Date & Time: Friday 13th April 2007. 4 pm start.

Location of Start : Blakeley Common on the Cold Fell road, Ennerdale, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 143 211 )

Places visited : Blakeley Rise, Crag Fell, Grike and return to the car via Blakeley Rise again.

Walk details : 5.5 mls, 1225 ft of ascent , 3 hrs.

Walked with : Jo and her dogs, Ann and ours.

Weather : A warm, hazy late afternoon.

The sign post estimating our walk at 3 miles each way.

 

After a busy day we decided to go for a late afternoon walk and chose a western fell in order to appreciate the late sunshine.

Jo had not climbed Crag Fell which overlooks Ennerdale, but we decided to walk it from the Cold Fell road to the west, and to include Grike Fell as part of the return route for today.

We leave the car parked on the side of the Cold Fell road, on the moorland to the south of Ennerdale Bridge village.

Meadley Reservoir is seen, and somewhere out there is the coast of western Cumbria.

We were following a route suggested by David Hall on his web site. He walked it on a fine evening last month.

This afternoon we took the same route more or less, but suffered inferior views due to the high pressure gloom.

This is the top of Blakeley Rise. the corner post seems to have gained a sheep's skull in the last few weeks.

We needed to cross through the forestry and found this convenient gate and gap in the forest.

Rather than climb Grike on the way out we deferred the pleasure and continued on the moorland track towards Crag Fell.

Passing the weather station and transmitter, we crossed onto the open moorland through this well placed gate.

Normally we would expect a fine view up the Ennerdale Valley, but it was not to be this afternoon.

Jo points out Great Borne and Starling Dodd across the lake.

Ann and Jo, with a hazy Knock Murton behind.

Below is Anglers Crag and the Crag Fell Pinnacles overlooking the lake.

Close up on the Pinnacle Rocks below. They are about ten to twelve feet high.

Making our way back now, this is a retrospective view of Crag Fell after we passed the weather station a second time.

Grike summit is blessed with not only a summit cairn but also a substantial summit shelter

but there was no need of protection today as it was a warm, calm evening.

From Grike we needed to get back on the moorland track, and someone had constructed a stile in the last few days.

The wood was new and the sawdust fresh. Were we fortunate in being one of the first people to use it, or was it just replacing an old one ?

Catching an action shot as Bethan crosses the stile.

Jodie the lurcher jumped it from a standing start without even touching the cross bar !

   
The bridle way skirted the woodland . . .
. . . but we retraced our route back through the forest gate.

Heading west into the sunset, we feel moved to burst into song . . .

"Bring me sunshine . . . . "

Eat your heart out Eric and Ernie, and John Wayne.

   
Back near the car we met a herd of 16 fell ponies . . .
. . . two of whom were delightful piebald colours.

Sunset over the Kinniside Stone Circle close to the car.

Standing stones and a setting sun.

The delightful end of a busy day.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon G7 Digital camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . an inspirational choice for a late afternoon walk.

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Previous walk - 12th April 2007 Haystacks with Gavin Bell

A previous time up here - 29th May 2005 Grike and Crag hill with friends and relations

Previous walk - 18th April 2007 Sale Fell from Wythop Church