Author Topic: TR High Seat, High Tove, Armboth Fell, Bell Crags wild camp Sat 9 Jun 18  (Read 2196 times)

April

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On Saturday we planned quite a short walk at 6 miles for 2 reasons. I had strained my lower back during the week and I wasn't sure how it would be. It was fine when I was walking but it seized up once I sat down for any length of time. Also the weather wasn't forecast to be very good with heavy showers possible and we wanted to get the tent up before it rained. We needed somewhere off the beaten track and I thought Bell Crags (or Blea Tarn Fell is the Birkett name) near Ullscarf would fit the bill.
We got the 78 to the bottom of Ashness Road at Barrow Bay and walked up to Ashness Bridge

Skiddaw above Ashness Bridge


Although hazy this is one of the best shots I've ever taken here, Skiddaw is nearly always covered in clag.
We were going up to High Seat first and turned left on the footpath up by Barrow Beck. I'd always thought this was Ashness Gill but that name doesn't appear on the map until above the waterfall.

Nice views across Derwent Water


It was baking hot on the climb, very little wind and we were overheating. We decided very slow progress was the order of the day and we took our time. We were overtaken by 2 people who looked at least 10 years older than us and they were quickly out of sight  :-[ We did laugh a bit, we are not used to the heat, perhaps they cope with it better than us.

On the traverse path to the waterfall


There wasn't much water in the waterfall, no more than a trickle, the photo wasn't worth showing! We'd topped up our water supply on Ashness Gill before we started on the stone steps up to Dodd

Beefy on Dodd


A rather murky view of Glaramara and Great Gable above Grange Fell


Follow the yellow brick road to High Seat ahead


The ground was very dry everywhere, normally a bit more boggy squelchy stuff up here.

Beefy on High Seat


It had taken 2 hours to get there and when I planned the route I had estimated 2 hours as a guide time so we hadn't walked as slowly as I thought. There was more breeze on the top and we were grateful for it. Dark cloud had appeared overhead and we wondered if we were going to get a drenching. The forecast had also said there was a small risk of an isolated thunderstorm. We weren't overly concerned about being struck by lightning, we just didn't want to get too wet before we pitched the tent.

The NW fells from High Seat


We had some lunch in the shelter below the summit, we heard a distant rumble of thunder and we had a few spits and spots of rain. After we scoffed our lunch we crossed the Pewits, totally different today than it normally is, thanks to Jontea for the info  O0 A dreaded mire normally which is pure torture. Today very dry, no bog hopping on big diversions around wet boggy bits. Bill Birkett once wrote about the ground around High Tove that "wet feet are guaranteed"; well Mr Birkett, we want our money back  :D

Beefy on High Tove with Armboth Fell in view behind our next fell


Beefy on Armboth Fell


I've never seen this little top so busy, a group of walkers were on the way up on to the top so we quickly took some shots and left, heading south toward Bell Crags.

Looking back at Armboth Fell with the group of walkers on the top


We carried on descending pathless over rough ground toward a wall and crossing a beck before coming to a fence.

On the way to Bell Crags


I'm using the name Bell Crags because it is shorter than Blea Tarn Fell  :)

Deer!


We spotted a herd of deer, fantastic.

More of the deer seen on the horizon


They had noticed our presence and were off like a shot. We crossed the fence and started climbing up onto Bell Crags

Looking back, Launchy Tarn in view


We'd climbed up alongside a beck meaning to get water from it for our camp but it didn't look very nice. We would see what the water was like in the tarns on the top instead.

Beefy on Bell Crags


This wasn't the highest ground where the cairn was, a rock tor was higher.

Water source


That'll do and just below the summit

Dollywaggon Pike, Fairfield and Seat Sandal in the sunshine


We walked over to the rock tor and looked around for a pitch

The rock tor and highest point on Bell Crags


The view from the summit toward Armboth Fell and High Seat


A very sturdy sheep fold can be seen from the summit.

We found a good pitch in between the cairn and rock tor. We'd been lucky, only a few spits and spots of rain at times and we were getting in the tent dry. It was 3.30 and a bit early but this area isn't visited that often and we saw nobody at all in the time we were pitched here.

The MSR on Bell Crags. Thats Helvellyn behind


There were a lot of midges about, there was no wind hardly. We got some spray on but the blighters were still very annoying. It started to rain so we sheltered inside the tent until it stopped about 45 minutes later. There were a couple of rumbles of thunder but too far away to be of any concern. We'd got some water from the tarn when the rain stopped, it was actually very clear for tarn water, we expected it to be brown! We got it on to filter and got our gear unpacked.

The sun came out, how nice


We'd wondered if we would get a sunset, there might be a chance. We had our tea sitting outside at first but the midges were swarming around us and landing in our food. We got in the tent to escape them to finish our tea. We had minestrone soup and noodles, baked beans and roast vegetable cous cous and a packet of crisps. Gourmet camping food  :D We opened some wine and waited for the sun set.

The sun starts to set to the right of Grisedale Pike


We went outside again as the wind had picked up a little and it kept the midges at bay

Lovely sunset colours


Last shot of the sunset


The sun went down behind cloud rather than a fell, it was a better sunset than we thought we would get. We finished our wine and went to sleep happy with our camp, we hadn't got wet and it was good to be out again, we'd missed camping last week. Our route was Barrow Bay bus stop - Ashness Bridge - Dodd - High Seat - High Tove - Armboth Fell - Bell Crags. 10km with 744m ascent. My lower back had been fine all day when I was walking, it was only when I sat down and tried to get up again that I had a problem  :(
Hate will never win

beefy

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great tr again Ape O0
we got a sunset after all,
and those deer were great to see,
shame we didnt get closer to them,
fancy a wc this weekend :D

Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

photonut

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Fantastic TR April.  Your pic looking across Derwentwater to Skiddaw is a belter  O0

The Pewitts.... dry!!!... who'd have thought it :D

Were you able to walk directly from High Tove to Armboth or did you use a little bit (approx. 200m) of the path to Cockrigg Crag then veer off right to Armboth?

Cheers
Lee

pdstsp

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Looks like a cracking trip - and how I wish I'd waited till now to do that route - the Pewits dry!  Looks like you had better weather than me on Saturday - I was on The Nab and got quite wet - and the midges were out in force - very time I stopped to put on or take off waterproofs they ate me alive.

photonut

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...  Looks like you had better weather than me on Saturday - I was on The

Did you run (I mean go as fast as you can) over the private land this time?  ;D
« Last Edit: 09:12:34, 13/06/18 by photonut »

Dovegirl

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Wonderful photos April     :)    I especially like the first one

April

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fancy a wc this weekend :D

I do but it looks like we might get wet on Saturday  :(

Were you able to walk directly from High Tove to Armboth or did you use a little bit (approx. 200m) of the path to Cockrigg Crag then veer off right to Armboth?

We did descend toward Cockrigg Crag for a short time before veering off right but only because the ground was too rough to take a direct route. We joined a path eventually. We could see the group of walkers that were behind us on this path nearer to High Tove. I think there could be a better path if you head south from High Tove for a while then veer left on this path, I think that is what the group did? They were quicker than us.

Looks like you had better weather than me on Saturday - I was on The Nab and got quite wet - and the midges were out in force

Yes, we were lucky with the weather on Saturday, not so much on Sunday  ;)

Did you do The Nab on the good boys route or the naughty boys route?  ;)

Thanks Dovegirl  :)
Hate will never win

pdstsp

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Ha - I did the good boys' route, and took a picture of myself giving the estate a Churchill like "salute" from the top. :P

April

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I did the good boys' route, and took a picture of myself giving the estate a Churchill like "salute" from the top. :P

 ;D

I still believe it has nowt to do with leaving the deer in peace on that fell. How do the deer know the area there is their "sanctuary"? I have rarely seen deer on The Nab itself, maybe twice, but regularly see big herds of them elsewhere from Brock Crags to Place Fell.
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pdstsp

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I agree, though I got lucky - I came across three separate groups, and they seemed less skittish than normal - probably took one look at the sweaty mess I was in and realised I posed no threat!

jontea

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Ah......so that’s what it looks like without the clag  ;D


Excellent trip report April and I really appreciate seeing those photos  :)


I see those midges got up close and personal with you guys as well.  :tickedoff:


Thanks for sharing, and look forward to the next one  O0
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adalard

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Great TR, April,  and beautiful photos as usual.  O0


I absolutely love that the deer on the horizon, fantastic - I especially like the way the one on the left has its head at a quizzical angle.  :)


And what a lovely end to the day - midges aside! That picture when the sun came out!  O0

sunnydale

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Lovely photos as always April O0
***Happiness is only a smile away***

Mel

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Great trip report and pics April.  I love the shot of the group of deer  O0

April

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@ pdstsp  ;D it was hot at the weekend, we were melting too

I see those midges got up close and personal with you guys as well.  :tickedoff:

Thanks jontea, aye bleddy hundreds of them  >:(

That picture when the sun came out!  O0

Thanks adalard, it was lovely to see the sun after the rain  :)

Thanks sunnydale and Mel  O0



Hate will never win

 

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