Author Topic: Sheepbone Rake  (Read 2926 times)

Brandywell

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Sheepbone Rake
« on: 18:15:50, 06/09/17 »


High Crag Buttress from Buttermere village.  Sheepbone Rake can be seen rising right to left across the face of the buttress.  The route passes the Fish Hotel onto the gated lane to the lake and the popular lakeshore track.  Take the higher track through Burtness Wood.  Watch out for the climbers path to Burtness Comb which starts a 120 yards or so beyond a ruined wall shortly after the track begins to descend back to the lake shore.
 


The climbers path emerges from Burtness Wood over a stile and continues as a green trod across the north-eastern slopes of High Stile.  The bracken makes it difficult to follow in high summer.  You can follow the fence and wall above the wood instead which acts as sure guide towards Burtness Comb, but it's not recommended.



The Grasmoor group of fells from the climbers path.



Higher up the path crosses a scree slope and passes below a crag.  There is a good supply of water available there from a small waterfall which spills over the crag



High Crag Buttress and Comb Crags come into view as the path rounds the base of High Stile's north-east ridge.



Fleetwith Pike from the climbers path.



High Crag Buttress from the lip of Burtness Comb.



Looking back towards Robinson and Hindscarth.



Initially it's best to keep to the right side of the comb to avoid most of the boulders which litter the bed of the comb.



Crossing the bed of Burtness Comb.  The head of the comb is flanked by the awesome Eagle Crag on the left and Grey Crag on the right.



Some prefer to climb directly to the rock gateway below the rake.  It's easier to climb the slope to the right of the rock outcrop in the centre of the photo to a point where the full length of Sheepbone Rake comes into view, then make a rising traverse of a grass ramp across to the gateway.



Traversing across the slope towards the rock gateway and Sheepbone Rake.



There is a cairn set on a boulder on the approach to the rock gateway and the start of the rake.



Looking over to Grasmoor and co. from the rock gateway.



Sheepbone Rake from the rock gateway. The rake is much steeper than it appears from the photo.  It's generally easier to keep to the right, below Sheepbone Buttress, to avoid climbing through the ankle-trapping boulders, although some of them are unavoidable.



Looking back along the length of Comb Crags



Grasmoor from Sheepbone Rake



Higher on the rake there is a faint path to follow once the boulders have been left behind.



Sunshine at last strikes Burtness Comb!



Looking across to Robinson and Hindscarth from Sheepbone Rake.



Crummock Water and Buttermere from Sheepbone Rake.



Fleetwith Pike from Sheepbone Rake.



Blue Buttermere.



The summit of Glaramara appears over the col between Grey Knotts and Brandreth.



Nearly at the top of the rake and, as Sheepbone Buttress tapers away, it's time to look for a suitable exit route from the rake.



Looking down on Gatesgarth from the top of the rake.



Ignore the first obvious breach in the buttress, it's much too steep.  This one is easier . . . a shallow grass gully, it veers slightly back right to reach the top of the buttress and the open slopes below High Crag's north top.



Crummock Water from the exit route off the rake.



Looking over to Great Gable at the head of Ennerdale.



Fleetwith Pike from the slope above Sheepbone Buttress.



The north top of High Crag, the true summit lies a short distance beyond it.



Crummock Water and Grasmoor from the north top of High Crag.
Watch where you are putting your feet : AW

adalard

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #1 on: 18:23:38, 06/09/17 »
Fantastic pictures, Brandywell!  O0


I had no idea that path existed and I loved seeing all those views from a new angle. Looks like a great route.

April

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #2 on: 18:54:20, 06/09/17 »
Fantastic photos and a really clear and detailed quide for anyone wanting to do this route  O0 I have heard of it but never ventured up  the rake yet.
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Welsh Rambler

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #3 on: 19:31:11, 06/09/17 »
Excellent photos Brandywell and some superb views, well done  O0


That looked a tough route but worth it for the scenery.


Regards Keith

Penygadair

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #4 on: 11:51:18, 07/09/17 »
Great photos there - and it looks like an "interesting" route.  O0 

Ridge

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #5 on: 13:21:13, 07/09/17 »
Great photos and report.
It looks like a tricky route even in good weather.

Brandywell

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #6 on: 13:54:35, 07/09/17 »
Thanks all.

Fantastic pictures, Brandywell!  O0


I had no idea that path existed and I loved seeing all those views from a new angle. Looks like a great route.

There is not much of path on the ground.  I don't suppose many walkers use the route although it has been well known long before Wainwright suggested the name for it.


Fantastic photos and a really clear and detailed quide for anyone wanting to do this route  O0 I have heard of it but never ventured up  the rake yet.


I'm not sure that there is enough detail for the Kut Price Tour Co. though.  Here is the point where the climbers path leaves the higher track in Burtness Wood.  Miss this and you will end up back by the lake shore, and there will bound to be recriminations. ::)





You can of course access Burtness Comb from Gatesgarth but I like the path though the wood, it's a much more gradual ascent.


Excellent photos Brandywell and some superb views, well done  O0


That looked a tough route but worth it for the scenery.


Regards Keith


The only difficulties are the steepness and the boulders which can mostly be avoided.  The rake is almost as wide as a road in places, the views from it are superb.


Great photos there - and it looks like an "interesting" route.  O0 


Much more interesting than the Gamlin End approach IMHO. :)

Great photos and report.
It looks like a tricky route even in good weather.
I wouldn't recommend it if the cloud is down to the bed of the comb otherwise the way is up is never in doubt. :)
Watch where you are putting your feet : AW

karl h

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #7 on: 17:17:37, 07/09/17 »
Superb pics and very useful description O0
You obviously have a talent for this you should start a website detailing the routes up Wainwrights, you could call it something like "Wainwright routes " ;D

April

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #8 on: 18:46:46, 07/09/17 »
I'm not sure that there is enough detail for the Kut Price Tour Co. though. 

Well there isn't any mention of bog or high bracken so I don't think it would qualify  :D

You obviously have a talent for this you should start a website detailing the routes up Wainwrights, you could call it something like "Wainwright routes " ;D

 :o Brandywell, is that your website "Wainwright Routes"  :o
Of course I should have guessed, the detail in the Sheepbone Rake report makes it obvious now. Thank you, I use your site a lot, it is a mine of information. I like your site so much you were included in a poem I wrote as a tribute to David Hall and everyone else who puts a lot of work into blogs, vlogs, websites and books.

Here is a link to it if you haven't seen it.
http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=34781.0

Sorry for the thread hijack but I didn't know you were Wainwright Routes  :o  :)
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Brandywell

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #9 on: 14:47:55, 08/09/17 »
Superb pics and very useful description O0
You obviously have a talent for this you should start a website detailing the routes up Wainwrights, you could call it something like "Wainwright routes " ;D

Rumbled  :-[



 :o Brandywell, is that your website "Wainwright Routes"  :o
Of course I should have guessed, the detail in the Sheepbone Rake report makes it obvious now. Thank you, I use your site a lot, it is a mine of information. I like your site so much you were included in a poem I wrote as a tribute to David Hall and everyone else who puts a lot of work into blogs, vlogs, websites and books.

Here is a link to it if you haven't seen it.
http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=34781.0

Sorry for the thread hijack but I didn't know you were Wainwright Routes  :o :)

Thanks April that's a fine tribute to all bloggers and to David Hall in particular.  I had the pleasure to meet David by chance, with Roger and Ann Hiley(loweswatercam) and Andrew Leaney in Ennerdale a few years ago.  David's site is sadly missed it was so much more than a journal/record of his walks, a great (and free) resource for anyone planning a walk.  I can imagine his frustration with his difficulty connecting to the hosting provider, I've had few technical problems of a different nature over the last few months.  I suppose it's just possible that he may reinstate his site with another provider, his domain is still active and is not due to expire until mid February 2018, here's hoping.  I think Paul Sharkey's site is outstanding, I wish I could write like that.  I don't get out much on the fells these days (only three times so far this year) the photos above were taken over a year ago.  Nowadays I just seem to be content with a walk to Cartmel every morning, sit in the square looking up to Hampsfell with a cup of coffee from the village shop and thinking ........ that's high.   ::)
Watch where you are putting your feet : AW

- Dave -

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #10 on: 19:58:49, 10/09/17 »
Thanks for posting this, most informative. I have Sheepbone Rake in my mind next time I'm in Buttermere so this is really helpful
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April

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #11 on: 08:57:42, 11/09/17 »
David's site is sadly missed it was so much more than a journal/record of his walks, a great (and free) resource for anyone planning a walk. 

It was a great resource but so is yours  :)

Nowadays I just seem to be content with a walk to Cartmel every morning, sit in the square looking up to Hampsfell with a cup of coffee from the village shop and thinking ........ that's high.   ::)

Skiddaw looked very high to us on Saturday ..... so we missed it out  :)
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Brandywell

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Re: Sheepbone Rake
« Reply #12 on: 09:01:54, 12/09/17 »
Thanks for posting this, most informative. I have Sheepbone Rake in my mind next time I'm in Buttermere so this is really helpful

I'm glad you found the report useful Dave.  If you decide to start from Gatesgarth, on the path up from Peggie's Bridge, it can be quite difficult to cross Comb Beck when it's in spate.  It may be better to ascend from the lakeshore track on the north side of the beck (Horse Close), there is a path, not marked on the map.  There are two stiles over the intake wall on that side.  The upper one which meets the climber's path from Burtness Wood is shown here -






The 'obvious breach' in the crag mentioned is more of a wide bay topped by another wall of crags which you will see shortly after passing the point where photo no.21was taken, best avoided I think. Here is a photo of it -




Hope this helps, good luck I hope you get a nice day for it.  O0
Watch where you are putting your feet : AW

 

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