Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd
Walk Date – 7th May 2016
Distance – 6 miles
Weather – dry, hazy, overcast, keen easterly wind on summits
Route
This is Goldrill Beck running between the two areas of car parking just off the A592 near Hartsop. Across the beck there is one car already parked, and on this side, where we are, there is also one car already parked. Its 8.20 am and we are ready to start our walk up to Little Hart Crag. Its not exactly sunny as there is a thin veil of cloud but its not at all cold.
Walking along the shore of Brothers Water and noticing a slight breeze rippling the surface.
There wasn’t anyone around as we walked along so perhaps everyone was still tucking into breakfast. Here I took a look back along the water with a view of Brock Crags opposite us.
Despite the hazy sunshine it was a very pleasant walk along here. The fells ahead of us are Caudale Moor, on the left, and Middle Dodd, in the centre, with Red Screes just showing behind it. On the right is High Hartsop Dodd with the two rocky tops of Little Hart Crag behind it.
We’ve reached Hartsop Hall and are about to go through that gate in the wall and cross the field beyond. The little notice indicates that its through the gate for the Kirkstone Pass and Scandale Pass. The fell just behind the wall is High Hartsop Dodd which we will be descending on the return leg. Alongside it is Middle Dodd with Red Screes just behind it.
A look into Dovedale as we walk across the field, with Dove Crag still showing a few snow patches.
We’re now walking across the lower slopes of High Hartsop Dodd with Middle Dodd straight across from us. Between the two is Caiston Beck and the path we are on will turn right there and carry on up the side of the beck.
We’ve turned on to the Caiston Beck path and begin making our way up Caiston Glen. Looking back there is a view of the two tops of Angletarn Pikes.
We’re making steady progress up Caiston Glen with some attractive waterfalls to look at on the way up …..
By the time we reached this point I was just about ready to leap into that water and give my calf muscles a little hydrotherapy treatment.
At last the end is in sight as we get nearer to Scandale Pass. It hasn’t got steeper since we came up here a couple of years ago but it certainly felt as though it had, and of course, the legs have a lot more mileage on the clock since the last time we were here.
On level ground at last as we reach the top of Scandale Pass with the cairn on High Bakestones over at the top right. The stile is somewhat redundant as the wall has collapsed in several places along its length.
From the other side of the stile a view up to Little Hart Crag which is our next port of call. We are now being blown about by the cold easterly wind which we hadn’t been aware of as we climbed through Caiston Glen.
Up ahead is High Bakestones and Dove Crag, not for us today though as we will shortly turn over to the right for the last bit of climb up to Little Hart Crag.
Scandale Tarn with High Pike and Low Pike beyond them, and a smidge of Windermere over on the left. You can see how bad the haze was today so we had very little by way of longer views.
Back there is where we turned off the path for the remainder of the climb up Little Hart Crag. The view across is of Middle Dodd on the left and Red Screes on the right.
High Bakestones and Dove Crag across a silted up and un-named tarn.
Turning a little to the right we get a hazy view of Saint Sunday Crag above Hartsop above How.
A hazy view down into Scandale where you can make out part of Windermere but very little else.
Scandale again but this time with Scandale Tarn perched on its grassy shelf. Nice for a sunny day picnic but too windy and chilly to linger by today.
Almost on the top of Little Hart Crag now so I take a look over to Dove Crag, with the snow patches on the left, and to the right of that is the long ridge of Hartsop above How with Saint Sunday Crag behind.
Little Hart Crag summit and we get a brief glimpse of the sun.
There are two rocky tops to Little Hart Crag, this is top number two from top number one, or perhaps that’s top number one and we are on top number two. Anyway, there’s not much difference in height between the two of them so I don’t suppose it matters.
Crossing from one to t’other gives us a view of High Hartsop Dodd, below us to the right, and Brothers Water just beyond it. It seems ages since we were walking alongside the water.
On the other side of us, as we cross over, are Middle Dodd and Red Screes. No reflections on the tarn as the wind continues to ruffle across it.
There isn’t a huge distance between the two tops so its only a matter of minutes before we are over on the next one.
A view of both tops of Little Hart Crag, with High Bakestones thrown in for good measure.
Head on into the wind as we set off down to High Hartsop Dodd with the haze getting even hazier.
Hartsop above How across the valley as we leave Little Hart Crag.
A look back at the two rocky tops of Little Hart Crag …..
….. and a look across towards Dove Crag and Hart Crag.
Looking across to the other side there is now a very grey sky above Middle Dodd and Red Screes.
A peek down into Dovedale, a walk through that valley is on the ‘to do’ list.
Looking down at the lower end of Dovedale below Hartsop above How.
I hope those two walkers in shorts have brought some warmer clothing with them as they might feel a bit chilly when they reach the top of Little Hart Crag.
Another look across Dovedale at the rugged scenery, which is topped off by Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Fairfield.
The underwhelming summit cairn on High Hartsop Dodd.
Looking through the murk to Brothers Water.
The view from the descent of High Hartsop Dodd, its steep but at least we are going down it. The field to the bottom right is still full of the tons of stones which were washed down during the winter storms. Just a few people camping in the campsite just above.
From the same place, a look over to our right to see the Kirkstone Pass road below Caudale Moor.
The steep descent wasn’t the only thing to have to deal with, the upper step of the stile was very wobbly. It wouldn’t be a good place to take a tumble, you’d probably do a roly-poly all the way to Brothers Water.
Looking up at the steep slope of High Hartsop Dodd.
Back at valley level, and walking through what is shown on the OS map as a ‘settlement’. Nothing remains of anything which looks like that, but I’m no archaeologist so the evidence could be staring me in the face and I wouldn’t know it.
An old barn below High Hartsop Dodd. I took two shots of this, both of them absolutely level, but the barn still seems to be leaning slightly, perhaps it really is since it must be quite an old one.
Back to the path alongside Brothers Water with a view across to Angletarn Pikes and Brock Crags.
On maximum zoom to get a shot of this cormorant standing on a buoy in the middle of Brothers Water.
The wind is not as strong down at this level but its still rippling the surface of the water. On the other side the view is of Brock Crags on the left, The Knott in the middle, and Gray Crag to the right of it.
Finally, we’re back at the now very crowded car park, the areas on either side of the beck are completely full. The only people around though were the ones on the bridge, we met no-one on the lakeside path so all the other car occupants are walking somewhere else.