Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side & Skiddaw - Saturday 2 September 2017
Route
Raven Stone Manor Hotel - Ling How - The Edge - Ullock Pike - Long Side - Carl Side - Skiddaw - Skiddaw Little Man -
Gale Road - Cumbria Way - Briar Rigg - Keswick
Parking
Plenty in Keswick - both expensive & free. We caught the 554 Bus from Keswick to Raven Stone Manor.
Mileage
8.6 miles
Terrain
Good mountain paths & ridge walking. The path from Carl Side to Skiddaw is steep for the final 150 yards and contains loose stone but is not overly difficult in dry conditions. After a lot of rain and in ice & snow this path is best left alone.
Weather
Overcast with sunny spells and fresh breezes.
Time Taken
5hrs 20mins
Total Ascent
3336ft (1017m)
Wainwrights
5
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
Raven Stone Manor Hotel - Ling How - The Edge - Ullock Pike - Long Side - Carl Side - Skiddaw - Skiddaw Little Man -
Gale Road - Cumbria Way - Briar Rigg - Keswick
Parking
Plenty in Keswick - both expensive & free. We caught the 554 Bus from Keswick to Raven Stone Manor.
Mileage
8.6 miles
Terrain
Good mountain paths & ridge walking. The path from Carl Side to Skiddaw is steep for the final 150 yards and contains loose stone but is not overly difficult in dry conditions. After a lot of rain and in ice & snow this path is best left alone.
Weather
Overcast with sunny spells and fresh breezes.
Time Taken
5hrs 20mins
Total Ascent
3336ft (1017m)
Wainwrights
5
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
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GPX File
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Walk Description
It is always nice to use public transport now and then and do a linear walk. Luckily there are plenty of options to do this in the Lake District and today's walk was one of them. Parking our car in Keswick and after a spot of lunch at The Filling Station, we caught the 554 bus out to the Raven Stone Manor Hotel to the start of the walk - a lovely bimble taking in the fells of Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side & the Skiddaw summits. This is a classic ridge walk and one you can never tire of.
From the Hotel a path leads through Rabbit Warren Wood to reach the lower slopes of Ling How. At the col between Ling How & Watches the climbing begins - a lovely ascent on a gradual incline along the ridge known as The Edge (nothing to do with U2's lead guitarist). The gradient steepens as height is gained and what most people think is the summit of Ullock Pike appears - although it isn't! - the summit is a bit further on but not far. Ullock Pike gives superb views over both Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water as well as the next summit of Long Side which is reached a little further along the ridge. This is exhilarating walking along an airy ridge that gives glorious views all around, particularly over to the Skiddaw Massif.
From Long Side it is an easy walk over to Carl Side and on the way there is an option to omit this summit and head to the col at Carlside Tarn from where the path to Skiddaw begins - the path is visible all the way along the ridge and looks easy enough from afar. From the tarn, the path rises gently on loose stone, increases in gradient then for the last 200 yards it steepens markedly. In normal and dry conditions it is simply a question of taking your time to negotiate the scree and steepness however in snow and ice this would be a difficult ascent without proper equipment. All in all, this is a glorious path and is a delightful way to attain the summit ridge of Skiddaw.
Reaching the summit ridge we had the mountain to ourselves and turning to the North made the easy transit to Skiddaw's summit. The weather and visibility were excellent on the ridge and made a nice change - most of our climbs to Skiddaw have been in a thick grey soup with no visibility whatsoever however today made up for that. Retracing our steps, we now headed due south to pass over Skiddaw's South Top, Little Man & Lesser Man summits - superb ridge walking giving outstanding views over to Keswick and across to Blencathra. From Lesser Man the path starts to descend quite rapidly and we soon passed the Hawell Monument to shortly arrive at the Gale Road Car Park. From the Car Park we joined the Cumbria Way which delivered us back into Keswick via Briar Rigg.
This is a glorious walk and one of our favourites. It is best completed when the crowds have gone home and you can have the ridges to yourself. Skiddaw is a popular mountain and gets busy unfortunately - we did not get up on the summit until 1700 therefore had it to ourselves.
From the Hotel a path leads through Rabbit Warren Wood to reach the lower slopes of Ling How. At the col between Ling How & Watches the climbing begins - a lovely ascent on a gradual incline along the ridge known as The Edge (nothing to do with U2's lead guitarist). The gradient steepens as height is gained and what most people think is the summit of Ullock Pike appears - although it isn't! - the summit is a bit further on but not far. Ullock Pike gives superb views over both Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water as well as the next summit of Long Side which is reached a little further along the ridge. This is exhilarating walking along an airy ridge that gives glorious views all around, particularly over to the Skiddaw Massif.
From Long Side it is an easy walk over to Carl Side and on the way there is an option to omit this summit and head to the col at Carlside Tarn from where the path to Skiddaw begins - the path is visible all the way along the ridge and looks easy enough from afar. From the tarn, the path rises gently on loose stone, increases in gradient then for the last 200 yards it steepens markedly. In normal and dry conditions it is simply a question of taking your time to negotiate the scree and steepness however in snow and ice this would be a difficult ascent without proper equipment. All in all, this is a glorious path and is a delightful way to attain the summit ridge of Skiddaw.
Reaching the summit ridge we had the mountain to ourselves and turning to the North made the easy transit to Skiddaw's summit. The weather and visibility were excellent on the ridge and made a nice change - most of our climbs to Skiddaw have been in a thick grey soup with no visibility whatsoever however today made up for that. Retracing our steps, we now headed due south to pass over Skiddaw's South Top, Little Man & Lesser Man summits - superb ridge walking giving outstanding views over to Keswick and across to Blencathra. From Lesser Man the path starts to descend quite rapidly and we soon passed the Hawell Monument to shortly arrive at the Gale Road Car Park. From the Car Park we joined the Cumbria Way which delivered us back into Keswick via Briar Rigg.
This is a glorious walk and one of our favourites. It is best completed when the crowds have gone home and you can have the ridges to yourself. Skiddaw is a popular mountain and gets busy unfortunately - we did not get up on the summit until 1700 therefore had it to ourselves.
No time for a swift half Fudgie - there are fells to climb
The 554 bus to Carlisle can be caught from Keswick which stops a little further up the road at the other entrance to the Hotel
A gloomy start to the walk as we head up the steep path from the hotel with Bassenthwaite Lake for company
The path gradient eases once clear of Dyke Nook Plantation as we head across the slopes of Ling How
He loves being out on the fells - Fudge is in his element
The ascent up the slope of Ling How with the North Western Fells as a backdrop
Binsey in the distance with Watches to the right
Binsey to the left over Watches with Great Cockup to the right
The ridge of The Edge leading to Ullock Pike - at this point we felt that we were going to get a bit of sunshine at last
Looking back down The Edge to Ling How & Watches
The head of Southerdale and our first view of a brightening Skiddaw with Little Man poking his head out to the right.
Randel Crag is in the foreground.
Randel Crag is in the foreground.
A panorama across Bassenthwaite Lake (click on the image for an enlarged pic)
Almost at the summit of Ullock Pike where Long Side & Carl Side come into view
Skiddaw, Carl Side, Long Side & Ullock Pike panorama (click on the image for an enlarged pic)
With Fudge on Ullock Pike - the summit is a little further on from where we are
On Ullock Pike's summit - Dodd is the fell in the foreground with Derwent Water in the distance. Just look at all those fells.
The summit of Ullock Pike looking to Long Side
Skiddaw towers above the summit of Ullock Pike
The summit of Long Side with Carl Side to the right. Skiddaw & Little Man are to the rear with our own Little Man at the front
Looking back to Ullock Pike from Long Side
Panorama from Long Side to Skiddaw & Carl Side (click on the image for an enlarged pic)
Zooming in on Skiddaw - our path of ascent can clearly be seen making its way from right to left.
The summit of Carl Side
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On the summit of Carl Side - the photos are 4 years apart - almost to the day
Heading for Carl Side Tarn and our ascent to Skiddaw
This part of the path is fairly easy going
Looking back to Long Side & Ullock Pike
After a while the path surface both loosens and steepens. The last 200 yards would be testing in the wet, ice or snow.
Looking back down to Carl Side - the path coming in from the right can be taken from Long Side if you wanted to avoid Carl Side
On the last 200 yards before the summit ridge
Which way Fudge?
A lovely panorama from near the summit ridge (click on the image for an enlarged pic)
Near the summit ridge as Skiddaw's top comes into view
Superb conditions now as we attain the summit ridge of Skiddaw - looking to the Wainwrights of Lonscale Fell & Skiddaw Little Man
A panorama of Northern Fells from Skiddaw's summit ridge (click on the image for an enlarged pic)
Two firsts for us today on Skiddaw - nobody here and a half decent view
The summit of Skiddaw
A Skiddaw summit panorama (click on the image for an enlarged pic)
Looking to Skiddaw's North Top from the Toposcope on Skiddaw's summit
Looking to Skiddaw South Top
Lovely view of Sale How, Mungrisdale Common, Blencathra & Lonscale Fell from Skiddaw's summit
Near Skiddaw's South Top is a fantastic view over to Keswick & Derwent Water. Skiddaw Little Man is to the left
Heading for Little Man
The route loses some height to drop into a col before rising again to reach Little Man.
There is a path to the west which contours Little Man if you want to avoid another summit - but why miss out?
There is a path to the west which contours Little Man if you want to avoid another summit - but why miss out?
Looking back to Skiddaw from the ascent of Little Man - the path that contours around the fell can be seen to the right
The summit of Skiddaw Little Man - just look at that view.
Heading for Skiddaw Lesser Man
The summit of Skiddaw Lesser Man
Clough Head, The Dodds & the Helvellyn range
Time for a long descent back to Keswick
The Hawell Monument, a memorial to two Skiddaw shepherds, Edward and Joseph Hawell of Lonscale. There is a third name inscribed on the base, that of Robert Walker Hawell which was added at a later date. The epitaph on the base reads as follows -
Great Shepherd of Thy heavenly flock
These men have left our hill
Their feet were on the living rock
Oh guide and bless them still
Great Shepherd of Thy heavenly flock
These men have left our hill
Their feet were on the living rock
Oh guide and bless them still
Zooming in on Helvellyn