Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Harter Fell & Bridge Surveys

Today we headed over to Eskdale to climb Harter Fell & complete some bridge surveys. To climb the fell we parked across the road from Wha House (where Karen stayed when she found & bought our house)
A short walk though the woods to begin with
The trees seem to be entwined here
Further up the valley is Bow Fell
Sca Fell to the left
Green Crag which we walked in October 2008.
The Wasdale screes from their other side are the fells in the distance
What's that in the sky?
After 6 days our first vapour trails
Some interesting rocks, more suited to the Glyders in North Wales
The fell in the distance is Black Combe
The last section quite steep
Skirting around these crags
Duddon Sands in the distance
We make it up to the summit, Harter Fell 653m, it is one of those fells that you can't see the summit until you are right at it - thanks Crag!
Bess looking across to Sca Fell & Scafell Pike
Starting the descent we find another shorter but steeper route off
Across the valley is Blea Tarn which we will climb to for our surveys later
Looking back up at Harter Fell
Descending back into the trees
Cooling off & a drink in the beck
We then drove to Boot, we have never taken the road to the hamlet & were surprised at the houses & shops there
This was peat farming area, these derelict cottages
Harter Fell & Boot
We then had a walk along what appeared to be a very old wall
Harter Fell & Green Crag
The first bridge to survey
More cottages, the one to the right has a new roof on it, so may be being used
A panorama of Sca Fell around to Green Crag
Blea Tarn
The next bridge
We forgot the GPS, but took a bearing from the second bridge to the third & searched for it, we are pretty sure this is where it once was, you can see the abutments. We will check with the park & if its not the right spot we will head back with the GPS.
Walking back to Blea Tarn
I am getting really tired now, I think I will hang onto this stick for a while
We think we have found an excellent wild camping spot here for when the nights get warmer
The 3:50 departure from Dalegarth, the Lal Ratty steams its way back to Ravenglass
Everyone is watching it pass below us
Passing Beckfoot station
A great couple of walks in the glorious sunshine & two exhausted dogs tonight
Finally a few pictures of the hedge we laid last month that is starting to burst back into life. We were back volunteering at Ennerdale again yesterday. This time without the BBC.

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