Author Topic: TR Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell and Gavel Fell Sat 18 to Sun 18 Jul 20  (Read 1158 times)

April

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We parked at Loweswater in the layby near Askhill. We were out on a wild camp and we were bagging 3 more Wainwrights for Squeaky. It didn't look very promising as we walked toward Hudson Place and Holme Wood.

Gloomy skies above Loweswater


Holme Force


I spotted a path snaking up beside the waterfall and some total idiot (myself  :D) thought it would be a great idea to follow it up instead of continuing along the forest road on a longer route that would meet the path leading to the gate near Holme Beck. This path was awful, slippery with mud, very steep, had slimy rocks, wet tree trunks, all alongside a big drop to the right into the waterfall! We should have turned back but we carried on struggling up with our camping packs. When we stopped for a rest which was frequently, a million midges descended on us  >:( The path ended up going through wet, high bracken. Perfection! We were soaked by the time we got through it and my hair was wet, because the bracken was taller than me  :D You would think it had been raining if you'd seen us. We were grateful to see the gate and a decent path. We were knackered and we stopped for some lunch beside Holme Beck. I looked at my tablet and we had only done 1.6 miles in one hour thirty  :o Needless to say that path is on the Never Again List.

Very high bracken


Criffel seen above the Terrace Path


I hand filtered some water with the Sawyer Micro Squeeze using the Sawyer bag. It took about 58 seconds for 800ml of water. After lunch we were going along the Terrace path to climb Burnbank Fell

Darling Fell and Low Fell from the Terrace Path


The earlier gloom had lifted as we climbed the horrendous path and fought through the bracken so we had some nice views.

View back to Holme Beck where we had lunch


View of Whiteside and Grasmoor from the Terrace Path


On the Terrace Path


We said hi to 2 lads who were coming in the opposite direction. I thought I recognised one of them but I couldn't place where I'd seen him before  :-\ He did look familiar!

The old quarry workings on Burnbank Fell


View from the climb up Burnbank Fell


On Burnbank Fell


Peeky Squeaky! 

Blake Fell from Burnbank Fell


It looked a long way off. We had both struggled with the ascent, hay fever hell, with pollen affecting being able to breathe properly, which is useful when going uphill.

On Blake Fell summit


Skiddaw, Whiteside, Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike and Mellbreak in view from Blake


In the far distance right, Catstycam and Helvellyn can be seen

Whiteside, Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike, Mellbreak, Robinson, Fleetwith Pike, Hen Comb, Red Pike and High Stile


Next up was Gavel Fell. We stopped for a rest on the way. We had plenty of time to spare; we were wanting to pitch on Gavel Fell but it was too early and there were quite a few people about. Never seen as many  people on these fells before!

View from Gavel Fell summit


Wainwright number 3 of the day for Squeaky. 

View from Gavel Fell summit     


It was still too early to pitch so we had a walk over to this unnamed top about half a km to the north east of Gavel Fell.


We looked around to see if there was anywhere to pitch there but we thought the sun would set behind Blake Fell and we would miss it.   

We walked back over to Gavel Fell. There were still people about, it was only 4.30 so we got our chairs out, delaying pitching the tent. Beefy had a great idea for a windbreak using the footprint against the fence. So we sat very comfortably for almost 2 hours and we had our tea after filtering some water from a pool of water near the summit. It was discoloured but tasted fine when it was filtered. We put the tent up about 6.30, nobody about now. The ground was lovely and soft, mossy but dry. 

The MSR on Gavel Fell


The view from our pitch


We got our gear set up inside and had a glass of wine. Thoughts turned to the sunset but it had clouded over out to the west. We kept popping out of the tent to have a look during sunset time (not in view from the tent pitch) but there wasn't much of one with all the cloud. We finished our wine and fell asleep as soon as our heads touched our pillows!

Day 1 was Loweswater Layby - Hudson Place - Holme Force - Holme Beck - Terrace Path - Burnbank Fell - Blake Fell - Gavel Fell - Unnamed top - Gavel Fell. 5.4 miles with 695m of ascent says viewranger. It had felt much longer than that!

Day 1 map and route


We were packed away by 9am and we said hello to a couple who must have had an early start because they were on Gavel Fell summit a few minutes before we left. They asked if we'd had a good night out and we said we had, nice couple they were. We walked to the col between Gavel Fell and Blake Fell and took the narrow path leading to High Nook Tarn.

On the way down to High Nook Tarn


High Nook Tarn


This is the first time I've seen this myself, only ever seen photos of it previously.

Waterfall seen on the way down


The path down seemed to go on forever!

Another waterfall


The steep climb up to the Terrace Path above Holme Wood


We'd gone past High Nook Tarn and over the footbridge. It had been a hurried plan this weekend and I wasn't expecting this long climb up after the long descent. Serves me right I should have spent more time looking at maps  :-[

Hen Comb left and Gavel Fell in view looking back at the climb up


There was more climbing before we reached Holme Beck but it was too windy to have lunch there so we dropped down to Holme Force to have a break. This time we used the path through the wood to the forest road and turned left to the waterfall.

The path next to Holme Force (not to be taken, ever)


We got our chairs out to the right of the waterfall, well enough away so people could still get a photo of the falls. We had a brew and some food. The couple we'd seen on Gavel Fell summit passed by and we said hello again  :)

Shelter in Holme Wood


We'd seen this yesterday, today we came and had a closer look. It has a few rather uncomfortable looking chairs inside. Not sure if this is an illegal shelter or if it has been built with permission.

Day 2 was Gavel Fell - High Nook Tarn - Holme wood - Holme Force - Hudson Farm - Loweswater Layby. 4.23 miles with 173m ascent says viewranger. It certainly felt longer than that again!

Day 2 map and route
Hate will never win

beefy

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Lovely pics Ape O0
Those waterfalls were stunning
Was a great wild camp, that moss was like sleeping on a mattress
That guy you recognized  was one of your warders  ;D
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

karl h

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Lovely pics from anther  great  trip guys O0
The fell top is High Nook on Gavel Fell which you knew really as it's a Birkett top and we know how you love bagging them  ;D
When you see someone from your AA meetings you're not supposed to let on  :D

richardh1905

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Gorgeous views from the summits, April  O0


Uour description of the never to be taken again path made me smile  :)
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Ridge

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Lovely, particularly the long views from the top.
I'm sure we've all done those sort of paths which start with 'This is heading in the right direction and looks much more interesting' and end with 'We should have turned back half an hour ago.'

April

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That guy you recognized  was one of your warders  ;D

 ;D

The fell top is High Nook on Gavel Fell which you knew really as it's a Birkett top

I said to beefy on the way that it probably was a Birkett because it was very boggy getting there! Aye, one of Bill's Boggy Birketts  :)

When you see someone from your AA meetings you're not supposed to let on  :D

 ;D It is still bugging me where I have seen him before!

Your description of the never to be taken again path made me smile  :)

We were laughing about it after we had got to the top of the path but we weren't during the climb, we were cursing our way up  ;D

I'm sure we've all done those sort of paths which start with 'This is heading in the right direction and looks much more interesting' and end with 'We should have turned back half an hour ago.'

I have dragged beefy up some awful paths the last few years. I must remember not to use a route on impulse when I know nowt about it  :-[ 
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pleb

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Shame beefy cant navigate better!  ;D :P
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April

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He always trusts my judgement   ;D He might not after Saturday and that awful path  :)
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rural roamer

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Good report, you had some lovely views there. I do hate it when the bracken gets so tall, so inconvenient of it!  >:( At least you didn’t fall into the waterfall  ;D

Lakeland Lorry

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One of my regular walks.   I once followed that path up the side of the waterfall.  It wasn't too bad when I did it, but it's certainly not my favourite route up onto the terrace path.  Must have been horrible given the height the bracken is now.



Not sure if you're aware that the long climb up from the tarn, on your second day, could have been avoided by following the path that drops down to High Nook Farm and then either heading to the path which leads from Maggie's Bridge car park.  Or by taking the permitted path which brings you out by Watergate Farm, then along the lakeshore back to the road.   


The shelter you saw in Holme Wood has been there a couple of years.  Not sure who built it.   

April

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At least you didn’t fall into the waterfall  ;D


 ;D


On the way up we were comforting ourselves with "Well at least we won't be trampled by cows"


Not sure if you're aware that the long climb up from the tarn, on your second day, could have been avoided by following the path that drops down to High Nook Farm and then either heading to the path which leads from Maggie's Bridge car park.  Or by taking the permitted path which brings you out by Watergate Farm, then along the lakeshore back to the road.   


I knew about the path to Maggie's Bridge but not the permitted path until I just looked at the map. We are getting lazy in our old age so the climb will have done us good  :)  We also avoided the very busy shore path. Not that we dislike other people or owt  ;)
Hate will never win

 

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