Author Topic: TR Wild camp on the Burnt Horse Ridge Sat 18 to Sun 19 Aug 18  (Read 2607 times)

April

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9687
We got off the Caldbeck Rambler near Binsey Lodge on Saturday. We were going to do a few of the northern fells and pitch on the Burnt Horse Ridge. Light rain and drizzle, low cloud, along with strong winds were forecast so we knew it wasn't going to be a great day for walking.

On the footpath on our way toward Overwater Hall


Fantastic the fells were free of cloud, totally unexpected

Passing by Overwater Hall


We noticed some cows in the field and they started to run toward us. As they got closer we saw they were young bullocks. Luckily there was a prostrate tree a little to the right of us so we walked to the other side of it. It would give us some protection if they charged at us. They stopped for a while and looked at us then they raced off toward the hotel and we carried on unscathed on the footpath to Orthwaite.

Orthwaite ahead


On the way up Great Cockup, the first fell of the day, Dead Crags in view below Bakestall


It wasn't raining at this point but it was very windy

Great Cockup western top ahead


Dash Falls


Beefy on the western top of Great Cockup


Beefy on the summit of Great Cockup


It had started to rain a little now and we could see it was clagging in. We dropped down to Trusmadoor and sheltered behind the big rock near Burntod Gill to have an early lunch. We got our waterproof trews on and another layer, it felt cold now. The cloud covered all of the tops so we knew most of the day would be in clag most likely. Well at least we had one top not in clag!

Beefy in the clag on Meal Fell


Next was Great Sca Fell and the rain had got much heavier and the wind even stronger. I forgot to take a shot on the summit I was too busy studying the map and the direction we would be going in to reach Knott. I actually used my tablet and viewranger, it was quicker than getting the map out and taking a compass bearing, the weather was awful, so I cheated  ;)

Beefy on Knott


The wind and rain was in our faces as we left Knott toward Great Calva. Our morale and enjoyment of the day was at its lowest here. The wind and rain decreased as we got to the col below Great Calva and it was nice to have some respite for a while. We were getting tired as we climbed Great Calva and we saw the first person we'd seen since we got off the bus four and a half hours previously. A runner was on his way down from the summit. We had a banana break in the summit shelter and rested our legs for a while.

Beefy on Great Calva


Still no views. The wind was really strong on the top and we descended as quickly as we could toward the Skiddaw House supply road.

Beefy on the way to Skiddaw House


We saw the second lot of people here, two men with shotguns, one touched his cap when he said hello to me, very polite! We secretly hoped they weren't very good shots and whatever they wanted to shoot survived the day.

At Skiddaw House we looked back at Great Calva. Typical, now free of cloud


Looking south, High Rigg in view


On the way up the Burnt Horse Ridge


We knew Karl had pitched here before so we guessed any idiot could find a pitch here  ;) It was slow progress, the slope wasn't that steep but we were flagging a bit. We were quite dry by now, the wind had blown dry our jackets when the rain stopped.

On the Burnt Horse Ridge


We saw two more people, a couple who had descended from Lonscale Fell. 5 people in 7 and a half hours, very quiet on the fells today. We spotted a likely pitch but we needed water so we dropped down to the col below Lonscale Fell. We found some to the left in one of the feeders to the Glenderaterra Beck. We climbed back up the Burnt Horse Ridge but this time on the other side of the fence and pitched after we'd got our water on to filter.

Beefy and the MSR on the Burnt Horse Ridge


The cloud had broke a little and we got a bit of blue sky. The wind wasn't that bad here, it was sheltered from the worst of it.

Blencathra still has a little cloud cover


The MSR, Beefy and Bakestall in view


We had a brew then had some food and opened the wine. It had been a long day and we enjoyed relaxing in the tent.

No sunset but we had a cloud and mist show


Two curious locals


It started raining and the clag enveloped us, we were in our bags and had the rest of our wine. Despite the awful weather and no views for most of the day we'd still really enjoyed the walk.

Day 1 was Near Binsey Lodge - Overwater Hotel - Orthwaite - Great Cockup - Meal Fell - Great Sca Fell - Knott - Great Calva - Skiddaw House - Burnt Horse Ridge. 18.5km with 1061m of ascent, 760m descent.

It rained all night and didn't stop. The wind got stronger for a while and then died down again. We were still in clag and we thought we would head down to Threlkeld, this was the closest place to a bus stop, 5 miles a way. We packed the tent away and the rain had stopped for a while. It started again as we made for the Guidestone and the wind was blowing it right in our faces.

Beefy and the Glenderaterra with a lot more water in it than of late


Waterfall on the way to the Blencathra Centre


We were very wet when we got to Threlkeld but the next bus was only ten minutes wait. A very kind lady stopped in her car and asked us if we wanted a lift to Keswick. We were soaked so we said thank you but no, we didn't want to spoil the inside her car. How nice of her, this doesn't happen very often, people being nice  O0

When we got to Keswick we had over an hour an a half to wait for the 554 so first stop was Mrs F's for tea and cake  :smitten: Lovely, Beefy had chocolate fudge cake and I had lemon curd cake O0  We haven't tried all of the different cakes yet or the soup or scones. We will be back, the cake is fab  :)

Afterwards we looked at waterproofs in a couple of the outdoor shops. We nearly always get unwanted advice and today was no exception. All we wanted to do was just have a look for ourselves and not have a salesperson try to convince us to buy something. A saleswoman in George Fisher was particularly irritating and continued to prattle on at us even though we'd said we just wanted to have a look ourselves.

We'd had a pretty good weekend despite the weather, Day 2 was Burnt Horse Ridge - Guidestone - Blencathra Centre - Threlkeld 7.65km with 113m ascent and 521m descent. It was sunny of course when we reached Carlisle. Right we have had enough rain now, can we have the nice summer weather back for next weekend please?
Hate will never win

beefy

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3688
Was a great weekend of fun and adventure despite the rain,  And the MSR stood up well that's the second weekend we had lots of rain, it kept us nice and cosy inside, it's a great tent  Fancy a wc this weekend?😁  
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

sunnydale

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9105
Great report & pics as always! :D
***Happiness is only a smile away***

Mel

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10936
Enjoyed reading that.  Thanks for posting  :)


Lovely little High Rigg nestled amongst the giants  :smitten:

Ridge

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9691
Lovely pictures of a great area  O0

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12713

It's good to get out even if the weather is crap. April, and its great that it is still possible to get off the beaten track in the Lakes.
Some good photos there, especially of Whitewater Dash and the view south to High Rigg. I went over the top of Skiddaw and up Great Calva many years ago; didn't see a soul once I dropped down from Skiddaw.


WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

pdstsp

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3826
Lovely pics April - there's certainly some water running now!

pleb

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5763
So beefy isnt in control of his bullocks?  ;D
And then great cockup.................. ;D
Shame about salespeople, they really are tedious, arent they?
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

vghikers

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2605
We seem to be following each other's pitches - last time out I pitched near your spot on Ladyside Pike, here I was pitched on Burnt Horse ridge on my Northern Fells trip. I had much better weather though, still this was a good night out.


beefy

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3688
So beefy isnt in control of his bullocks?  ;D
And then great cockup.................. ;D
Shame about salespeople, they really are tedious, arent they?
Oi... >:(
Bog off pleb  ;D
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

April

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9687
Fancy a wc this weekend?😁

It looks like mixed weather...… in the Lakes, Cheviots, SW Scotland and North Pennines, I wonder where we will end up getting wet?  :D

Thanks Sunnydale, Ridge, pdstsp (too much water now!)

Lovely little High Rigg nestled amongst the giants  :smitten:

I do love High Rigg too, a smashing fell that has a bit of everything  :)

its great that it is still possible to get off the beaten track in the Lakes.

Yes there are still places that are less populated, let us hope the LDNPA does not think  "now that is a good place for development, how about a cable car from Skiddaw House to Lonscale Fell"

So beefy isnt in control of his bullocks?  ;D
And then great cockup.................. ;D

 ::) Mind in the gutter as usual  ;D

I was pitched on Burnt Horse ridge on my Northern Fells trip. I had much better weather though

 :) I did a google before we went and it did bring up your website so I saw you had pitched there before too  :) You and Karl did us proud, it was a nice place to camp :) Rub it in about the weather why don't you? ;)
Hate will never win

Welsh Rambler

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 564
Interesting report and lovely pictures April, well done  O0  Your camera shows nicer weather than Beefy's video  ;D  You walked a tidy distance that first day in spite of the weather.


Regards Keith

gary m

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3102
Great photos april
you have 1 life live it

April

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9687
Your camera shows nicer weather than Beefy's video  ;D 

Beefy's GoPro is waterproof, my camera isn't. I only got it out on the summits and I think I only took 3 photos over 2 and a half hours during the worst weather  :)

Thanks Gary  :)
Hate will never win

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12713
Yes there are still places that are less populated, let us hope the LDNPA does not think  "now that is a good place for development, how about a cable car from Skiddaw House to Lonscale Fell"



Don't go giving them any ideas!

After hearing about the Whinlatter Gondola vanity project, anything is possible!
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy