Four Days on the Hill in July

The beginning of the adventure at Stonestar in the Duddon Valley 10.30am Tuesday 30/6

Between Tuesday 30 June and Friday 3 July Pete and his intrepid group of walkers made their way N to S on a high level route across the Lake District from the Duddon Valley to Caldbeck. The route offered an immense variety of differing landscape, we were often off the beaten track, on rough paths and tracks, sometimes on no path at all, there were steep rocky ascents, bogs, head-high bracken and bugs and midges to battle with, there was never a dull moment. The weather was kind to us, not a drop of rain and a dry baking heat and clear skies for much of the four days we were walking, I lost a few pounds and I'm sure we all did.

Day One took us from Stonestar in the Duddon Valley to Coniston, 15.5km over the tops of Great Stickle, Stickle Pike and Caw which at 529m was the highest top of the day though the highest point of the day was the crest of the Walna Scar Road 600m. The accompanying photos were taken by Judith and Pete, they are in chronological order and should provide both a snapshot and a flavour of our four day adventure...

Great Stickle 305m our first top of the day.

Stickle Pike 375m Reigning Peak of the Dunnerdale Fells



Alan scrambles the Pike the hard way.

Pete takes a "selfie" on Stickle Pike  

Stickle Pike looking N. towards Caw and the Coniston Fells

A break between Caw and Pikes, layers are coming off 

Looking N. from Pikes towards White Maiden, this was a pathless section though a good track below led to the Walna Scar Quarry. 

Looking S. to Caw from the Walna Scar Quarry

Pete and Bella, Colin, Ingrid, Alan, Tommy, Julie and Judith who took this selfie of the group at the Walna Scar Quarry,

Waiting for stragglers at the bridge over the Torver Beck on the Walna Scar Rd.

A Cumbrian Way Starting Point.

The starting point of the walk at Stonestar

Pete's four day walk this year is entitled "A Cumbrian Way" and takes the high road over the tops rather than the valley route of the Cumbria Way proper. Stonestar is our starting point, it is a location in the lower Duddon Valley or Dunnerdale as it is marked on the OS map, from here our first day's walk takes us to Coniston. Most of us will take a Minibus to Stonestar from Keswick for a late morning start, beginning walking probably about 10.30am. You can find Stonestar on the OS. SW sheet of  "The English Lakes" at SD202912. From here there is an old drove track, pictured above, that gives access to the Dunnerdale Fells, the upland area east of the lower Duddon. If you have a copy of A Wainwright's "The Outlying Fells of Lakeland" you'll find more details of the Dunnerdale Fells on page 132.

A Cumbrian Way...30 June to 3 July 2015, If you want to come contact Pete or Lyn by phone, text or email or just drop in.