7th May 2008 -- The Whinfell Ridge from Hucks Bridge

Area:	Eastern fringe of LD	Ascent:	2107 feet
Walk No:	155	Time:	5 hours 10 minutes
Date:	7th May 2008	Parking:	Hucks Bridge on the A6
Distance:	9.0 miles	Weather:	Fine, warm & sunny but very hazy

Route:

Car - Ashstead Fell - Mabbin Crag - Castle Fell - Whinfell Beacon - GPO Stn - Borrowdale - Car

For those of you that are thinking of going onto the hills I would strongly recommend that you read the advice given by the Mountain Rescue organisation of England and Wales. To read this advice, which will open in a new page please click HERE. If you would like to make a donation to the Mountain Rescue organisation which is purely voluntary please click HERE. Please make the time to read the advice page.

Our original intention today had to been the Wasdale Horseshoe from the Shap summit but as we drove up the A6 although it was a fine & sunny morning morning the views were very hazy. Those of you who have walked on the Shap Fells will know that they are not renowned for there photographic qualities so with this in mind I decided to stop at Hucks Bridge and do this walk which offered a better chance of sone decent pictures.

It as often puzzled me why A Wainwright included these fells in his "Walks on the Howgills" book rather than in his "Outlying Fells of Lakeland" book. Perhaps at that time the latter book was not in his plans.

The parking layby near Hucks Bridge which is in the dip of the road.

The Barrowdale valley is plit by the A6. Our walk today would return along the Eastern section of it.

Our first objective was Ashstead Fell, rather steep and wet in places but height is quickly gained

A look across the valley to Borrowdale Edge and Whinash. The track slanting upwards is called the Breasthigh Road which leads over into Bretherdale

Nearing the summit and looking down our path. The head of the Borrowdale valley can be seen on the other side of the A6 with High House Bank at it's entrance

The cairn on the northern end of Ashstead Fell

Taken into the sun our path ahead

Ashstead Fell

A look down into the valley along which we would return

Into the sun again, our way ahead to Mabbin Crag

Mabbin Crag summit

Looking ahead to our next top.....Castle Fell with Whinfell Beacon behind. To the left of Castle Fell you can see the GPO station which would be our final target.

The remains of an old building in the dip between Mabbin Crag and Castle Fell. The path from here goes through a section of conifers over wet ground, probably the worst part of the walk. Fortunately it only lasts for a few hundred yards.

Looking back at Mabbin Crag from near the summit of Castle Fell

Castle Fell summit

Our next port of call.....Whinfell Beacon

and to the left the repeater station

Castle Fell from the dip between Whinfell Beacon

Castle Fell from Whinfell Beacon

What a mess!......There used to be two seperate cairns here but they have been joined to form a wind break. Great when needed but not very pleasing to the eye.

In his book Wainwright says "The view is very extensive and attractive to the south and west but curtailed by higher fells to the north and east".....today with the hazy weather the views were very restricted. This shows the ridge we have walked, Castle Fell, then Mabbin Crag with the trees and in the far distance Ashstead Fell.

And now we've got to fo there.

A view down into the valley as we walked to the repeater station. It was quite hot by this time and I was tempted to go straight down here.

Thr repeater station

Just past the station we took this bridleway off to the left down into the valley. It was my first time on this track as normally I continue onto Grayrigg Common. It is a lovely track down although a bit wet in places.

A look up the delightful Borrowdale valley. It is largely unspoilt apart from some conifer plantations at the Hucks Bridge end. To think that this was considered as as the site for a reservoir......some people have no souls.