" Sunset and Grike Fell " at EveryTrail
 

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

 

Pictures this time from a short winter day.

Ann and I headed west again on a cold afternoon, to enjoy the views from Grike Fell above Ennerdale.

This time the weather was excellent from start to finish and we were able to enjoy the sun throughout all but the last few minutes of the walk.

The Cold Fell road, south of Ennerdale Bridge, looking west to Dent Fell and Flat Fell,

seen here at the start of the track we normally use to walk to Whoap and Lank Rigg.

This time we plan a shorter walk up to Grike via Blakeley Rise.

As we start the climb we can look down into the Nannycatch Valley where the frost still holds in the valley bottom.

Up here however, we are enjoying blue skies and wall to wall sunshine.

It is cold though . . . note the hat and gloves.

The dogs don't care . . . they are just pleased to be out !

Having climbed the steep part of the 'rise' the grass levels out

and we get views across to a rather different view of Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag.

Looking back into the afternoon sun we get views of the Irish Sea

and of course the Sellafield Nuclear Reprocessing Plant.

Apart from a slight fine weather haze, we can see Scotland across the Solway

from the top of the first minor summit, Blakeley Rise.

The woodland alongside this fence has gone

so we have a clear view across to Knock Murton where we were the other day.

The view ahead has changed considerably in recent years

with the removal of most of the forest from the side of Grike Fell as well.

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

At the small sheep fold there used to be a dark forest track through to the other side of the forest.

The gate is still there but the forest has gone (hold your cursor over the picture to see the change).

The hundred yard cross-track leads onto the new forest road that was built to clear the trees.

I hope they are going to re-plant the abandoned forest as it looks a real mess at present.

Technically that last photo also proves a navigation error . . .

as we ended up on the lower, curved forest road instead of the old fell track seen here on the right.     

We chose the narrowest part and crossed the rough ground between and started up Grike Fell through the gate in the centre of the picture.

Over the rickety stile on the way up the final climb and we find ourselves on the summit.

The large wind shelter is on the left, the summit cairn on the right.

Ahead are the high fells that border the southern side of Ennerdale.

Great Gable (to the north) is starting to gather a little cloud . . . Pillar and Steeple would be engulfed before the end of the walk.

A close up of the snowy fells . . . less white due to the partial thaw caused by the recent mild weather.

Closer still . . . a view of Black Crag and Steeple Fell before the clouds finally roll in.

Click here or on the photo above for a Loweswatercam wider annotated panorama

Time for a last look around . . . this time across the Solway at Criffel . . . before we turn for home.

An hour out . . . an hour back . . . we should just make it before the sun sets.

Time to be off . . .

Lovely colours ahead as we enjoy the walk back.

As we re-climb Blakeley Rise the sun has set behind the low cloud

and the lights of Sellafield are starting to be turned on.

Four o'clock and the morning shift are ending their working day.	Rush Hour on the Cold Fell Road.

One last view before we descend the grass back to the car.