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" Rest Dodd and The Nab "

Date & start time: Saturday 9th April 2011, 11.35 am start.

Location of Start : The Hartsop village car park, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 410 130 )

Places visited : Satura Crags, Rest Dodd, The Nab, Rest Dodd fell wall, Hayeswater and back via the reservoir track to Hartsop again.

Walk details : 7.5 mls, 2750 ft of ascent, 6 hrs 20 mins.

Highest point : Rest Dodd 2,278ft - 696m

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

Weather : Sunny with a warm breeze on the tops, the sun turning watery under high cloud later.

( Donations to the Village Hall fund accepted in lieu of car parking charges)

Rest Dodd and the Nab at EveryTrail
 

[ Alter the settings to zoom or change the Map, use Everytrail to download the Gps route ]

 

Joined by Ian and Jo we set off east, in fact far east . . . to the right hand side of Ullswater when looking at the map the right way up.

Today is also the 10th Anniversary of the Online Fellwalking Club where we have met and made friends with so many nice people,

including Ian and Jo, a club which has been such an influence on our walking and our time here in the Lakes.

Long may it all continue.

Ian, Jo and Ann . . . and a busy car park at Hartsop Village, the start of our walk.

Looking up the valley known as Pasture Bottom, which leads to Threshthwaite Cove at its head.

The old corn mill, note the old millstone set in the floor.
The reservoir track to Hayeswater.

We pass on that track in favour of the one to the Water Board filter house, just visible further up the valley.

After the last gate we soon leave that one as well,

choosing a path that will take us up the side of Brock Crags, seen here high above our select little group.

A few quick zig-zags across the fellside pasture and we find ourselves climbing rapidly up out of the valley.

First view of Hayeswater reservoir at the head of the track.
Pink sheep . . . the Swaledales of Hartsop.

At first the sheep ran down to join Harry and Bethan, the apparent look-alike newcomers joining their flock,

but after the realisation of their mistake, the sheep were off, back up the fell as quickly as they had arrived.

 'I can see Pasture Bottom from here'

Soon we reached the diagonal path . . . seen on the map and clearly visible on the fell side.

It would have probably been an old peat road or possible an abandoned water leat for the village below.

[ Hold your cursor over the picture to see what Ann is pointing at ! ]

The green profile of the northern end of Gray Crag.

The colour is rather washed out due to pointing the camera directly into the sunshine.

As we climbed out of the valley the wind gradually increased, as can be seen by the feminine hair styles.

The fells behind are Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield and St Sunday Crag, not to be confused with the Helvellyn group of course.

The obvious gate opening in the wall that leads onto Brock Crags

means that we have reached level ground and will have easier walking for a while.

Looking ahead, this time across the old gate on the Satura Crags side of the fell,

we can see Rest Dodd, the first planned summit of our day.

The wall that disappeared over the edge in the previous photo, can be seen continuing down the steep slope in the centre of this one.

It divides Satura Crags (on the left) and Buck Crags (on the right).

Through the gap is the obvious triangular peak of Catstycam.

That means the fell to the left of Catstycam is Helvellyn . . . easy isn't it !

Easy walking now up the grassy slope of Rest Dodd.

A wide half-panorama just a little further on, taken while we stopped to admire the extensive view.

Click here or on the photo above for another excellent Loweswatercam annotated panorama.

Ian looks confused as there are three summit cairns on the top of Rest Dodd.

The first on to the left an initial false summit, then there's the largest one behind it . . .

and finally this one which was definitely the highest by a few feet.

From this third one we had a lovely view down to Hayeswater once again.

This time it was reflecting the afternoon sun and sparkling beautifully.

Now stay still for a minute !

Harry and Bethan stop to enjoy the view of our next summit . . . The Nab

[ Hold your cursor over the picture to see how long they sat still for me !]

Walking DOWN to our next summit.

It was time to look around for a level patch where we could enjoy our lunch out of the breeze.

Lunch spot found . . . Ian slots into a relaxed, laid-back mood . . . one reason why walks take a little longer on sunny days.

On our way again, we reach the wall between Rest Dodd and The Nab.

Traditionally The Nab was out of bounds and any visit to the summit was technically a trespass. Nowadays with the "open access" regulations the fell has been freed up, subject to one or two slight restrictions shown on the sign.

The Nab and the Ramps Gill Valley is home to a reasonable herd of Red Deer and they are always a delight to see. The conservation area keeps disturbance of them to a minimum but they only really survive due to the commercial deer farming activities of the Dalemain Estate.

The preferred access route to the summit.
The deer seen today on the fellside opposite.

We leave the steep sides of Rest Dodd behind in favour of the flat ridge walk to The Nab.

To avoid the worst of the peat bog, we take a slightly lower path around the peat hags.

The ground is not too wet today so the diversion is not too extreme.

Walking just a little further down meant that we had a better view down into the valley too.

Back on an even keel, the girls start the slight rise towards the summit.

A self-timer shot of our group today taken on the summit . . .

As it happened, we all appreciated the top a little more today because Jo and Ian wanted it for their second round of the Wainwright tops, and we wanted it for our third. If you total them all up, we have bagged between us a total of 2008 Wainwright summits not counting the duplicates done in between completing the lists.

Ian has fourteen left for his second round, Jo seventy and Ann and I twenty four each on our third round and we haven't even counted the dogs in that total. . With them it's approximately 2527 sequential summits.

Someone pass a glass of water please after working that one out !

- - - - o o o - - -

Taking summit shots on self timer is sometimes fraught with difficulties . . .

First Ian tried to step on the lady behind . . .
. . . and then Bethan seeks his attention in her usual way !

So much for the "out-takes" . . . on with the walk.

- - - o o o - - -

A short distance on and Jo looks over the edge to admire the view down Bannerdale Valley.

A wider shot reveals Dale Head Farm on the left and the red roofed bungalows of the old Shooting Lodge on the right.

The Steel Fell ridge in the centre leads down to Hallin Fell overlooking Ullswater

and the high fells to the right are Loadpot Hill and Bonscale Fell on the High Street ridge down towards Pooley Bridge.

Ann's less formal summit shot taken on The Nab

as we return from the northern viewpoint and make our way back towards Rest Dodd.

Rather than re-climb the steep slopes we will aim for the wall and then turn,

following behind it until we reach the skyline on the right.

We take the direct route back as the conditions underfoot were relatively dry.

A quick pull up avoids a longer detour or a muddy knee.

Which way did the path go ?
Ann using on the turf islands as stepping stones.

The crossing completed, we now have the prospect of the steady climb up alongside the wall.

The view back to our recent summit.

Ian putting the effort in on the steeper section of the path.

Skirting round the southern side of Rest Dodd, the path crosses a rather damp patch of ground . . .

. . . before we go off-piste heading for Hayeswater, hidden under the side of Gray Crag ahead.

On course past the top of one small stream, heading steadily down now.

The main path down from this side of High Street and the Knott is near the second person in the photo.

The reservoir is full after the rain earlier in the week . . .

. . . but not so full that we can't take another slight diversion from the tourist route !

Jo ventures forth in search of excitement too !

Hi Ian . . . hows about this for walking on water !

"Reflections above Hayeswater"

To include Ian properly in the first picture I selected and created a small panorama of two photos.

On my first attempt I chose the wrong two photos and ended up with this surreal second shot as well . . .

Hayeswater Gill and some nice falls and rock pools on the way back down the valley.

The much photographed old barn, seen first in one of the earlier photos.

More inquisitive Swaledales . . .
. . . and a rather tired homing pigeon close to the track.

Great weather, great company and great walking on this lovely spring day.

- - - 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 . . . Haddock and chips and a pint of White Lion ale . . . after a good day on the fells.

Go to Top . . . © RmH.2011 . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 6th April 2011 Calvert Trust and Walla Crag

A previous time up here - 8th August 2006 Kidsty Pike and Red Deer on the Nab