The Bank Holiday weekends in the Lakes usually mean car jams, no parking spaces  and people all over the place. I don't think I'm particularly unsocial but I do like as much space as possible between me and the next person when on the fells (Edith excluded of course), so when the BH's come around it is time to move away from the "hot spots" to find a little space. I had already made the decision to do this walk a few days ago and it was glorious. I never met a single person whilst walking along the ridge and descending into Borrowdale. In the valley I met only half a dozen people who were having short walks from the M6 end of the valley. The last time I did this walk was on the 4th July 1991 and the conifers were only a a few feet high and very spindly. Now they are towering up to 20 feet high and look awful.

I parked the car in a layby on the A6 just south of Huck's Bridge. From there it was a short walk down the road through a gate and up the slopes of Ashstead Fell which is seen here from the A6.

The initial climb up Ashstead Fell is steeper than you think giving the opportunity to stop and have a look around. Shown here is Huck's Bridge. THe layby is just off picture on the left.

Getting higher now and looking across the A6 into the head of Borrowdale with High House bank & Robin Hood on the right of the valley and White Howe to the left.

Ashstead Fell's 1st summit. There are 3 summits on the fell this being the lowest but with the best views

Looking to the 2nd summit (right) and the 3rd (left)

Taken from the 3rd summit which is the highest looking back to the 1st summit

and down into Borrowdale along which I would return later.

Looking ahead to Mabbin Crag and the awful conifers. Makes me wish I had stamped on them 16 years ago.

Mabbin Crag summit.

The way ahead to Castle Fell (left) and Whinfell Beacon in the distance

An old hut on the way down off Mabbin Crag. From here the gound through the plantation was very wet in places but it doesn't last too long and you can pick your way around the bad bits.

Castle Fell summit looking to Whinfell Beacon.

Looking back to Mabbin Crag from Castle Fell

Whinfell Beacon summit looking down to Kendal. There used to be two lovely tower cairns on the summit but over the years the gap between them as been built up to produce what looks more like a wall.

My wy ahead would take me to the PO Repeater Station and then onto Grayrigg Common in the distance

Just to the south of Whinfell Beacon is this small plantation of Larch trees. According to Wainwrigh these were planted as a fuel source for the beacon. As they remain largely intact it's safe to assume that the beacon hasn't been needed to warn the citizens of Kendal of any marauding Picts of late.

Looking down into Borrowdale from Whinfell Beacon

From Whinfell Beacon I made my way across to the PO Repeater Station

and then on to the summit of Grayrigg Common with its triangulation point

Looking back from Grayrigg Common to Whinfell Beacon

From Grayrigg Common it was a short stroll to the cairn above Little Coum

The Lune Gorge

Looking acros the Lune Gorge to the Howgills

More Howgills

A close up of the Roman fort at Low Borrowbridge

As I made my way down into Borrowdale I had this view right up the valley

Looking down to the M6 bridge over Borrow Beck

And to think that at one time consideration had been given to flooding the valley to create a reservoir........criminal I call it

Borrow Beck

Low Borrowdale farm

Mabbin Crag from the valley

Full of berries............is that a sign of an hard winter

The long derelict High Borrowdale homestead

This puzzled me. What had eroded nearly a foot of topsoil away?.....If it's sheep it must have taken a long time

Nearing the A6 now I crossed the beck once again

and finally Huck's Bridge and the A6 are both in view at the end of a glorious day.

Next Walk:   29th August 2007 -- Fairy Steps from Arnside

Last walk:   23rd August 2007 -- The Howgills from Sedbergh

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