Three days into the holiday and no proper walk for me so far, but the hot weather up here in The Lakes had held me back. Tuesday looked good, the temperature said it would drop a few degrees but the sun would still be out. It was off to Hartsop to do a walk that on the map below looks like and inverted M with the lines joined along the top. I had originally planned to just do 4 fells in an out and back, but a conversation on facebook suggested this would take maybe 3-4 hours. I decided to do an out and back to Gray Crag and loop around again thus ticking off 3 fells in the middle (Mardale Ill Bell, High Street and Kidsty Pike). One thing I noticed on this walk is how close High Raise, Kidsty Pike, Rampsgill Head and The Knott are together, why then has it taken me 3 different walks to do these 4 fells. Need better planning for round number 2 I’d say!! One thing to say about this walk is the start, there is no warm up at all, 50 metres and you start up and its steep, straight up the nose of Hartsop Dodd. Half eight in the morning and I was sweating, the temp was probably rising above 20 degrees at this point already. However once you are up above the 600 metres contour, with the exception of Threshwaite Mouth the rises and falls are gentle and easy to walk. The high point on this walk is High Street and whilst the summit area is vast and flat, make sure you head east and look down to Blea Water and the Long Stile ridge, a great way up this fell. I made 9 Wainwrights here on this walk, with 7 new ones which took me to 128 in my total. Starting to think about my final one.
Start – Hartsop |
Route – Hartsop Dodd – Caudale Moor (Stony Cove Pike) – Threshwaite Mouth – Gray Crag – Thornthwaite Crag – Mardale Ill Bell – High Street – Straights of Riggindale – Kidsty Pike – Rampsgill Head – The Knott – Hayeswater – Hartsop |
Distance – 10 miles Start time – 8.20am Time taken – 7hrs 45 minutes Highest Point – High Street 828metres |
Weather – Lots of sun, some cloud cover, breeze and very warm indeed |

Hartsop Dodd and its much steeper than it looks. You follow the wall up to the right, join the ridge and then up, the wall is also on the ridge in parts which means from below you think you can see the summit cairn. Which it isn’t, very annoying!!

God has his torch out again!! That’s Gray Crag to the right (where I will be in a couple of hours) and in the distance Rest Dodd to the left (not on this walk) and right of that, partly hidden by Gray Crag, is The Knott, my last one today

Heading up this way gains height quickly but means you stop to catch your breath a fair bit. That’s the valley heading towards Ullswater, plenty of sunshine that way but I was glad of the shade on this the steepest part of the whole walk

And now I’m heading up the ridge, Brothers Water down on the left, Hartsop in the trees down there. Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes and Place Fell on the right with Arnison Crag to the left

Looking west to the long Hartsop Above How ridge and Fairfield beyond that which is just out of the cloud

My first proper look to High Street, directly above the cairn. The Thornthwaite Crag ridge is between me and High Street. At this point I hoped to get to High Street as I was making good time

Down to Threshwaite Mouth and then back up to Thornthwaite Crag, at this point I decided I would contour left out at the point where the shadow starts on the path up the other side, and this would take me over to Gray Crag first

Same spot just turned around. This is Pasture Bottom (I giggle every time I say this place). Gray Crag up on the right

Thornthwaite Beacon and probably the windiest section of the walk, still baking hot though. Ill Bell looming large to the left and a piece of Windermere in the distance

Around the head of Kentmere here and looking down at Kentmere Tarn which I heard from another walker was having repairs to the dam hence no water in it currently. This path to Mardale Ill Bell was glorious to walk on

This was probably my first ever look at Harter Fell. I was staggered at how big it is, its huge. I was so surprised that I forgot to walk that way and look down to Small Water. I’m now on Mardale Ill Bell

A short pull up brings you to High Street, the views from the summit trig will not win many prizes, head west first to look over to the Helvellyn range and beyond Hartsop. Before doubling back and following the grassy path to the top of Long Stile and look at a fabulous view down

Rough Crag and the Long Stile ridge, fantastic. Blea Water down to the right and Haweswater beyond. Riggindale down to the left, just a superb place

Walking around to Kidsty Pike now and looking back at the Straights of Riggindale (love that name) with High Street on top and Thornthwaite Crag to the right

You turn around and look down into Riggindale and across to the Long Stile ridge opposite. Branstree is in the distance

This is Rampsgill Head. To be honest on this walk if you like U shaped valleys you are in heaven. Troutbeck, Pasture Bottom, Riggindale, Kentmere, Rampsgill are just some on view
Great post. Big walk! We left Glenridding that day. Looked a great day for walking but I was just too knackered.
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To be honest after this walk I was done, I probably could have walked again at this length on the Friday, but we were leaving that day so instead I did a shorter walk on the Thursday (that is to come on the website). I think it was the heat, it was draining and you required a couple of days to get ready for another big walk
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Quite a walk!
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Great day out, The heat was draining on the day after. This made it very difficult to head up again day after day. As a result I have one more decent walk from this holiday to blog about
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We were on Mardale Ill Bell that same day! On the top about midday I think. I couldn’t persuade anyone to come to High Street, they were all too keen to descend to our tents at Small Water for lunch and a swim. (Post coming soon).
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Just looked at my photos I got to Mardale Ill Bell at 1pm and I was at High Street at 1.45pm. Looks as though I just missed you!!
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Fab day and those hills are great for easy wandering and top bagging (once you have the brutal climb up Hartsop Dodd out of the way. I was based around here for my University thesis back in the 80’s. On my day off I did a similar walk and tried to see how many Wainwrights I could bag in a day. I managed 11. I’m not a big Wainwright fan and the eastern fells is the only one of his books I have but it did take me to a few summits I probably would never have visited
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Absolutely, with another couple of hours spare I could have added High Raise, Rest Dodd and Brock Crags easily, which would have made 12. Something I will keep in mind for round 2
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