After the visit to hospital I knew that my youngest needed to rest this holiday, so we had a couple of days just mooching around the house and Grasmere and doing very little. By Friday I wanted to walk again, however the weather had turned a bit and the fine weather of earlier in the holiday had been replaced with drizzle. Just me and my eldest headed out this time over to Glenridding to climb Sheffield Pike. We waited until the forecast rain had stopped before heading out and as a result we had very little rain but just a little low cloud on the higher tops. This is a good walk although I wasn’t sure of the descent off Sheffield Pike and was hoping I could avoid Heron Crag as any rocks would be very slippy after the rain. As it was we found a good soft heather and mainly grassy path which came down to the north of Heron Crag, to a wall which we then followed to the col between Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd. The descent through Glencoyne Woods wasn’t much fun but it got us down quickly to the car. So our first visit to the Lakes in two years and I managed to push my Wainwright total up from 163 to 171 now, my eldest is on 56 and my youngest on 53, so they broke through the 50 barrier on this holiday, which I’m really pleased with. It was a good holiday in all, spent with family as it should be, also my youngest’s knee is showing no ill effects and is healing nicely now. Until the next time.
Start – Ullswater roadside parking at Stybarrow crag
Ullswater, Norfolk Island and Silver Point on the right, as we start the walkLooking the other way to the far end of Ullswater, on the right is Arnison CragThe finger post over there shows the way to Seldom SeenAnd here they are, the cottages of Seldom SeenAbout 10 years ago I pushed a pram (offroading on with big wheels) to this point, with the boys in it (they were 2 and 4 then). Definitely couldn’t do that know. Me and my eldest in Glencoyne, the clouds just down on the topsLooking back to Ullswater from the same spot as the last photo. Glencoyne Woods on the right Greenside mine down there on the right, the ridge running up to the right towards White stones and around Glencoyne Head. I think that is White Side over on the left to the right of that in the cloud would be RaiseHeading up to Sheffield Pike summitLooking back down to Greenside MineSummit photoThe clouds were breaking and lingering but we got glimpses down to UllswaterSticks Pass can be seen running across the green patch on the fellside, which means Raise will be dead centre of the photoLooking back up to the summit area of Sheffield Pike. We followed the obvious path which headed down towards Glenridding Dodd, the path is mainly grassy and then threads itself through crags to the north of Heron Crag. On this damp day it was good not to be descending on wet rockHeron Crag on the right and Glenridding Dodd down there on the leftThe long length of UllswaterAlmost down at the wall now, that’s Glenridding Dodd ahead, with Place Fell behind with its head in the cloudsWe are stood at the foot of Glenridding Dodd here looking back up at Heron Crag, we descended down a path which came down from the dip to the right of the high point of the crag, the path stayed mainly between grassy sections and worked its way between the rocks and knolls until it hit the bracken and then the wallSt Sunday Crag almost clearing the cloud up on the rightFrom Glenridding Dodd back to Heron Crag and Sheffield Pike. Birkhouse Moor over on the leftSummit of Glenridding DoddBirkhouse Moor is on the right this time and peaking out on its left flank is the start of Striding Edge. St Sunday is further leftSummit selfieArnison Crag has centre stage above the Patterdale valleyThe pointed peak above my eldest is Catstycam, along with Birkhouse Moor those will be my next walk in this areaWe’ve turned to head down through Glencoyne Wood, Ullswater in the distance. This path down starts off very well before becoming steep in places and very stepped.Ullswater view with Silver Point on the right. Not to far down to the car from here although it was steep all the way for the last km of the walk. All in all a good walk although I did feel as though I’d left something behind all the way around.
The way up that we took was excellent, although it would make a really good descent as well with the views to Ullswater. It was a good steady climb for us, not too steep at any point, to get you to the 650m contour
Nice report and glad the knee is ok. Sheffield Pike is one of my annoying outliers having done Glenridding Dodd a few years ago with a stinking hangover.
I would recommend the route up that we took, Nice and steady, not too steep at any point either. You could descend that way as well as the views down are lovely. Or you could head the other side through the greenside mine up, or down, the zigzags
I more or less did that same walk, in the snow (higher up, but not in the valley) a few weeks before everything went pear shaped last year. I really like the walk up Glencoyne, a nice gradual climb, but didn’t fancy Glencoyne woods on the way back so descended into Glenridding and took the UllswaterWay path back to the NT car park. Longer, but more pleasant I think.
treksandtors 
Very nice around there. If the weather’s really foul the Ullswater Way’s a good fall back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not sure if I’ve actually done Sheffield Pike, I’m thinking I must have but I don’t have a clear recollection. It’s a good looking route that one
LikeLiked by 1 person
The way up that we took was excellent, although it would make a really good descent as well with the views to Ullswater. It was a good steady climb for us, not too steep at any point, to get you to the 650m contour
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice report and glad the knee is ok. Sheffield Pike is one of my annoying outliers having done Glenridding Dodd a few years ago with a stinking hangover.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would recommend the route up that we took, Nice and steady, not too steep at any point either. You could descend that way as well as the views down are lovely. Or you could head the other side through the greenside mine up, or down, the zigzags
LikeLike
I more or less did that same walk, in the snow (higher up, but not in the valley) a few weeks before everything went pear shaped last year. I really like the walk up Glencoyne, a nice gradual climb, but didn’t fancy Glencoyne woods on the way back so descended into Glenridding and took the UllswaterWay path back to the NT car park. Longer, but more pleasant I think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Think your right, The down through Glencoyne woods wasn’t fun at all, should have gone the other way in hindsight
LikeLiked by 1 person
It looks like a potentially good route on the map, but I do enjoy finishing with a walk along the lake. Glad I took that option.
LikeLiked by 1 person