdale Ramble – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Skelgill Bank – Hawes End
Distance: 4.3 miles Total Ascent: 695 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 08:30
Weather: Snow showers. 0ºC
There was a lot of snow around when I set of on the climb to Catbells this morning. My original intention had been to do the full Newlands Round but things didn’t quite turn out as expected and shows that you don’t necessarily have to get to the highest fells to get the views. It turned out to be a bit of an odd walk really, read on to see what happened…
Up on the summit of Catbells and central in the photo is a Sun Dog, caused by the sun shining on ice crystals.
Which way Dad? Well, not that way as all views were completely obliterated in the heavy snow as we descended to Hause Gate - in fact it was a complete white-out. It seemed pointless carrying on and I did wonder about getting back home once I reached the car as well so I decided to call it a day and walk back along the bottom of Catbells.
Walking along the path - what is that I can see up there? Hmm, blue sky. By amazing powers of deduction I worked out that there would be a nice inversion if I made it back up on high. Sooo...back up we go!
Actually it was quite quick moving that inversion, normally it is really still and they can sit for hours but this was rising and moving eastwards.
Walked on
Start point: Hawes End (NY 247 212)
Hawes End – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Maiden Moor – High Spy – Dale Head – Hindscarth – High Crags – Red Knott –Scope End – Little Town – Skelgill – Hawes End
Distance: 10 miles Total Ascent: 1066 metres Time Taken: 5 hours Start Time: 07:00
Weather: Sunny and clear. 10C
The weather turned out much better than I expected today. Driving through the Lake District early the early morning fog, I knew this was inversion weather – Coniston, Windermere, the Vale of Grasmere, St John’s in the Vale and the Vale of Keswick were all covered by a thick carpet of mist but I only made up my mind where to walk at the very last minute. It was a good decision too I think as the mist lifted as the sun rose and covered many of the fell tops. I never saw another soul today!
Walked on
Start point: Hawes End (NY 247 212)
Hawes End – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Maiden Moor – High Spy – Dale Head – Hindscarth – High Crags – Red Knott – Scope End – Little Town – Skelgill – Hawes End
Distance: 10 miles Total Ascent: 1066 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Cold, clear at first but later in mist. 5°C
I could not believe the difference between the south Lakes and the north today. Travelling over Dunmail Raise is was as if I was transported from the dull and dreary south to the bright and frosty north on a different day. The day promised much when I set off for Catbells from Hause End but a lot of the high fells ended up being covered in cloud after the sun rose. The views from Catbells, though, made getting out of bed that bit earlier today well worth it.
The sunrise at the start of the walk from Hawes End. Derwent Water is covered in mist and the rising sun looks great on a cloud topped Skiddaw.
The mist is already starting to lift and showing some cloud reflections. Blencathra is cloud covered in the left distance.
Heading for Maiden Moor across Hause Gate. Look at the cloud starting to drift across Maiden Moor - by the time I reached it, it came across with a (cold) vengeance.
Hindscarth and Robinson from the summit of Maiden Moor. This view makes it look better than it really was as the cloud only parted briefly.
Walked on
Start point: Chapel Bridge, Little Town (NY 232 194)
Little Town – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Maiden Moor – High Spy on Scawdel Fell – Dale Head – Hindscarth – High Crags – Red Knott – Scope End – Little Town
Distance: 9.3 miles Total Ascent: 1000 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 40 minutes
Weather: Wind and rain. 12oC.
Today I met up with Andy Lang for an early start to complete a circuit of Dale Head. After looking a bit grim at the start of the walk, it did seem as though it was going to brighten up before the weather took a turn for the worse during the climb to Maiden Moor. From there, across High Spy, Dale Head and Hindscarth, the weather was pretty horrendous with very strong wind and rain and of course, views (and photos) were non-existent on this portion of the walk. Miraculously, at the end of the walk the sun shone and, at valley level at least, all was calm.
The view from Little Town - Hindscarth and Scope End to the left with the path to be used in descent clearly visible through the bracken. To the right is Robinson.
A steep, steep climb took us directly to Skelgill Bank, a subsidiary summit of Cat Bells with a view of Derwent Water and Keswick with Skiddaw and Blencathra under apparently lifting cloud.
Casper on the summit. I reckoned Cat Bells to be the only fell I hadn't been on the top on my own previously, but I made that one today too.
A final view of Cat Bells before the weather really came in behind us. Even in this shot, the wind was very strong and with it came lashings of rain. We were absolutely sodden and even had a 'what on earth are we doing here?' moment on High Spy (although we did think it was preferable to many other things we could have been doing!). It didn't look like the weather would improve at all for the rest of the walk...
...but, descending from Hindscarth the light suddenly improved as we came through the cloud layer. In this photo, the wind was whipping across the ridge from left to right and made walking difficult, along with the treacherous wet and slippery rocks.
Walked on
Start point: Keswick Landing Stages (NY 264 227)
Keswick Landing Stages – Hawes End – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Hause Gate – Brandelhow Bay – Keswick Landing Stages
Distance: 2.5 miles Total Ascent: 450 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Sunny and warm becoming increasingly hazy. 18oC.
‘Better a volunteer than a pressed girl’! This was a walk Connie requested that we repeat after enjoying it a couple of years ago. Catching the launch from Keswick and returning on it after the walk extends the appeal of this one, as does searching for Mrs Tiggywinkle’s house, buried somewhere in the side of Cat Bells according to Beatrix Potter! Today we were joined by Nick, Maya and Busta and the weather really was lovely with only the haze to spoil the view. It looked like hundreds of other people had the same idea as us too with a constant stream ascending the fell in the sunshine.
Maya and Connie are off on the path whilst Casper stays to enjoy the view over to Hindscarth and Robinson. Little Town below also caused some excitement between the girls - the home of Lucie in the Tale of Mrs Tiggywinkle!
We made it! Connie and Maya happy on the summit of Cat Bells. Connie is showing 'All she wants for Christmas...'!
Angus and Casper on the summit of Cat Bells; we were alone for almost 10 seconds for this photo! This was thirsty work in the heat and there are no streams or tarns to get a drink on this climb!
Walked on
Start point: Keswick Landing Stages (NY 264 227)
Keswick Landing Stages – Hawes End – Skelgill Bank – Catbells – Hause Gate – Brandelhow Bay – Keswick Landing Stages
Distance: 2.5 miles Total Ascent: 450 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Long sunny spells. 21°C.
Today we had a walk up to Cat Bells (the setting for Beatrix Potter’s ‘The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle’, Connie’s favourite – of course!), getting there and back using the Derwent Water launch from Keswick. It was a warm day and Connie did brilliantly completing this climb, her hardest yet I think and she absolutely loved it on the launch.
Walked on
Start point: Car Park at Hawse End (NY 248 212)
Hawes End – Skelgill Bank (183) – Catbells (184) – Maiden Moor (185) – High Spy on Scawdel Fell (186) – Dale Head (187) – Hindscarth (188) – High Crags (189) – Red Knott (190) – Scope End (191) – Hawes End
Weather: Windy, grey and damp – some sunshine towards the end.
A beautiful round of the Newlands Valley today, taking in the ever popular Cat Bells and the high point of Dale Head. There are lovely views all round on this horseshoe, the descent from Hindscarth being particularly appealing.
The visible path follows the ridge from Hindscarth to Scope End. Adjacent is High Snab Bank with a view of the Derwent Fells. See below for an annotated version of this photo.
Sunlight on Robinson from High Crags. In the distance is Wandope - Eel Crag (Grasmoor behind) - Sail, in the centre distance is the Knott Rigg - Ard Crags ridge.