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"  Round Mellbreak with Jack and Catherine "

Date & start time: Monday  8th August 2016,  2.15 pm start.

Location of Start : The red phone box, Loweswater , Cumbria, Uk ( NY 143 211 )

Places visited : Low Park, High Park, Ling Crag, Scale Force, the Holly Tree and Kirkstile.

Walk details :    6.75 mls, 600 feet of ascent, 3 hours 20 mins.

Highest point : The boggy hause around the  back of Mellbreak (1500 ft. asl.)

Walked with : Jack, Catherine and Dylan the dog.

Weather : Blue skies and summer clouds . . . travelling light.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

A family week in Loweswater this week as my son and his fiancé are staying at the cottage.

Our grandson and his girlfriend were also up in the Lakes for a week and call over for a visit to the 'old folk' in Loweswater.

They all requested a walk with a waterfall if possible, but each had their own idea of what they wanted to see and do.

Ann took Gareth, Rhian and Harry up to Newlands Pass to see Moss Force

and Jack, Catherine and I, with Dylan, set off towards Crummock Water for a slightly longer walk.

Across the fields for a change . . . staying low and heading for the lower slopes of Mellbreak.

Panoramic views don't all have to be from high summits . . . here's one from the valley floor.

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

The local farmer is repairing flood damaged fences alongside Park Beck.

The long red arm on the tractor is an hydraulic hammer for bashing in new fence posts.

High Park House has an old mullion-windowed frontage and is kept in lovely period style.

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The road past Low Park,

changes to a track past High Park

and then to a footpath out onto the fellside.

 

Follow the old sign by the last gate . . .

 

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From the high ground at this end of the Mellbreak we gain our first full length view of Crummock Water.

Keeping to the upper path and looking back here at the northern end of the lake where the River Cocker starts its journey to the sea.

Summer clouds in the sky cast clear shadows on the fells, shadows which gradually drift across the landscape.

Sometimes the clouds are directly overhead . . .

. . . and we are caught under one of those shadows where the temperature drops a few degrees.

A gentle buzz of an aircraft heralds . . .
. . . the passing of an RAF Tucano prop trainer.

Warmth returns once more as we approach Low Ling Crag, the tombolo headland that juts out into the lake.

Time for a walk onto the headland but we pass on having a swim today.

Dylan appears to be wetter than a few moments ago so probably he was the exception that proved the rule.

Beyond Ling Crag we continue our walk around the back of Mellbreak

gradually climbing up past the old homesteads with ancient walled enclosures and outlines of possible buildings.

On the southern (Red Pike) side of the valley is a wooded cleft in the hillside

that hides the Lake District's highest single span waterfall . . . Scale Force.

The rock step on the left is a slippery climb . . .
. . . but with care and good handholds it is conquered.
   
Jack wanted to get as close as possible . . .
. . . dry feet but wet hair and t-shirt !
   

.

Click on the start button to see the 30 second video of the falls. 

The size can be appreciated by zooming out the picture.
Now to face the slippery scramble back down !

Back out in the sunshine and we grab a small snack before we move on . . . it's tough all this exploring !

The red on the Buttermere path comes from local iron ore in the ground but although the vein was explored it was never found to be economic.

The second half of our journey round Mellbreak starts with a steep pull up towards Floutern Moss

diverting slightly across the top of a landslide that occurred a few years back.

A slightly awkward stream crossing . . .
. . . and a " don't photograph me in case I fall in " sort of face.

Safely over and up the other bank and we are at the gate

beyond which the path to the southern end of Mellbreak breaks away to the right.

Looking back at our route so far . . . and on the other side we can still see the wooded cleft

that holds the Scale Force waterfall and above it the very top of Red Pike summit can just be seen.

Floutern Moss in its entirety.

A large flat area of ground, 700 feet above sea level and renowned for being boggy . . . hence the name "moss".

There's a mad footpath across the middle, I always thought it would be better to walk around the edge myself.

Mad footpaths and now redundant gates.

The wire fence that crossed at this point has long since disappeared but the cast iron gate stands proudly as a memoir of olden days.

One of the few trees individually noted on the 1:25k scale Ordnance Survey map . . . so we know where we are then !

High above, too high for my basic lens . . .
. . . a bird of prey . . . a peregrine I believe.

The track back towards the valley passes quickly and in no time we're at Harry's Pool.

Dylan ran on and had a quick dip but we wish to cool down in other ways today.

The houses at Low Park, through the trees that border the lane.

Passing them means we've almost gone full circle around the base of our local fell.

Kirkgate Farm always has a nice, rustic display of summer flowers . . . this year is no exception.

The end of the walk in sight.

As cooling as a dip in a mountain stream.
On stormy days that stream is often the same peaty colour too !

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Technical note: Pictures taken with my Canon 1100D Digital SLR.

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

This site best viewed with . . . a drop of water at the far end . . . and a drop of beer at this end.

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Previous walk - 5th August 2016 - Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell

A previous time up here - Thurs 6th August 2009 Mellbreak Low Level with Jayne

Next walk - 6 - 11th August 2016 - A Week with Gareth & Rhian