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Wet Sleddale Reservoir |
Up early and off to pick up Andrew at 8:15. We had decided it was time to gird up our loins and tackle the route around Wet Sleddale which is pathless for much of the way. I wasn't really keen, having done it twice, finding it uncomfortably challenging in places, but Andrew needs it to go towards his completion of the Outlying Fells. We parked at the spot where Chris Jesty changed the start of the walk and set off to reach the first landmark which is a gate. The terrible marsh I encountered last time had more or less dried up - and so the ground proved to be for the rest of the journey, there having been little rain for the past two weeks or more. I began to feel better!
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Lunch box (2011 vintage) |
We reached the lunch hut and rested out of the chill wind and had a snack before proceeding up the stream. I couldn't remember seeing grouse butts on both sides of the stream but perusal of my first visit in 1982 tells me they have been there for many years. We soon located Grey Bull, both of us failing to get on to the top.
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Gray Bull |
We trudged over the dry heather to Sleddale Pike, which I found to be slightly further away than I remember from my two previous excursions.
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On Sleddale Pike |
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Great Saddle Crag |
Andrew was a little surprised when he realised we had to plod on as far as Great Saddle Crag; however, it didn't take long to get there, and we visited both summits, because there is also a little Saddle Crag that AW fails to mention although it appears to be the higher of the two. The OS map confirms this by a few feet.
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The highest point of the round: Great Saddle Crag |
Then came the tricky part - finding the next landmarks. As on my last visit I thought the crossing of Sleddale Beck to be nearer than it is, so finding Ulthwaite Rigg was equally difficult, (I think I missed it completely in 1982) until we realised we had not made a wide enough sweep to the west.
Correcting our march we located the summit, where we found a couple of stones where someone already had marked the spot - but it was clear that quite recently two other stones had been removed. No trace of them was found nearby. The photo taken today seems to have disappeared: the one below is from 2011.
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Summit Ulthwaite Rigg (2011) |
The next section, though long and lacking in interest, was relatively easy, and we eventually reached the bridleway ascending from Mosedale. This track has a loop that is shown on the map - it was that loop I had taken on 22 October 2011 when I used the bridleway when walking from Seat Robert to Howes.
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Wet Sleddale from the pony track |
Although we were now on a sure track there was still a long journey before we started down towards the valley below the dam. It was easier this time - in 2011 I had found it puzzling locating the path that leads to the road by Thorney Bank because AW omits to show all the field walls on his map.
At the road we found a Victorian Postbox set in the wall and photographed it. I must have about half a dozen of these by now.
It was just a short trip over the wooden footbridge to the car. We were both pretty tired and glad to divest ourselves of our boots. It was turned seven o'clock, one of the latest walk finishes we have done.
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