A fine 11km walk on an initially sunny Autumn day.Route: leaving the car just short of Hallow Bank, Kentmere, on High Lane just before the bridleway to Sadgill and taking that bridleway over to Long Sleddale and then the long, stony road up to the head of the valley. After a signpost in an enclosed area, taking a gate to the left and then a faint path to the River Sprint and into quarry workings, always keeping to the right. After passing a waterfall, looking for a way to ford the stream but being forced to continue past another fence crossing the way and another 200m before it was possible to do so (the gill being high). Then backtracking, climbing the (previously encountered) fence at a fence-wall join (alongside which a direct route goes to the summit) and moving pathless and across marshy ground to reach the Steel Rigg-Raven Crag ridge with views down the valley. Staying to the right hand/north side of a marshy comb to make a beeline steeply uphill to the summit of Kentmere Pike. Descending the summit ridge taking the first, fine diagonal short-cut with wide-open views to the right to reach Hallow Bank and thence back along the road, 400m, to the car.
Conditions: sunny though with a bitter wind, giving way to cloud with a threat of rain from the north.
Pub: the Eagle and Child, Staveley, for Jennings Sneck Lifter and a bowl of nachos and cheese.
