" Barrow Firsts for Ann and Ian "

Date & start time: Monday 6th June 2011, 3.50 pm start.

Location of Start : Road End, High Coledale, Braithwaite, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 230 232 )

Places visited : High Coledale, Barrow Door, Barrow and back.

Walk details : 2.85 mls, 1100 ft of ascent, 2 hrs 5 mins.

Highest point : Barrow Fell 1,494ft - 455m

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

Weather : A delightful, sunny afternoon but with a slight breeze at times.

An afternoon walk up Barrow gives Ann a successful 1st Wainwright fell climbed after her recent minor knee op

and Ian a successful 1st fell on his third round, having completed his 'Wainwright 428' on Blencathra recently.

Me . . . I was there enjoying a nice afternoon walk out on the fells too.

Parking on the roadside towards High Coledale, at the top of Braithwaite Village.

Harry and Bethan made a new friend locally but he wasn't available to join us for the walk.

The prospect of a good walk ahead . . . up towards the instantly recognisable Causey Pike

but turning left before then, up the skyline to Barrow Fell.

A we climbed the track to the old farm we passed a covered reservoir, looking a little like a Tele-tubbies house.

The view back down into the valley as we climbed was improving all the time.

Click here or on the photo above for a larger Loweswatercam panorama

High Coledale Farm . . . now very much a ruin.

On a dark night I could just imagine the 'Hounds of the Baskervilles' loose in the grounds !

Today is beautifully sunny though and we walk on towards our goal.

The path up to Barrow Door can be seen climbing across the fell ahead of Ann and Ian.

Must be near the hause now as we've entered the heather covered section.

Ahead the dogs wait to check out which way we plan to go.

We did tell them but I don't think they really understood, let alone remembered.

This section of the walk was accompanied by delightful birdsong . . .	from a Wheatear . . . thanks to Rosalie Gibb for the identification.

Climbing up from Barrow Door where our path, had we continued on,

would have taken us over to Stoneycroft Gill and up towards Outerside.

Zooming in over the flanks of Maiden Moor we can clearly see Esk Pike and Bowfell.

The fires of 2003 are just a memory now as all the vegetation has grown back.

In the distance we have clear views of the Helvellyn range and the pointed summit of Catstycam beyond.

This was Ian's first Wainwright fell of his third round . . . give us a big 'one' Ian.

It was a bit windy up here as I asked Ann to pose for a photo too.

[ Hold your cursor over the picture to help Ann with her hat.]

Try again . . . Give us a 'One' . . . after numerous attempts we eventually got there !

[ Good job we're shooting on digital and not old fashioned film ]

Captions please . . . I can't remember what was going on !

Harry waits near the summit as Ann catches a photo looking across to Bass Lake.

Meanwhile I take the chance to get a full panorama.

Click here or on the photo above for a Loweswatercam 360 degree annotated photo.

On the way down the ridge of Barrow, heading for Braithwaite.

In the background is Blencathra and the town of Keswick.

Zooming in on Keswick and the recent tree felling on Swinside.

Across the Newlands Valley from Barrow are the Yewthwaite Mines

tucked in the gap between Catbells and Maiden Moor.

Immediately below us is Uzzicar and the surface remains of the deep Barrow Lead Mines.

Ian and I heading down to the notch in the Barrow ridge.

This marks the upper reaches of the Barrow mine complex.	On the left side, some of the mine waste is scattered down the fell.

We turn left and contour across the side of the fell to regain the upward path we used earlier.

A surprisingly deep ravine here at the head of Barrow Gill.

Looking back at Ian and Ann.

Cotton Grass on a particularly damp section . . .	. . . and Harry in an even wetter section of the gill.

Look . . . I can jump cross the gill with my hands in my pockets !

A level path heads for the old farm building in the trees ahead so and gets us back on the track to the car.

- - - o o o - - -

On the way home we call in at Whinfell Hall Farm in Lorton to buy some free-range eggs and home-made marmalade.

Fancy some duck eggs too ?	Huh . . . I was going to keep those for myself.

Well Jemima . . . cheer up . . . Just be thankful you're not a pig and that we didn't call in for the last item on that signboard !

- - - o o o - - -

Whinfell Hall Farm also has a campsite and now the Low Lorton Bridge has been rebuilt the campsite is once again easy to get to.

It's less than a mile from the Wheatsheaf pub in Lorton Village and less than 20 yards from the free range eggs !

Check here for the campsite details and phone number

- - - 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 sustainable free range egg selection available locally.

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

Previous walk - 2nd June 2011 Mellbreak with the Family

A previous time up here - 4th/5th August 2003 George Fisher Training with Ken Ledward

Next walk - 9th June 2011 George Fisher Geocache evening