For those of you who enjoy the feel of rock beneath your feet and craggy rock faces towering above it must be said that this is not for you. If however you enjoy the feel of grass beneath you, the rounded slopes of the fells and the solitude of the hills this could well be your place. I doubt that you will have to fight over a parking space at Bowderdale Foot, we were the only one there when we set off and on our return there was only one other. The walk can be done either way round but today as we set off in warm sunshine we decided to walk up the valley and descend down the ridge. The reasoning being this was that we thought that if it stayed sunny it would be cooler on the ridge in the afternoon.

Bowderdale Foot at 8:30am and no I wasn't fibbing, the other two vehicles you can see belong to the house behind.

Bowderdale Head farm with the ridge of West Fell which would be our descent route later.

On our way now on a farm track at first

The lower section of Bowderdale with the bulk of Yarlside in the distance

We are now further into the valley with Bowderdale beck below us

Mother and foal. There are a number of Fell ponies on the Howgills

About 2 miles into the valley we came across this old fold.

It's not Lakeland scenery but if everywhere was the same it would be boring

A fluffy caterpillar or summat like that. It was about 3 inches long but I made the mistake of touching it whereupon it coiled itself up

We are getting quite some way up the valley now. This is Yarlside with the saddle to the left which leads up to Kensgriff

From the same spot the head of the valley can be seen with the Cautley Crags in the distance

This picture shows our path sloping up to the right. The actual valley head is hidden on the left.

As we climbed higher the Cautley Crags came into view

Edith on the summit of The Calf

The weather had changed from being sunny to overcast with a bit of low cloud at times.

Looking north from The Calf we could see sunlight

Our way back from The Calf was over Hazelgill Knott and West Fell shown here.

Looking down into Langdale with Grains, Cobbles and Simons Seat

and across Bowderdale to Randygill Top and the Hooksey ridge

Taken from Hazelgill Knott looking to Yarlside and Kensgriff

and to Randygill Top and Kensgriff

Looking back along the ridge to The Calf

and our way ahead to West Fell

Looking back down into Langdale from our route to West Fell

and towards our start/finish point which is just behind the clump of trees in mid picture

Taken from West Fell looking up Langdale with Cobbles in the centre

From West Fell it was an easy descent to join up with our outward route

It was hard not to look back

An old barn on the way back

One more look back.....but it's the last one

Returning to Bowderdale foot

The double arched bridge over Bowderdale Beck

Next Walk:    12th September 2007 -- A circuit of Rydal Water and Grasmere from Ambleside

Last Walk:    6th September 2007 -- Pen-y-ghent from Helwith Bridge

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