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| Date & Time: 4th April 2007. 2.15 pm start. ( NY 163 184 ) Location of Start : Hause Point car park, Rannerdale Valley, Cumbria Uk. Places visited : Rannerdale Knotts - not a lot else ! Walk details : 1 mile, 825 ft of ascent for the boys, 1hr 55 mins, using every suitable rock scramble available. Same time but 2.6 miles for the girls. Walked with : Jack, Matthew and Sam, with Cathy and Ann and our two dogs taking a less 'scrambley' route up. Weather : A sunny afternoon with a real taste of early summer. |
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These last three walks and the photos contained within are specially for Richard, the boys Dad, and my son in law who has been out with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Basrah for the last eight weeks. He returned back home safely to the UK today. |
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On this last day of their visit, the boys wish to climb Rannerdale Knotts, one of the few we can see from home that they have not climbed before. Ann and Cathy took young Alexander in the backpack, and chose the valley route up to the top of Squat Beck and met up with us on the summit. The boys chose a direct assault of the steep rocky front end. With only one supervisor to three busy lads, and with neither a rope or safety net to catch them, the challenge was to find a suitably taxing route up to the top that would be interesting but safe.
A good start - grass all the way so far - no problems.
As we climb to the first level part above the road we are able to get a view up the valley towards Red Pike and the High Stile Ridge.
Soon we had gained considerable height and were looking down on Rannerdale Farm and Crummock Water.
Rather than follow the main path up close under the cliff, we opted for the grassy section to the left and up the sky-line to join the path higher up.
While we contemplated, so did Bethan. She had remembered a small spring on the fell side with a small pool, just big enough to soak feet in !
Before we started off, Sam captured this picture of the Herdwick Sheep, with the background of Ling Crags on the opposite shore of Crummock.
Suitably cooled and refreshed, we head for the summit crags. ( Hold your cursor over the photo to see the route )
Sam hadn't though, and he was up first, closely followed by Matthew.
The successful summit party. Sam, Jack, Matthew and myself with Harry and Bethan.
" They delayed us on the way up, now we'll sit on the top and delay them ! "
The Buttermere Valley and the high Fells from Rannerdale Knotts summit. Click here or on the photo for a larger annotated panorama
Ann and Cathy had walked the long way round and we all met at the second cairn. Having walked most the way up they wanted to finish the climb, so the boys and myself back-tracked to the main summit.
Alexander celebrating his summit bid with a biscuit.
I don't think this really counts as a true Wainwright as he had declined to get out of the backpack on the way up !!
Cathy takes time out to enjoy the view from the end rocks. Mellbreak behind.
All that remained was to return to the foot of the crags, using the path this time.
A study in Green and Stone. As we dropped down the slightly lower, afternoon sun cast deep shadows on the rich grass fields of Rannerdale Farm below.
Nearly down - Sam, first up, looks to be aiming to be first down too.
Cathy and Jack follow on.
Hause Point, calm in the afternoon sunshine, with the slopes of Starling Dodd behind.
Back to the beach to cool our toes in the water before returning home.
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- - - o o o - - - Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon IXUS 400 Digital camera. Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder. This site best viewed with . . . a cool mountain pool in which you could dip your toes in . . .right now ! © RmH.2006 # Contact me here # Sign our Guest book Previous walk - 2nd April 2007 Last one to the tree is a sissy A previous walk in this area - 5th January 2003 Footsteps in the snow - Rannerdale Next walk - 4th April 2007 Hen Comb with Jayne, Ian and David
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