Height: 739 metres / 2425 feet Grid reference: NY 43709 12682 Category: The Far Eastern Fells

High Street and Thornthwaite Crag from The Knott

The Knott from the descent of Rest Dodd
Height: 739 metres / 2425 feet Grid reference: NY 43709 12682 Category: The Far Eastern Fells
High Street and Thornthwaite Crag from The Knott
The Knott from the descent of Rest Dodd
Walked on
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.
Walked on
Start point: Martindale Old Church (NY 434 184)
Martindale Old Church – Beda Fell – Angletarn Pikes – Angle Tarn – Brock Crags – Satura Crag – Rest Dodd – The Knott – Rampsgill Head – Kidsty Pike – High Raise – Red Crag – Martindale Old Church
Distance: 10.6 miles Total Ascent: 1048 metres Time Taken: 5 hours 40 minutes
Weather: Long sunny spells. 13C.
Today I was joined by StridingEdge stalwarts Andy Lang and Gary Jones for a circuit of Martindale. The occasion was to take in my final two Wainwrights to complete my third time round them, namely Beda Fell and High Raise. After the early mist lifted, the sun shone making it a great end to the walk and of course to completion of the 642!
As we climb higher the mist completely circles Hallin Fell, here with Winter Crag in the foreground.
Bannerdale just before the mist started pouring over the tops from the south and obliterated everything for a while.
Angle Tarn in sunshine but Angletarn Pikes in mist again, showing how quickly conditions were changing.
Walked on
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.
Looking back to Hartsop from the path to Hayeswater, St Sunday Crag beyond the Hartsop above How ridge.
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.
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.
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 sun was starting to shine through now, here looking to the north-west where it is still lovely and clear.
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!).
Walked on
Start point: Hartsop (NY 410 130)
Hartsop – Brock Crags – Satura Crag – The Nab – Rest Dodd – The Knott – Hayeswater – Hartsop
Distance: 8.9 miles Total Ascent: 1178 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Overcast with some sunny spells. 9ºC.
It was a bit of an unplanned walk today; I didn’t really know where I was going until I got there and I only ended up at Hartsop due to roadworks at Troutbeck ‘forcing’ me over Kirkstone Pass rather than sitting in a lengthy queue. As it turned out, I was glad I went over that way as there were some decent sunny spells and still a bit of lingering snow even though it was quite warm – all in all a rather pleasant days walking.
Walked on
Start point: Hartsop (NY 410 130)
Hartsop – Brock Crags – Satura Crag – The Nab – Rest Dodd – The Knott – Hayeswater – Hartsop
Distance: 8.9 miles Total Ascent: 1178 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 35 minutes
Weather: Overcast, turning to rain. 6oC.
I thought we might be up in the snow today, but that has all gone apart from a smattering on the highest fells; today it was cold but the precipitation was rain. The day started off promising enough but soon ended up being a bit miserable. We managed to catch sight of a distant herd of Red Deer in Martindale Deer Forest which was a nice sight, but I don’t think Angus and Casper were too bothered.
Gray Crag with Hayeswater now in view. Above Hayeswater is High Street. At the bottom of the photo is the filter house which marks the start of the zigzags to Brock Crags.
Brothers Water and the Hartsop above How ridge from Brock Crags. Behind with a sprinkling of snow is Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Fairfield.
Gray Crag again - this time the cloud was pouring over Threshwaite Mouth; this spelled the beginning of the end for the fine weather.
The Nab, the many loathsome peat hags evident. Beyond is Loadpot Hill with the merest glimpse of Ullswater.
Heading for the summit of The Nab. This is the preferred route walkers are now asked to follow - out and back along the ridge.
Having a rest on The Nab - where are all the deer? The greying skies over Rest Dodd show the weather worsening and it was now raining. The steep climb up to Rest Dodd and then over to The Knott was done in rain and mist - so no photos of that section! When we reached the wall that can be seen above Casper's head, we caught a glimpse of the Red Deer herd down below in Ramps Gill.
Walked on
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!
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.
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.
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.
Walked on
Hartsop – Hayeswater – The Knott – Rest Dodd (144) – The Nab (145) – Satura Crag – Angletarn Pikes (146) – Brock Crags (147) – Hartsop
Walked on
Hard Knott Roman Fort – Hard Knott (25) – Hard Knott Pass
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