Steven's Blog: Skiddaw Group

Distance: 12.4 miles
Total Time: 5 hours 56
Time Moving: 4 hours 44
Average Speed: 2.22 mph
Total Ascent: 4200ft

Wainwrights: 8
Dodd (1612ft)
Carl Side (2420ft)
Long Side (2405 ft)
Ullock Pike (2230ft)
Skiddaw (3053ft)
Little Man (2837ft)
Longscale Fell (2344ft)
Latrigg (1203ft)

Today was the start of trying to complete the Wainwrights (hopefully all this year), I have walked some anyway but starting again.

I clambered out of bed at 5:45 this morning and slowly got all my stuff ready for the day ahead. Driving along the A66 you go down a big hill and this is the point where you can normally start to see the lake district hills. Today when I drove down there it was fantastic, there was inversion. Which is when the mist and cloud is on the valley floor and the mountains are sticking out of it, once I saw that I couldn't wait to get there.

The days walk started from Applethwaite a small village above Keswick, I parked in the layby next to a small white church here I could hear people singing inside.

I don't want to write a full diary of the entire day or I will be here for days, so will summarise. I set off in fog and walked up into Dodd wood, early on I took a wrong turn because I wasn't looking at the GPS or the map properly. As I walked through the fog and gained height I suddenly emerged above the fog and could see what I had been waiting for, the moutains opposite sticking out of the fog (inversion). I took tons of photos today (73), I kept on going and came to a point where I couldn't see any path and both the GPS and map were saying there was a path up to Dodd, but the book said it was a bit faint after forestry work. Faint wasnt the word it was none existant, the bank was very steep, covered in the remains of felled trees and was very hard work, I had to stop lots of times. Eventually I made it to the top and could admire the view and look in horror at what I had to clamber up.

From Dodd I had to descend the head up to Carl Side, when I was half way up Carl side I looked back while having a breather and saw a man running up towards me. I stood there and waited for him to pass, I said hello as he passed and he started talking away, which I was open mouthed at because he sounded less out of breath than me. I continued to walk up and by the time I got to the top I spotted the runner half way up the very steep ascent to Skiddaw (still running!). I then walked along Longside to Ullock Pike, I went a bit too far here but turned around and headed back the way I had came (intentional). I stopped for something to eat and drink on Longside. Then headed up the steep climb to Skiddaw where I'd seen the man running earlier.

I just started up the hill and felt my thighs tighten up, so I stoppped and started to do some stretches, probably looked a total tit doing stretches on the side of the 5th highest moutain in England. I continued on but had to do the same again another twice, then once two thirds up I felt fine and continued on to the top of the steep bank then walked along the top to Skiddaw. It was fairly breezy up there, so spent a couple of minutes taking pictures before turning around and heading for Little Man. I felt my muscles tighten once again going up here, so did the same as before. Quickly got to the top and descended the other side heading back to the main path and crossing straight over it towards Longscale Fell, I ran down the hill towards the Flag Pots, before heading up the short inclince to the summit of Longside Fell. I took a picture and ran back down to the Flag Pots again. I then crossed through the gate and ran down the bank until I joined back onto the main path again. That's my fell running for the weekend (all down hill or on the flat).

I was now heading for my last summit, Latrigg. Not that it really has much of a summit, its tiny and couldn't actually find where the top was supposed to be so just stood everywhere that looked high in the area. The next part was the bit I was most unsure about because when I was planning the route from the book (Walking the Wainwrights) I couldn't see any path where it said go or anything on the satellite photos. Luckily when I walked off the western shoulder as instructed I found a path an walked down a very steep grassy frosted slope to a track. This was now the final section which was over fields which I covered very quickly.

Once back to car I changed at at the boot of my car into jeans and headed for Keswick intending to have a coffee in George Fishers as well as looking around the store. The cafe thing was full, so turned around and left, I did look around the store first but spent nothing. I was going to go straight to the car and home but decided to call in the Oddfellows Arms for a pint before I drove back :-)

I took tons of pictures so below is only a handful of them.