Route: Hartsop Above How, Hart Crag, Dove Crag, Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd
Area: Eastern Lake District
Date of walk: 27th August 2013
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 7.9 miles
Ascent: 2,200 feet
The fells in question were, in order of appearance, Hartsop Above How (1,870 feet), Hart Crag (2,698 feet), Dove Crag (2,603 feet), Little Hart Crag (2,019 feet) and lastly High Hartsop Dodd (1,701 feet)
I parked at Cow Bridge just beyond Patterdale, and the climbing started immediately – a steep path up through the woods to join the ridge of Hartsop Above How. The ridge seemed to go on for miles, with numerous ups and downs. There followed another steep climb up to Hart Crag
My plan had been to descend back to the valley just after Hart Crag, but my picnic (cheese and pickle sandwiches and flapjack – what else’) must have given me an energy boost, and I made a spur of the moment decision to carry on up to Dove Crag, then back down via Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd. This detour, involving three more fells, added a couple of extra miles to the route, but it was a worthwhile investment and I was glad to have made the decision
It was a warm day but a hazy one, and once more the long distance views were very poor – a great shame. Nevertheless, it had been a most enjoyable walk
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
The car park at Cow Bridge - my path leads uphill through the woods and returns via the fork on the left
Above the woods now, and looking back over Brothers Water
I’m on the long ridge of Hartsop above How now, this is a view back towards Patterdale
Looking ahead along the ridge - the only way down (apart from turning back) is to go up to Hart Crag ahead on the skyline
On the way up to Hart Crag
Looking down to the head of Dovedale
On Hart Crag now, with a very hazy view of Windermere
The way down, via Little Hart Crag (the knobbly bit to the right) and High Hartsop Dodd
Little Hart Crag
High Hartsop Dodd - the first time I’ve jogged to a summit - thanks to gravity and the easy gradient
Descending the nose of High Hartsop Dodd, with Brothers Water ahead
This lovely view was in front of me throughout the descent
Nearly back to valley level now, and it had been interesting to watch the haymaking as I’d climbed down
It was a well planned operation - a tractor had cut the hay, and then made way for this tractor to rake it into rows….
….this one hoovers up the rows….
…then lays an egg….
….which is collected by another tractor
On with the walk, the path follows the west shore of Brothers Water
Further along the shore
Looking across Brothers Water to Hartsop Dodd
Back to the start at Cow Bridge
