Stickle and Caw 'figure of eight'

Date & start time: Saturday 13th March 2010, 1 pm start.

Location of Start : Roadside on Kiln Bank road, Duddon Valley , Cumbria, Uk ( SD 215 933 )

Places visited : Stickle Pike, Tarn Hill, Great Stickle, back to the car, Park Head Track to Caw Fell and back. a second time.

Walk details : 6.25 mls, 1850 ft, 4 hrs 50 mins including lunch.

Highest point : Caw Fell ( a Wainwright outlier) 1720 ft ( 529m)

Walked with : Jo, Ann and the dogs, Jodie, Amber, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Fine and dry but with variable amounts of cloud.

A trip to the south west of the Cumbrian Lakes to climb two minor peaks.

Despite their size, they are deserving of praise as the walking through undulating countryside and rough crags is of top quality

We travel down the west coast of Cumbria and then cross the Corney Fell Road to reach our destination.

Stickle Pike is the lower fell in shadow and Caw is behind it to the left, rather hidden in front of the other Coniston Fells.

[ Please excuse the 'Elastoplast' on the car's front wing . . . we don't talk about it . . . but rest assured it was nothing to do with Ann ! ]

A wide angle shot of the high fells . . . from Scafell to Coniston Old Man

Zooming in on Scafell and the Pike (in cloud), Ill Crag, Esk Pike and Bowfell.

Still plenty of snow up there . . . and a brisk north westerly blowing the clouds across too.

Our route to the Duddon Valley included a minor detour as no one was map reading

but it did mean we passed this delightful old farm house of Lumholme near Broughton Mills.

In the layby where we took the previous shot - early daffodils.	Car parking today on the hause of Kiln Bank.

- - - o o o - - -

A relaxed day in respect of planning and it was only once we were out of the car that the initial route was decided.

First the ascent of Stickle Pike, stopping off briefly at Stickle Tarn.

Dramatic and dynamic clouds fly by above the small upland tarn.

2 ducks, 2 dogs, 2 girls.

Ann chooses the main cairn as I stand back on the secondary top.

We swap places which gave me the chance to photograph the Duddon Estuary behind her as well.

Jo stands on the southern viewpoint with her two dogs, Amber and Jodie.

Looking back at Stickle Tarn, the Stainton Ground Quarries and the cloud capped Caw Fell.

We walked Stickle Pike first and keep Caw summit for later in the afternoon.

With the delightful prospect of the Dunnerdale Fells below us

we decide to extend the walk to include the trig point on Great Stickle which, confusingly, is lower than Stickle Pike.

Harry and Bethan wait as we descend from the Pike.

Duddon Valley is spread out below and the road over to Eskdale disappears into the distance behind them.

Presumably Tarn Hill is named as a result of the fact . . .	. . . that there are lots of tarns on it.

Great Stickle ahead.

A white painted trig point, but only painted on three sides.

The fourth side, facing away from the road below, failed to qualify for that moral boosting look.

Bethan claims the high ground much to Harry's dismay.

The stony ground around the trig meant that she had to have a hand up this time.

Looking back at Stickle Pike . . . but what caught our eye was that lumpy summit in the background.

It turned out to be Green Crag, normally climbed from the Eskdale Valley.

A low level return towards Stickle Pike.

We pass on climbing the Pike again

but our route does take us past Stickle Tarn a second time.

Oh good . . . another chance to cool the feet !

Back to the car but no stopping this time as we continue past it, heading for the distant summit of Caw Fell.

No-one was more confused than the dogs who walked directly to the back of the car and expected it to be opened for them.

With Stickle Pike at out backs

we continue on the Park Head Track towards Caw.

After passing Brock Barrow on our left

we diverted on a path that traversed across into the valley towards our second major summit of the day.

Intermittent sunshine added wonderful colour to this and the distant fells.

The prominent Harter Fell however was having none at this point.

Deciding on a full frontal ascent of Caw we climbed steadily,

the false summits and steep ground sapping our strength, until the summit cairn finally came in sight.

Jo doing a bit of " hug-the-trig " in appreciation of actually making it to the top.

[ p.s. We chose this picture of a half size trig in order to make Jo appear bigger that she actually is ! . . . stands back ready to take the flack ]

The view from here extends along the Coniston range of White Maiden, Walna Scar, Dow Crag and the Old Man

then veers round left to take in Crinkles, Bowfell, Esk Pike and the Scafells.

Caw is a really good viewpoint.

Lovely cloud effects as we stop for a snack,

lunch having been taken on Great Stickle some time back.

Multi layered clouds over the Duddon Estuary.

Reversing our upward route we drop back down through the crags on a reasonable if rather faint path.   - - - - o o o - - -   In the distance is Stickle Pike and the car is on the hause just short of that ascent.

Two delightful Wainwright Outlying Fells completed . . .

just in time too as the summit of Caw is once again shrouded in mist.

On the way back we passed the sheep feeding beneath Brock Barrow.

Ann did start counting how many there were but she fell asleep !

Yes . . . this time we will stop at the car . . . as it is the end of the walk.

- - - o o o - - -

All good walks are followed by some form of refreshment

and as we were an hour or so away from home we stopped off at the Newfield Arms

in Duddon's Seathwaite Village.

Two Lasagne, one Scampi and three portions of chips . . . that will do nicely.

[ We even had a few chips over for the dogs ]

Full marks to the Newfield Inn for their hospitality.

Now for that slightly longer than normal drive home.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon 75 or my Canon G10 digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a doggy bag (serviette) for the left-overs.

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Previous walk - 9th March 2010 Lily Tarn and Loughrigg Fell

A previous time up here - 16th January 2007 Stickle Pike and Caw with Sean

Next walk - 14th March 2010 Catbells from Little Town