Greenup Round

Walked on 06/01/2016

Start point: Stonethwaite (NY 262 137)

Stonethwaite – Great Crag – Low Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell – High Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell – Ullscarf – Greenup Edge – Low White Stones – High Raise – Sergeant’s Crag – Eagle Crag – Stonethwaite

Distance: 10.6 miles Total Ascent: 975 metres Time Taken: 6 hours Start Time: 08:30

Weather: Mist on top, at least it was dry! 7C

I wanted to do a decent walk today as it feels like ages since I have been on a long one. Much of this one is a trudge over boggy ground at the best of times but it seemed like hard work today with that and the navigation required in the mist proving a little tricky at times – I must be getting rusty! I managed to walk round in circles on Ullscarf and High Raise so I guess I’d better keep practicing…

Dawn over Eagle Crag.

Following the track from Stonethwaite.

The sun is still rising as I exit the woods at Lingy End.

I like the way the sun is shining through between Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag.

Looking into the far reaches of Borrowdale.

The view from the northern end of Great Crag, I think all today's round can be seen from here (which is more than could be said when I was actually on them!).

Base Brown and Brandreth.

Dock Tarn.

All is peaceful here.

Reflections.

Climbing the wall to High Crag.

Coldbarrow Fell and Ullscarf seem to be disappearing fast lads!

A fabulous glimpse into Langstrath from the climb.

Langstrath.

On Low Saddle looking to Watendlath Tarn and Derwent Water. Things turned distinctly colder here with a raw wind blowing and the mist constantly swirling. Time to layer up.

A hole in the sky looking from High to Low Saddle - and that was about it for views for a good while.

High Raise.

Suddenly back out of the flag descending towards Sergeant's Crag.

Sergeant's Crag ahead and it looks like it is sunny over Skiddaw.

On Sergeant's summit. I bumped into someone who recognised us, the first person I had seen all day.

Looking back to Sergeant's Crag from the wall corner on the way to Eagle Crag.

Big Douglas and Little Fletcher looking like they have had a thoroughly good time in the mud.

The Eagle of Stonethwaite.

Back into Greenup, Eagle Crag was descended on the south side today.

Heading back to Stonethwaite. On the way there were many scars in the hillside that showed the power of the water that has recently been flooding the area with some of the path washed away as well. Close to Stonethwaite we bumped into locals Gill and Trevor who also follow the site.

Ullscarf

Height: 726 metres / 2382 feet Grid reference: NY 29157 12172 Category: The Central Fells

Ullscarf summit, looking to High Raise

A wet and windy Ullscarf

Heading for Ullscarf

Greenup Round

Walked on 19/03/2012

Start point: Stonethwaite (NY 262 137)

Distance: 9.1 miles Total Ascent: 941 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 09:50

Weather: Some bright spells, cold wind. 10C

It started off brightly enough today but the clouds were soon rolling in and the wind was once again mighty cold. There was some fresh snow visible on High Crag showing just how cold it was and the going to Ullscarf from Dock Tarn was made that bit tougher by the boggy going underfoot.

Greenup route map.

Eagle Crag from Stonethwaite Bridge.

Looking back to Stonethwaite from the climb to Willygrass Gill.

Above the woods with a view to Grey Knotts and Fleetwith Pike, Honister lit up by the sunshine.

Greenup.

Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag, between them is High Raise with Pike o' Stickle just about in view to the right.

Skiddaw in the distance from the heathery walk to Great Crag.

Great Crag summit.

The route ahead - over Dock Tarn to Low Saddle, High Saddle and Ullscarf.

Down at Dock Tarn, Dougal and Casper camouflaged as rocks.

Looking across to Great Gable and High Stile from the climb of Coldbarrow Fell - this is a real boggy mess across here.

Bowfell at the head of Langstrath.

Water in a line - a puddle, Watendlath Tarn, Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake.

It was really quite a cold wind up here and the cloud was rolling in from the west over Bowfell and the Scafells, Sergeant's Crag and Eagle Crag in the foreground.

Blea Tarn below, from Low Saddle.

Looking the other way, to High Saddle and Ullscarf.

Low Saddle and Great Crag from High Saddle.

Ullscarf summit, looking to High Raise.

Fleetwith Pike and the High Stile ridge.

After a boggy trudge along Greenup Edge, High Raise seemed near enough so I decided to squeeze that in today as well. This view is from Low White Stones looking to Helvellyn and Fairfield.

Up on High Raise I bumped into three StridingEdge fans from Chorley who were walking from Langdale, it was good to have a chat up there today...and Dougal and Casper enjoyed their biccies and sarnies (given, not stolen I hasten to add!).

A touch of sunshine in Langstrath...we're not going that way today boys!

Sergeant's Crag ahead.

High Raise and Pike o' Stickle from Sergeant's Crag.

Dougal works out the route to get to Eagle Crag.

High Raise and Sergeant's from Eagle.

Dougal and Casper - complete with evidence of their bog trotting - on Eagle Crag.

A bit of sunshine down in Borrowdale now.

The steep descent by the wall.

A nice place for the dogs to swim.

Eagle Crag from Stonethwaite Beck.

Ullscarf

Walked on 24/07/2008

Start point: Dobgill (NY 316 140)

Dobgill – Harrop Tarn – Wythburn Fells – Wythburn Fell – Ullscarf – Standing Crag – Harrop Tarn – Dobgill

Distance: 5.5 miles Total Ascent: 573 metres Time Taken: 3 hours

Weather: Sunny and warm, becoming overcast with a stiff breeze on the tops. 23º.

Ullscarf wasn’t really on the agenda today but I ended up there as I wanted a walk that would be quiet and away from the crowds and also somewhere with a stretch of water so that I could have a swim if required on such a hot day. This walk fulfilled both of these requirements and this was a decent walk despite the weather closing in on the latter half.

The waterfall on Dob Gill, reduced to a trickle.

Harrop Tarn and Tarn Crags. The tarn is looking really shrunken after the dry weather, reduced to half its normal size I would say.

Tarn Crags.

Water Lilies.

Climbing to Wythburn Fells, the Beacon directly ahead.

Blencathra, the Dodds, Helvellyn and Thirlmere from the Beacon.

Casper on the Beacon.

Steel Fell across Wythburn.

The Beacon - a short section of dry stone wall - looking towards Thirlmere.

Blencathra and Clough Head from further along the ridge looking across the Beacon.

Steel Fell.

Looking back along the ridge from Wythburn Fell.

Steel Fell with Helm Crag in silhouette.

Heading for the plateau of Ullscarf.

Looking back towards the Helvellyn massif and Fairfield.

Once at the summit of Ullscarf, conditions started to change as the cloud started to gather over the high fells to the west, here looking towards Great Gable.

Casper in the grass on Ullscarf.

Just follow the yellow brick road off Ullscarf.

High Saddle and low Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell from Standing Crag.

The northerly aspect from Standing Crag. The route back to Dobgill is down to the fence below then head to the right half way along, descending to the forest.

Blea Tarn from Standing Crag.

Looking back to Standing Crag. The fence manages to go straight through this small tarn.

The descent to Thirlmere Forest.

Back to Harrop Tarn and the Foxgloves swaying in the now quite strong breeze.

'Are you coming in? The water's lovely.' How could I resist an offer like that? It was absolutely sweltering today, despite the breeze, and Harrop Tarn turned out to be a lovely place to cleanse my soul with a cooling dip in this little piece of heaven.

Greenup Horseshoe

Walked on 21/04/2008

Start point: Stonethwaite (NY 262 137)

Stonethwaite – High Crag – Low Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell – High Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell – Ullscarf – Greenup Edge – Low White Stones –High Raise – Sergeant’s Crag – Eagle Crag – Stonethwaite

Distance: 8.3 miles Total Ascent: 890 metres Time Taken: 4 hours

Weather: Overcast. 12oC.

It was yet again hazy and rather grey this morning for a walk around the Greenup skyline yet there were still some great views from these central fells. The route up to Ullscarf can only be recommended for the increasingly improving view on the way up but not the terrain which is rough, pathless and boggy. The descent from Eagle Crag though was better than the climb up I found – it’s a steep one, that!

Eagle Crag from Stonethwaite Bridge.

A hazy Eagle Crag from the path that is part of both the Cumbria Way and Coast to Coast routes.

Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag after the steep climb through the woods.

...and again from further up. I followed the skyline up to the left, which is Greenup Edge, to High Raise before descending Sergeant's Crag and Eagle Crag.

Climbing High Crag. Across the Borrowdale Valley are Dale Head and High Spy.

High Raise beyond Eagle Crag, Greenup to the left, Langstrath to the right.

A bit of sunshine on High Tove and High Seat.

Climbing Coldbarrow Fell with a view of Watendlath Tarn and Derwent Water.

Blea Tarn from Low Saddle, Armboth Fell beyond.

Low Saddle on Coldbarrow Fell.

Casper, the Lion King.

High Saddle on Coldbarrow Fell.

Bowfell, Esk Pike and the Scafells from the summit of Ullscarf, Great Gable a distant right.

Ullscarf.

Another all too brief glimpse of sunshine on the climb to Low White Stones looking over Greenup Edge to Ullscarf.

Heading for High Raise.

Snow topped Scafell Pike and Great End from High Raise.

Sunlight on Great Gable.

A southerly silhouette - the Coniston fells beyond the Langdale Pikes.

Great Gable over Glaramara.

Descending to Sergeant's Crag, left and Eagle Crag to the right.

High Raise from Sergeant's Crag. The lump on the far right is Pike o' Stickle.

Eagle Crag from Sergeant's Crag.

Hold on tight Casper! The summit of Eagle Crag.

Sergeant's Crag and Langstrath from the summit of Eagle Crag. At the head are Bowfell and Esk Pike.

Borrowdale from Eagle Crag.

Cascades on Langstrath Beck.

Lovely clear pools on Langstrath Beck. If it was 10 degrees warmer...

A final, still hazy view to Eagle Crag from Stonethwaite.

Ullscarf

Walked on 05/12/2006

Start point: Dobgill (NY 316 140)

Dobgill – Harrop Tarn – Wythburn Fells – Wythburn Fell – Ullscarf – Standing Crag – Harrop Tarn – Dobgill

Distance: 6.6 miles Total Ascent: 1087 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 15 minutes

Weather: Rain and hail with some sunny spells. 8oC.

I think we timed it to perfection for this wet walk up to Ullscarf, managing to miss the worst of the weather although we did encounter a particularly vicious hailstorm! All the becks were in spate due to the amount of water that has fallen from the skies and this area remained as boggy as usual. We even managed to see the sun today!

The waterfall on Dob Gill in full force.

Harrop Tarn in the rain.

The Wythburn Fells ridge with the Beacon on the first rise to the left.

Steel End and Steel Fell with Seat Sandal beyond.

The Helvellyn ridge across Thirlmere from the Beacon.

A heavy hailstorm after it passed over us (ouch!) with the sun closely following behind it.

Casper on Wythburn Fell.

Looking towards Ullscarf - blue sky!

Dollywagon Pike and Seat Sandal beyond Steel Fell.

Wythburn Fell catches the sunshine.

Wyth Burn below in spate looking to Calf Crag beyond.

Fairfield has come out of the clouds beyond Seat Sandal now.

So has the Helvellyn range on the climb to Ullscarf.

The Helvellyn ridge.

Steel Fell and Helm Crag with Grasmere visible.

Heading for Ullscarf.

Helvellyn.

Seat Sandal and Fairfield.

All clear...for now, that is.

A wet and windy Ullscarf.

Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake with a clear view of Skiddaw from the Ullscarf ridge.

Descending back to Thirlmere Forest.

Mosshause Gill.

Back to Harrop Tarn.

Ullscarf

Walked on 09/02/2005

Start point: Dobgill (NY 316 140)

Dobgill – Brown Rigg (285) – Blea Tarn Fell (286) – Standing Crag (287) – High Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell (288) – Low Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell (289) – Ullscarf (290) – Wythburn Fell (291) – Dobgill

Weather: Grey and overcast.

Today’s walk is a round of Ullscarf – a remote and mainly pathless area which is mainly grassland. The weather was brighter than could have been expected with the sun making the odd appearance and no rain; cloud was prevalent above 500m.

Elevation profile of the route. Key: BR=Brown Rigg, BTF=Blea Tarn Fell, SC=Standing Crag, HS=High Saddle, LS=Low Saddle, U=Ullscarf, WF=Wythburn Fell

3D image of the walk route.

From times past...an ancient walled lane leading from nowhere to nowhere, presumably in use prior to the creation of Thirlmere.

The head of Thirlmere.

The distinctive balancing stone which marks the summit of Brown Rigg.

High Tove from Blea Tarn Fell (un-named on the O.S map).

Blea Tarn. Misty summits...

Standing Crag.

High Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell.

Low Saddle of Coldbarrow Fell.

Ullscarf.

Thirlmere from Wythburn Fell.

Seat Sandal from 'Beacon', marked on the O.S map.

Harrop Tarn.

Waterfall on Dob Gill.

Grasmere Epic

Walked on 11/03/2004

Grasmere – Steel Fell (186) – Calf Crag – Greenup Edge – Ullscarf (187) – Long Crag – Sergeant’s Crag (188) – Eagle Crag (189) – Sergeant’s Crag – Low White Stones – High Raise – Thunacar Knott (190) – Sergeant Man – Blea Rigg (191) – Silver How (192) – Grasmere

A raw and bitterly cold day, icy wind on the tops with lots of snow.