Route: High Pike (Caldbeck)
Area: Northern Lake District
Date of walk: 21st March 2014
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 5.5 miles
Ascent: 1,200 feet
Weather: sunny spells, very windy, some hail and snow
High Pike is one of the most northerly of all the lakeland fells and is located in a vast area known as ‘Back o’Skiddaw’ which is quite unlike the rest of the Lake District – a lonely wilderness where you can walk all day and hardly see another soul. It’s a wonderful place
I parked on the common at Calebreck and followed gentle paths and tracks to the top of the fell. It was easy going, save for the gale force winds blowing towards me. There was plenty of evidence of the mining activity which once took place here
In addition to the usual summit cairn, it’s a surprise to find a stone bench at the top. After admiring the views for a while I descended in the direction of Miton Hill, then headed along the bank of Carrock Beck back to the start
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)
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Red squirrel in the garden this morning
Yum, breakfast!
The start of the walk at Calebreck
I follow an easy track uphill
Looking east across to the Pennines
Looking back to the start
There was plenty of evidence of mining activity for which this fell was once so renowned
The ever changing skies were a feature of this walk
A passing shower of hail and snow
Summit of High Pike ahead
Looking towards Skiddaw, the stone bench at the summit in memory of Mick Lewis who died in 1944 aged 16
Summit cairn, looking towards Carrock Fell
Carrock Fell
Looking back to High Pike
Looking east towards the Pennines
Skiddaw
Descending along the flanks of Miton Hill
Carrock Beck
Almost back to the start at Calebreck
Shortly after leaving Calebreck, I stopped the car to admire this view of the eastern fells
