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" Grasmoor High Level "

Date & start time:      1st September 2020.   9 am start.

Location of Start :     Lanthwaite Green, Loweswater, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 159 207 )

Places visited :          Whin Ben, Whiteside, Hopegill Head, Coledale Hause, Grasmoor, Lad Hows.

Walk details :              6.5 mls, 3,300 ft of undulating ascent, approx 5 hours.

Highest point :           Grasmoor,  2,771ft - 852m above sea level

Walked with :              Paula solo.

Weather :                      Sunshine and blue skies with a warm breeze on top.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

Our daughter Paula has been over for the weekend and as a keen Peak District fellwalker

she wanted to take the opportunity of the fine weather today to climb our local big fell, Grasmoor.

All these pictures are her's, taken on the day and sent to me later.

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Grasmoor, which overlooks Loweswater and our home,

is always an impressive mountain.

Topping out at 2,771ft it is not the biggest fell in the Lakes

but it is a good climb nevertheless.

 

There is a Wainwright route up this front corner

(Grasmoor Direct) but most other ascents on the face

require serious rock climbing skills and equipment.

 

Paula has chosen to extend the more traditional walk to include

Whiteside and Hopegill Head before heading off to the summit.

She plans to descend via the Lad Hows ridge, back down to Cinderdale.

I had thought to join her for part of the walk but it was not to be.

 

- - - o o o - - -

Starting early as the bright sunshine streams down the Buttermere Valley

and illuminates the slopes of Mellbreak opposite her starting point at Lanthwaite Green.

The climb up Whin Benn is a steep one but the advantage is that you do gain height quickly.

From the intermediate summit of Whin Ben she could see Loweswater and the distant Solway Estuary.

Time to take a breath then continue on . . . it gets steeper !

Her companions lead the way.

Presumably they didn't linger for long as they had to keep looking for something to eat.

Good food for them is a scarce resource this high up the fell.

As she climbed the views to the north opened up to reveal the full panorama of the Solway Coast.

She could also see over the top of Mellbreak

and make out Great Borne which looks down into the Ennerdale Valley on its southern side.

The last pull up to the summit of the Whiteside Ridge, looking down on Gasgale.

To the left are the pointed peaks of Hopegill Head and Sand Hill.

Part way along the undulating and superb high level ridge walk from Whiteside to Hopegill Head.

This is one the best high level ridge walks in the Lakes.

At just short of a mile, it is an undulating, often stoney path but provider of classics views on a day like this.

Zooming in on the view, flying over Cockermouth to the village of Crosby near the coast 13 miles away.

Beyond, it is another thirteen to the Dumfries and Galloway Coast and then on to Boreland Hill and Criffel Mountain seen here in the haze.

The northern descent ridge has a path across the Hopegill Slabs and down via Ladyside Pike.

You could alternatively follow the top of the Hobcarton Crags round

and reach Grisedale Pike before descending towards Keswick.

Paula has her sights on higher things.

Her route took her across Coledale Hause and around the edge of Dove Crag Cove, heading west again, aiming for the summit.

Opposite now is that mile long Whiteside Ridge with the Gasgale Crags on the southern side that faces Grasmoor.

On top of the world at Grasmoor summit cairn.

This stone shelter is thought to be an old Neolithic cairn that has been adapted in more recent times, as with many fell tops,

to provide a circular wind shelter.    Paula stopped to capture the scene . . . .

Click the 'play' arrow for a short narrated video.

[ Make sure you have the sound turned on ]

The second and alternative summit shelter

off to the left and providing a better view down to Crummock Water and Buttermere.

Time to be heading off . . . she still has a three plus hour drive home once she has completed the walk.

- - - o o o - - -

 

 

The route back-tracks slightly

and then branched right onto the Lad Hows path.

 

The smallest of cairns marks the top

of this steep and occasionally loose descent route

but it is a delightful walk down as the views are superb.

 

Never more so than today.

 

 

- - - - o o o - - -

At Lad Hows summit now and looking across to Rannerdale Knotts and the High Stile Ridge.

The final half hour or so descent she had Crummock and Loweswater in her sights

as she descended alongside the small Cinderdale Beck valley.

Back down to earth at the Buttermere Road . . .

. . . now just the half mile or so walk back up towards Lanthwaite Green and her car.

One final picture of her initial starting point and ascent route of Whin Ben, to complete the circular walk.

- - - o o o - - -

 

Now is  your chance to have your favourite web site pictures

hanging on your wall all year round

and to support a good cause.

- - - o o o - - -

" We've done it again.

We've brought you twelve months of Loweswater pictures,

Lakeland scenes and your favourite mountain dogs."

Yes . . . The 2021 Loweswatercam Calendar is now on sale

- - - o o o - - -

Click here  or on the photos

for full details of how to buy your copy.

 

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with her Huawei mobile phone.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a spot of lunch and a road atlas to take her home.

Go to Home Page . . . © RmH . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 14th Sept 2020 - Crummock Water with Mac

A previous time up here - 24th May 2006 Grasmoor with Fishers and Salomon

Next walk - 19th September 2020 - A Later Lad Hows Ascent