Bushwhacking through bracken near Dunney Beck

A short solitary walk made epic by one missed turning and a wet summer’s bracken crop.

Route: from White Moss car park, along a footpath south of the main road to cross and join the rocky path up to the Coffin Route. Then turning left along the tarmac road and right at a brand
new fingerpost to Alcock Tarn. Shortly after somehow missing the main path ahead and veering right up a smaller path, steep and muddy and much damaged by rain. Following the path (occasional boot marks, evidence of sheep tracks) up between two good walls, narrowing and then diverging, but finding it soon impossible to follow through waist-high bracken swept about by constant high winds. Eventually bushwhacking up through shoulder high-bracken and occasional patches of bog too wet even for the bracken to grow, and following the subsidiary streams running into Dunney Beck, until finally – and with great relief – crossing to a visible path contouring round below Lord Crag to a cairn on the Fairfield horseshoe ridge above Nab Scar. Running down the main largely pitched path to Hart Head Farm, Rydal and the Badger Bar. Later walking along the south side of Rydal Water, busy with families swimming and sunbathing, with Tim, back to White Moss.

Conditions: Hot and sticky but breezy even in the pub garden and wild and windy (but still hot) on the ridge.

Pub: Badger Bar, Rydal, joining Tim, for OSB Golden Ale (after an attempt at Hesket Newmarket Skiddaw, just on the turn).

Shorter circuit of Loughrigg from Rydal

A solitary 9km run from White Moss.

Route: from the first White Moss carpark on the west side of the road heading along the river to a footbridge and then through woods, rising to reach the start of Loughrigg Terrace. Along that to Red Bank, down to Loughrigg Tarn taking a footpath on the left to cut the corner to the path rising to the spur and along that to Lilly Tarn. Going a little further than normal to reach a large cylindrical cairn but then having to bushwack through tall bracken to reach the normal descent path at Miller Brow. Here heading a little uphill to find a footpath cutting the corner to join Under Loughrigg Road and on this to Pelter Bridge and uphill on the track to find a right hand turn down a path to reach the footbridge to the Badger Bar and stopping. Later, walking along the side of Rydal water with Lois back to the car.

Conditions: hot and sunny. Hazy but with a refreshing breeze on the tops.

Pub: Badger Bar, Rydal joined by a bleeding Lois for OSB Golden Ale.

Burneside to Staveley saunter

A stroll along the Dales way on a wet day with Angie and a broken Alistair.

Route: from Burneside station east along the road and across the river on New Road to join the Dales Way by taking an initially gravel path to the left. Following this through fields to join a road and recross the river at Bowston and pass through the appartments at Cowan Head to pick up the river side path to Staveley.

Conditions: low cloud, rain.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for Hawkshead Red, WPA, Cumbrian 5 Hop and NZPA.

Kirkstone Pass to Barton House via Helvellyn

The second and longer (40km) day of the Barton Round with Mike Hornby.

Route: from the Kirkstone Pass Inn (at 8:10am) steeply up Red Screes, down into Scandale Pass and then from the ridge west of Little Hart Crag up the line of fence posts to reach the main ridge south of Dove Crag and thence to Hart Crag and Fairfield for a short rest. Descending the steep scree path down towards Grisedale Hause but cutting the corner to the exit of the tarn. Then up the steady staircase of the recently pitched path up to Dollywaggon Pike and then via High Crag and Nethermost Pike to Helvellyn, lunching shortly after. Along the ridge to Whiteside Bank, Raise and to Stybarrow Dodd. Descending under Whitestones to Hart Side and Birkett Fell and then descending along a wall (on steep and tussocky grass) to reach the path from Glencoyne Head and following the higher level path through wet bracken to Dockray and the pub for a pint / tea and scones. In intermittent light rain steeply up the newly pitched path to the summit of Gowbarrow and down to find the path through trees in Swinburn Park as far as the Watermillock to Matterdale Road. Up this briefly and along the road to Bennethead. Then via a chicken farm to a barn on the horizon and descending damp overgrown fields to reach a caravan park and along the road to Pooley Bridge and back to Barton House (8:50pm).

Conditions: the promised blue skies not materialising, initially high cloud and a cold summit wind, followed by some hazy sun and then later intermittent light rain.

Pub: Royal Hotel, Dockray for Corby Ale. The Sun Inn, Pooley Bridge for Jennings Cockerhoop and Ringwood Showman’s Tipple.

Barton House to Kirkstone Pass via High Street

The shorter 25km day of the Barton Round with Mike Hornby.

Route: from Barton House (10am) briefly along the road opposite, east, to the first bend and then right, south, along a field edge to pick up a path east again uphill but then turning due south to the right of a wood to cross out of the field via thistley overgrowth and again uphill eventually to reach a proper path. Along this to the Cockpit stone circle and thence to Arthur’s Pike. After a brief pause, on uphill to Loadpot Hill and then on marshy rising ground to Wether Hill, Red Crag to High Raise and lunch at Rampsgill Head. Then down and up to High Street and thence Thornthwaite Beacon. Down the rough scree track into Threshthwaite Mouth and the scramble up (at which point being deafened by a Tornado jet flying lower than us through the narrow pass) to reach Stony Cove Pike. Descending the ridge towards St Raven’s Edge on stepping stones before a final steep descent to the Kirkstone Pass at about 6pm.

Conditions: very still and hazy (but hot) sun all day.

Pub: The Kirkstone Pass Inn for Eden Best and Tirril Grasmere Gold.

16km Kentmere Run

A solitary run along mainly familiar paths (whilst Lois communed with St Ignatius at home).

Route: having taken the train to Staveley, running from the station through the town centre and along the A591 towards Ings but before reaching it, taking a path signed to High Reston Farm and immediately across fields, uphill through gates and over stiles to reach Hugill Hall and along a track, passing the end of the road up from Kentmere valley to reach the start of the familiar grassy path across moorland, comparatively dry today. Taking this almost as far as Kentmere Hall but doubling back through a gate onto an overgrown track, which cuts the corner back to the main valley bottom track back to the Hollingworth & Vose factory, the pottery and eventually the road to the Staveley Mill Yard.

Conditions: despite dark clouds and a shower at Oxenholme station, a warm sunny day.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, joined by Lois, for Cumbrian 5 Hops and WPA.

Cycle circuit of Scout Scar

A trip out for a lunchtime beer, extended to 40km.

Route: leaving Kendal on the Burneside Road but turning right at Bowston to take the back road to Staveley for a pint at the Hawkshead Brewery outside in the sun. Then leaving the village by via Station Road to reach and dog-leg across the Crook Road and on to Underbarrow for lunch. Along the road through Brigsteer rising surprisingly to the north edge of Levens and a descent through the village to the Hare and Hounds at the other end for a swift half before backtracking to tackle Sizergh Fell to return home via Natland. 

Conditions: hot sun with intervals of hazy clouds.

Pubs: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for Cumbrian Five Hops and WPA. The Punch Bowl, Underbarrow for Hawkshead Bitter and Hobgoblin Gold. The Hare and Hounds, Levens for Fell Yolo.

Ignatian Exercise 1.5

A quick post-work evening ascent of Red Screes in order to run down to Ambleside

Route: Kindly dropped by Tim at the Kirkstone Pass car park at 6.40ish, straight up the (largely) made path to the summit and then turning south to skirt the tarn, follow the summit wall until the ladder stile and then take the walled lane all the way down to the Struggle, thence running down the road to the Golden Rule.

Conditions: Sunny, clear and deserted on the summit and all the way down but incredibly boggy and wet underfoot (and halfway up my ankles) almost all the way.

Pub: The Golden Rule (where else?), joined by Tim, for Robinson’s Double Hop and American Pale Ale.