Lat/Long: 54.684152, -03.039614
OS Grid Ref: NY 33073 32619
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I have decided to go for my mountain walk today as the wind is
forecast to get up tomorrow. I had an easy drive north along the
motorway then turned off at Penrith. and along the A66 then
north to Mosedale Valley. As I set off along the A66 a large
sign by the road said "Stay Home Essential Travel Only" I
continued to Moderate which is the same place I started from
last week but this time I arrived early at 07:35 a.m. It was a
fine and warm sunny morning and there were campervans that had
been there overnight. |
Scorch marks of disposable barbeques. |
Location of an open fire. |
Sheepfold by the Cumbria Way. |
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I set off walking up the road along the river. It was too early
for the tourists who will be flooding here during the day to
picnic and swim in the river. I continued up the rough track
which is the Cumbria way and follows the River Caldew. Away in
the distance I could see Skiddaw House and after a couple of
miles reached the circular sheepfold at Wiley Gill. |
Summit of Great Calva & Scotland across
the Solway Firth. |
Distant view of Skiddaw House. |
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Last week I headed up the valley to the north but today I
crossed over the gill and followed a narrow but well used path
up the west side of the river and steeply up to follow the fence
going straight up the hillside to the summit of Great Calva. On
the way up I'd stopped for an early lunch of sandwiches and a
lone walker had passed by going the same way as me. When I
reached the summit he had visited the summit cairn and turned
round to reverse down the way he'd climbed. I stopped at the
cairn to take in the views of Skiddaw and also across the Solway
Firth and into Scotland. I started a steady descent to the NW to
visit a small town tarn on the saddle below Knott. |
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Tarn and Knott in the distance. |
From Knott looking back to Great Calva & Skiddaw on the right. |
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The path shown on the map didn't really exist and after leaving
the tarn I headed north east to follow a path I could see below
me. Once on the main path it was a steep steady and relatively
easy climb up to Knott. I was here last week and the view was
almost identical though today maybe a little warmer. I hadn't
seen anyone else since the lone Walker on Great Calva. I started
my descent to the east but this time continued on the main path
down towards the Lingy Hut. The last steep descent to the river
took me to a point on the map called Gunner Well. It turned out
to be an area of rushes with a dry stream that may have had
water in during a wet period. I wouldn't call it a reliable
water source as today it was dry. However this has been a very
dry spell of weather. I descended to the minor stream and
stopped briefly to try my small adventure camera in its
waterproof housing by submerging it in the stream. |
Underwater photo test. |
Underwater photo test. |
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As I got my kit ready to set off again a solo woman runner came
up from the Lingy Hut area and headed up towards Knott. I
started my descent down Grains Gill Beck which was quite stoney
and difficult in places. I would have been better continuing
north for a while to use the better path near Lingy Hut. Down at
the mines I walked down a gully to investigate a recently
cleared mine entrance and take a few pictures. |
Refurbished mine entrance. |
Mine entrance. |
Inside the mine. |
Cars on the track towards Skiddaw House. |
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There was a locked gate blocking the entrance and a very cold
wind blowing out of the mine. I continued down the track and
joined the road where my car was parked. As expected the whole
area was now filled with tourists and picnickers sitting by the
river and enjoying the warm sunny weather. |
Parking across the access track to the
mines. |
