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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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E-mail - karl@karlswalks.co.uk |
Another walk starting from Hallthwaites this week. I seem to have been coming over this way quite frequently this year but all the weather sites were saying the better weather would be in the south west of the national park and also I wanted to climb up to the Black/White Combe massif by the only way that I hadn't done. I really only had Saturday afternoon free and rain was forecast to arrive early on Sunday morning so I had a short walk but Saturday evening was very pleasant and I slept well on a really comfortable pitch.
My first decision of the day was "do I walk past these cows" which are resting on the footpath? The answer was no, I went into the field on the left. I could see a gate at the other end of the field which would let me get back on the right track.
I remember this pleasant little dell from last time I came this way and this time I remembered to take a photo.
Looking back over the Duddon estuary from near the top of Baystone Bank.
And from the top of the bank I can see the hills I'm heading for. My way is up the "cleft" in the hillside on the left but I'm taking a bit of a roundabout way to get there.
I'm on my way to Baystone Bank campsite. The path actually comes down by the farmhouse you can just see ahead but there was a clear path ( on the ground not the map) which took a more gentle looping way down the steep slope. Knott Hill is hiding behind the trees.
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After walking through the campsite I came to this very difficult to cross forest of bracken. Emily and I came back this way without any problem in April of 2025 but I couldn't find any trace of our path. I'm definitely not coming this way again in the summer!
And after a tough fight in which I came a distant second to an army of brambles and nettles I made it to the "good" path.
Finally I can start the walk up along the valley of Whitecombe Beck.
There seems to be quite a bit of activity in the valley concerned with the raising of Grouse. There were lots of feeders and other various bits of paraphernalia scattered about. I don't know if these strange tracks up through the bracken are connected with it.
I presume this ugly track leads to more feeders etc.
Whitecombe Beck is crossed at a plank bridge and from there a good shepherds track zig-zags up the hillside.
The first section of the track.
Looking across to Anna Crag.
And looking back down the valley which was a little steeper than I was expecting.
This is the steepest section of the track but thankfully it's not very long.
On to the top now looking across at the Buckbarrow group of fells. I considered pushing on and camping there but I'd forgotten to bring the sandwiches which I'd intended to eat in the car on the drive up so was starving so I decided to descend a bit to drier ground and get my tea on.
I needed some water so I dropped down into the steep ravine of Stoupdale Beck below Stoupdale Crags.
It was quite blustery whilst I was pitching my tent but the wind soon died down.
It was a really nice late afternoon. I ate my tea looking out over the coast.
Black Combe was in the way of the sunset but I still got some lovely red clouds.
And later a full moon.
As mentioned Sunday's forecast was for rain so I was up early and was rewarded with a little bit of a sunrise as I packed away.
I walked over to Gray Stones from where the view opened up to the north east. The Dunnerdale fells are in the near distance over the end of Raven Crag and beyond those are the Coniston fells.
And from lower down on Gray Stones and zooming in. The Pike is the hill above the white house ( Pike Side ) with Green Crag and Harter Fell behind. Scafell is in cloud to the left then a hazy Esk Pike, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags. It's started to rain now.
The Coniston fells are covered now. From here I made a pathless descent down to Whicham Beck which I just about got across without falling in and then climbed up to the track which I followed back through Knottend and then my car. I'd only done seven miles over the two days but the evening and night spent on the fell was lovely.
Previous walk -- Dale Bottom to Dunmail Raise