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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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Back to the Lakes at last although still nibbling around the margins, although this particular margin is one of my favourite areas
Already quite warm as Rob and I pull up to the parking area near Ulpha Bridge and after booting up we make our way up the track past Birks farm and along the valley. Caw is the prominent peak ahead.
Looking back along the track to The Pike and in the distance beyond, Plough Fell and the Buckbarrow group.
An idyllic bathing spot in the Duddon.
Kiln Bank stepping stones.
Looking downstream from the steps.
I think that possibly the path could be this way.
I was telling Robert about the avenue of Poplars ( with him working with forestry ) and wondering how much they would have changed since April, Beefy, David and I had come this way in 2015.
And they have progressed. We did bump into the man who planted them and had a good blather about the recent strange times.
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Although the route we took isn't the most walked route in the Lakes we did notice that a lot of the paths had become overgrown with the lack of use. This is the quarry track through Low Wood.
View from Low Wood quarry with Caw on the right leading on to White Pike, Buck Pike, Dow Crag and on the left Grey Friar.
Climbing over the hill towards Grimecrag with Whitfell neatly bracketed by The Pike on the left and Hesk Fell.
On to the Birker Fell road heading for Woodend. Scafell and the Pike behind Great Crag.
From Woodend we headed across the pathless hillside in the direction of Woodend Height and Yoadcastle. It was incredibly warm and uncomfortably close now and the climb was hard work. Devoke Water below.
Our lunch stop had a great view over Woodend to the full range of the high fells from Kirk Fell then Great Gable peeping out then Scafell and the Pike and then Ill Crag, Esk Pike, Bowfell and finally Crinkle Crags.
Onward up towards Woodend Height. We contoured left here to meet the main path which runs from the Corney Fell road to Devoke Water
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We were both suffering in the heat so a unanimous vote was taken not to summit Whitfell but to risk the bogs of Storthes.
This is looking down to Storthes. Although there has been a little rain recently we hoped the bogs wouldn't be too bad.
There were a couple of juicy sections but we found a way around them. This is the view back to the main ridge.
Whitfell from the climb by the fence to Bigertmire Pasture.
The Pike again from the descent to Hole House. It's gone very dark over Stickle Pike but the clouds didn't bring any rain.
On to the road down to Ulpha now. This gang of reprobates eyed us up and followed us down through a few fields. We were glad they were on the other side of the wall.
On the last leg back to Ulpha with Grey Friar catching the sun. I realised we hadn't reached any named summits but the heat had made us both very weary. When we got back to the bridge it was like Blackpool promenade with lots of people picnicking and bathing in the river.