Area: Lake District Ascent: 1050feet
Walk No: 311 Time: 3hours 30minutes
Date: 12th October 2009 Parking: The Hause (NY423235)
Distance: 4.25miles Weather: Fine and mostly sunny

 

Route: Car - Little Mell Fell - Thackthwaite - Lowthwaite - 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.

I picked this fell today for two reasons. The first was that it offered similar climbing to our last walk so that I could see if my problems were a one-off and secondly because of its close proximity to Rheged which we wanted to visit. Unfortunately the problems I had with my breathing still continued and on this walk the climbing was mainly done at the start. A far cry from our last visit here in October 2006 when this fell was part of a 13.5mile walk which included Gowbarrow Fell and Great Mell Fell. This walk would take us from The Hause to the summit before descending easterly to pick up a lane towards Thackthaite. From there we followed what is little more than a tarmaced lane to Lowthwaite before taking a footpath back to The Hause.

The Hause....the highest point of the road up from Watermillock. From here it is little more than 400 feet to the summit.

There are no rights of way to the summit but just above the wire intake fence is this permissive path.

Gaining height opens the views to the Helvellyn Dodds

And across Ullswater to the North Pennines

It may only be 400feet but it is fairly steep as we look back to the car and Little Meldrum

Ahead looked no easier although it did ease after a while

Blencathra and Great Mell Fell make an appearance as we get higher

Looking back to a multitude of fells. Including the Meldrums, Gowbarrow Fell, Place Fell the Helvellyn range and many nore.

Almost there.........thankfully

The boss-lady on Little Mell Fell

Blencathra and northern fells behind Great Mell Fell.

The Dodds

I like this one.....Blencathra ridges.

Yours truly, still trying to get my breath back!

Descending eastwards

Getting steeper now , glad I'm going down!

Eventually we arrived above this cottage. There is a gate through the fence near the trees on the left.

Which led us down to the lane below.

It was pleasant walking along this lane with the sun behind.

I think we are just about to join the road near Thackthwaite here with views to Carrock Fell, Bowscale Fell and Souther Fell

Great Mell Fell with Nabend in the foreground

We have just walked through Lowthwaite here and are about to leave the lane to take a footpath back to where we started

It was this section that I struggled on most. There is only about 350feet of climbing but I found it hard.

A look back as we near the top of the path

The car is in sight. I don't think I have ever been so glad to see it.

A look over Ullswater before we drop down to the car.

Rheged.....As I have posted before, not one of my favourite places....too dear for my taste!.....BUT....

We had promised Andy Beck that we would pop in to see his exhibition "The Wainwrights in Colour".

Inspired by the Seven Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells written by Alfred Wainwright, Andy, a professional artist and keen hill-walker has been re-visiting exact locations where AW obtained his references for his pen & ink illustrations. Andy from his photographs has produced a sketch in watercolour of every scene depicted by AW.

Please if you are thinking of visiting Lakeland do pop in......Hey!!!....it's free as well. The exhibition runs to the 20th November 2009 and is open daily from 11am to 4pm. More information on Andys website The Teesdale Gallery

 

Below are a few pictures I took on the way to the walk and on the way back from Rheged

For Lesley ;-)

 

Next Walk:      16th October 2009 - Lake District - Tarn Hows

Last Walk:       7th October 2009 - Lake District - Troutbeck Tongue

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