Start point: Strands Bridge (NY 249 135)
Strands Bridge – The Combe – Combe Door – Combe Head – Glaramara – Stonethwaite Fell – Rosthwaite Cam on Rosthwaite Fell – Bessyboot on Rosthwaite Fell – Big Stanger Gill – Stonethwaite – Strands Bridge
Distance: 6.4 miles Total Ascent: 815 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 07:30
Weather: Showers, strong wind on the tops. 14C
It wasn’t the best forecast to go for a walk in the wettest valley in the country but I thought I came away relatively unscathed today! Yes there were lots of showers but I enjoyed the route up, the scramble of Combe Gill. That is more than I can say for the route of descent…
Glaramara route map.
Falls on Combe Gill with distant Combe Head just peeping into view.
The path towards Combe Gill.
Daybreak over Borrowdale.
The divergence from the main path - left to Combe Gill, right to Thornythwaite Fell.
A good place for a geography lesson - moraines, drumlins and a hanging valley.
Combe Gill - the route is to the right of the ravine.
Panoramic of The Combe.
Walking The Combe.
Combe Gill.
The view back along to Borrowdale.
The ravine.
This section towards the top is the crux. Chucking it down now!
Looking back down from the top of Combe Gill.
Yes, up there!
Rosthwaite Fell and a view to distant Skiddaw and Derwent Water.
Combe Door.
High Raise and the Langdale Pikes from Combe Head.
Glaramara.
Looking along Borrowdale from Combe Head.
Glaramara from the cairn on Combe Head.
A bit wet and wild today.
The approach to Glaramara.
The 20' rock step. Dougal bounded up here today, Casper had to be given a little helping hand...he is getting on a bit now you know.
Glaramara summit in mist.
Passing Combe Door again.
Heading for Rosthwaite Fell.
Rosthwaite Cam and Dovenest Crag (called Stonethwaite Fell by Birkett).
Stonethwaite Fell summit to the left.
Fleetwith Pike from Stonethwaite Fell.
Fining a way to Rosthwaite Cam.
Rosthwaite Cam from the south. From the previous photo to this one, the rain was like stair rods and the wind so strong I could hardly stand up...
...but as if by magic the strong wind then blew it all away. This is a great view of High Stile and Fleetwith Pike from Rosthwaite Cam.
Bessyboot overlooking Tarn at Leaves.
Would you believe it? The sun came out as I was passing Tarn at Leaves.
Bessyboot, the summit of Rosthwaite Fell.
The strange array of rock spurs to the north west of Bessyboot summit.
The route crosses the ravine at this small cairn.
The descent to Stonethwaite is going to be a steep one.
Another 'fixed' path - absolutely unusable when it is wet like this and completely annoying. I had a heavy fall descending here when I was forced to use this horrible stone stairway. What is the point of making a path that cannot be used in the wet?
Big Stanger Gill.
Amen to that.
Stonethwaite.
Rosthwaite Fell from Stonethwaite.