Date & Time: Saturday 1st March 2008. 11.45 am start.

Location of Start : The car park in Watendlath Village, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 276 163 )

Places visited : Watendlath, High Tove, Armboth Fell, Fisher Crag, back to High Tove and reverse our upward route, back to the car.

Walk details : 4.25 mls, 1375 ft of ascent, 4 hrs 20 mins.

Highest point : High Tove, 1689 ft ( 515m)

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

Weather : Overcast with a dash of sun and a dash of rain, mixed with strong winds. Shaken not stirred.

"Well I've done my boots " A laid back Watendlath start

 

 

A poor forecast encouraged us to stay off the high fells today.Jill needed four tops in this area to reduce her fast diminishing list of Wainwright summits that still remain to be climbed.

High winds and recent wet weather suggested that High Seat and Ullscarf may be difficult to get to so we decided to restrict ourselves to the two lower fells that lie in a direct line from Watendlath.

After leaving the village, the path quickly climbs up a well pitched path,

zig-zagging its way up towards High Tove as directly as zig zag paths can.

Here we are looking back down on Watendlath hamlet as we near the fell gate.

   
Jill climbs the beautifully pitched path.
A brief shower encourages the rest of us into waterproofs.
   

The damaged slate signpost just above the fell gate.

 

One of these days I'll take a piece of wood and a few screws to fix it.

It shouldn't take long as the slate is ready drilled.

 

In the mean time

the piled stones maintain the dignity of the old signpost.

Ether Knott and Brown Dodd are the crags opposite in a patch of sunlight as we look northward to Causey Pike and Barf in the far distance.

The sun is out but the waterproofs stay on as protection against the strong winds.

We knew it would be damp underfoot !

We reach the fence that traverses the high ground adjacent to High Tove summit cairn (seen behind).

Sun on distant Heron Pike but Seat Sandal is in the shade as we reach the windy High Tove.

The dogs look hopeful as John explores the contents of his sandwich box.

The summit looks slightly more impressive from below.

Our route continued on, down the opposite side of the fell on a rather damp bridle way towards Thirlmere.

Two thirds of the way down we branch right, across the tussock grass, making for our next summit of Armboth Fell.

Tough going in the damp conditions.

John suggests a suitable place to cross without getting our boots even wetter.

The rocky summit of Armboth behind blends into the general fell side most of the time, but this approach makes it stand out as a separate top.

Jill has the honour of first, sorry second, to the summit.

Jill holds her hat, as a gust of wind tries to take it from her.

Click here or on the photos above for a short video

( The 1/2 min video should open a new window and play in your Windows Media Player)

( It may take a minute or so to download on slower connection speeds - please be patient )

@ 2008 Loweswatercam.co.uk

The rest of the summiteers, John, Jo and Ann.

Lunchtime.

John just realises he fed the wrong sandwich to the dogs on High Tove !

With Thirlmere Reservoir so close and plenty of time left, we continue our descent towards the east to catch the view.

The sun is shining on Birk Side, the Helvellyn ascent route from Wythburn Church, seen here above the forested Hause Point.

John makes his way over to the grass and tree covered Fisher Crag, just the other side of the forest wall.

Browncove Crags and the Helvellyn ascent path via Lower Man are opposite us now.

The northern end of Thirlmere with Great How and Raven Crag to the right and left of the dam wall.

Two locals whose peace and quiet was disturbed by our arrival.

Hawes How Island far below, as Jo she reaches Fisher Crag summit.

It has a surprisingly large cairn for such a small unfrequented top.

Forestry clearance is very obvious across the lake below Swirls car park.

An unnamed promontory far below us as we stand on this impressive viewpoint.

Time to return, and we made our way across rather difficult ground towards the stream.

The High Tove bridle way is on the opposite side.

Armboth Summit is in the distance as we climb back up the wet path to High Tove again.

Back to the gate and a last look at the view on the eastern side before we make our way back down to Watendlath.

Best foot forward . . .

After the sheltered eastern slopes we are back into the strong westerly winds.

Just the zig zag path and we'll be down to the car.

Part of the legend of Watendlath revolves around the Herries Chronicle books.

Watendlath Farm was the "literary" home of Judith Paris.

The Packhorse Bridge at Watendlath.

Cool weather and a closed tearoom means there are not many people about today and the seat remains unused.

Could these be more literary characters ? . . .

but it's the wrong valley for Jemima Puddle Duck, and certainly for Peter Rabbit escaping under the garden gate !

 

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my Canon G7 or Ann's Ixus Digital cameras.

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

This site best viewed with . . . an anemometer to measure the wind speed.

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Previous walk - 27th Feb 2008 Wetherlam via Steel Edge

A previous time up here - 10th Nov 2007 Great Crag and Grange Fell