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" Knott Rigg ~ Ard Crags "

Date & start time: Friday 10th June 2011, 3.50 pm start.

Location of Start : Newlands Pass, Buttermere, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 193 176 )

Places visited : Newlands Pass, Knott Rigg, Ard Crags and return.

Walk details : 3.6 mls, 1200 ft of ascent, 2 hrs 50 mins.

Highest point : Ard Crags 1906 ft - 581 m.

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

Weather : Overcast with heavy showers about.

 

" Knott Rigg ~ Ard Crags " at EveryTrail
 

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It was a Friday and a busy morning and poor weather kept us at home in Loweswater.

Later in the day Jo travelled over from Yorkshire for a weekend in the Lakes.

She picked up John on the way over for a walk from Newlands Pass.

We left the dry weather of Loweswater and joined them for the walk up Knott Rigg and . . . guess what . . .

. . . Ard Crags.

Distance ~ 1 and 1/5th of a mile ~ how specific is that.

Today's group photo . . . taken by Ann at Newlands Hause.

The steep initial ascent up Knott Rigg . . .
. . . gave us a great view of Moss Force opposite.

The western flanks of Robinson is drained by a small stream known as High Hole Beck

So we can give the hanging valley, the scoured out half bowl on the side of the fell, the name of High Hole.

A patch of weak sunlight illuminated the high flanks near the summit.

There's a lot of dark cloud about but the north-westerly breeze keeps the showers over the central fells, not us.

John looks across the Newlands Valley towards Keswick.

The two distant fells are Blencathra and Clough Head.

Perhaps he is checking to see if there is any sun on his home in St John's in the Vale.

That's better !

Harry poses on the rock at the top of the main climb but he's not concentrating . . . " Try looking this way !"

Hold your cursor over the picture to catch his eye.

Jo mentioned her rucksack wasn't sitting straight . . . I try to adjust it in order to make it more comfortable.

Recent training in work allows me check it out . . . " Trust me Jo, I'm a rucksack doctor !"

That looks a lot better . . . check out the smiles.

Having climbed up onto the ridge, the hard work is done

and we now have the prospect of a gentle walk along the undulating ridgeback of the two fells.

Unfortunately the wind has turned more westerly and the next rain shower is definitely heading our way

so Jo stops to put on an extra layer of clothing.

A quick summit photo at Knott Rigg before the rain reaches us.

Ard Crags ahead with a passing shower which turns Causey Pike ahead rather grey and watery.

Did I tell you it was raining . . . huh . . . just water off a sheep's back.

Still raining as we walk along towards Ard Crags.

Water on the path but the rain has stopped now we near the second summit of the day.

An interesting view almost straight down onto Keskadale Farm and the tight 'S' bend on the road below.

Brightness is spreading from the north west once again as we turn for home from the summit.

Zooming in on the coast through the Floutern Pass between Great Borne and the bump of Floutern Cop.

The dark streak just above the low point of the pass is in fact the northern peninsular of the Isle of Man.

Behind us the weather has also cleared but a residual cloud hovers under the crest of Scar Crags.

We walk back from Knott Rigg summit towards Newlands.

A brief dog-treat moment when John becomes the most popular person in the world.

All that remains is the steep descent back to the car to end the walk.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note:

For this sharp hail and rain shower Jo and Ann put on their gortex Paclite over-trousers.

John added a pair of light weight Paramo Fuera trousers and I persevered with my Hagloff Soft Shell.

Both the girls remained dry by stopping and putting on their waterproof layers.

John had proofed his 'windproof' trousers which, when he put them on over his shorts, stayed remarkably dry despite the 'non-waterproof' specification of the design.

I didn't add any layers at all ... initially the hail bounced off my soft shell trousers but as the shower turned to rain then the water repellency failed to hold back the moisture and I started to get wet. However, due to the nature of the fabric, I was still warm and by the end of the walk my soft shell trousers were drying nicely.

It all goes to show that whatever combination you chose, there is no definitive answer as to what you should wear.

 

- - - 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 choice of clothing to suit the weather.

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

Previous walk - 9th June 2011 George Fisher Geocache evening

A previous time up here - 1st February 2010 Wintery Knott Rigg and Moss Force

Next walk - 11th June 2011 Coniston Challenge ~ Carron Crag

Click here for Jo's pictures of the day !