Day 5 - Keswick to Caldbeck (15.2 miles)

The owners of Larry’s Lodge did not like guests to leave dogs in the room unattended, so Poppy accompanied me to breakfast this morning.  When Anne booked the accommodation, she was told that we would have to stagger our breakfasts as we had no car to leave the dogs in.  Now, with Anne absent, it was either take Poppy to breakfast or leave her in the room.  The owners chose the former – fortunately there were no other guests.

Skiddaw topped with cloud

There was a fair bit of cloud in the sky when we left, and it was quite cold again, but the forecast was for continuing dry weather.  As I was going to climb to the highest point on the CW today, I had opted to take a warmer coat, although within a mile of so of leaving Keswick, I was wondering it I had made a mistake as I was already getting a bit warm.

"Alas, poor Yorrick"

The map shows the CW following roads out of the town, but I took the route as described in my guide book, which runs across Fitz Park.  Poppy got into a bit of trouble with a Staffie, when she tried to join in with a game of football between the dog and two young men.

Crossing the A66, north of Keswick

I left Keswick by turning down the track called Spoony Green Lane, at which point I stopped to take off some layers.  This track passes over the A66 and then reaches the foot of Latrigg where it climbs, initially steeply and then more gently, on a bridleway to a rough lane.  Turning right, I soon reached a car park, already half full – hikers making an early morning assault on Skiddaw.

Noticeboard in Latrigg Woods

View NW to Dodd and Bassenthwaite Lake

My route only followed the Skiddaw path for a short distance and then descended gently to cross Whit Beck, before swinging east and then north again round the lower slopes of Lonscale Fell.  The views to the south east and west were quite splendid.  I was now on a path half way up the steep sided valley of Glenderaterra Beck.  Across the beck was the back, softer side of Blencathra – no sign of crags and lofty arêtes here.

Descending to Whit Beck (note snaking Skiddaw path on left)

Looking back to Glenderaterra Beck & Blease Fell

I continued on the gently undulating path above the beck for about two miles, before veering NW to rendezvous with Skiddaw House, a rather isolated youth hostel in the virtually treeless Skiddaw Forest.  At this point the CW splits and there is a choice of routes.  I chose to turn NE over the ‘high’ route – the other is an alternative lower level option for inclement weather.

Approaching Skiddaw House (youth hostel)

Time to choose - we went right (the High Route)

Talking of the weather, quite a wind had got up and I was starting to be grateful for the warmer coat.  The clouds had won over the blue sky now, and it was all looking a bit bleak as I headed around the sometimes boggy lower slopes of Great Calva and Coombe Height for about 3.5miles

Infant River Caldew

Looking NE up the valley towards Carrock Fell

Although I had passed quite a few people on the stretch from Whit Beck to Skiddaw House, I was totally on my own on this section (barring Pops, of course), and I think it was the only time of the entire trip when I felt a bit isolated and lonely.  I’m sure it would have been a different story if the sun had been out.  It was therefore with a little relief that I could see cars parked ahead, where the track met a road leading to Mosedale.  There were a number of intrepid teenagers in wet suits on some kind of outward bound course, frolicking in the freezing water. – rather them than me! 

A quick breather before tackling the climb up Grainsgill Beck

View to our next destination - Lingy Hut on the hill top

The CW now made a sharp turn, almost west, to begin the climb up to the highest point on the trail.  Initially there was a stony track, but this petered out at the Carrock Mine workings.  There then followed a tricky and tiring climb on a boggy, rough path alongside Grainsgill Beck.  At least I was sheltered from the wind here.  At one point, as I attempted to cross a streamlet flowing across my path, my boot slipped on some slippery rock and I very nearly fell in.  Out of the wind, I was quite warm by the time I reached the top of the gill.

Carrock Mine workings

Looking back to Mosedale from near the top of Grainsgill

I was relieved to reach the top of the slope, but as I emerged from the protection of the gill, the wind hit me again and it turned quite cold again. I even considered putting my warm hat on.  Swinging roughly north again, I continued to climb gently and soon found a snow pocket, much to Poppy’s delight.  We had seen evidence of snow on the high fells from day one of our walk, but this was the first and only time we got high enough to actually find any. 

Poppy enjoys a snow pocket on Great Lingy Hill

It was a relief to reach Lingy Hut, a former grouse shooting box and now a hiker’s bothy.  I arrived at the same time as a young guy travelling from the other direction. The hut is now a basic shelter, and we chatted for 10 minutes or so out of the cold wind, while we both ate a snack.  He had been wild camping for several weeks on very little money and had originally been accompanied by a friend, who had had to drop out some days earlier with foot problems.  He had not realised the shelter was here and had just had an uncomfortable lunch about 200m away over the ridge, where he had cooked and eaten some noodles in the bitter wind!



Approaching Lingy Hut

Whilst resting in the hut, we were also joined by a New Zealand guy, who was also walking the CW with tent.  They made me feel a bit of a sissy with my little backpack and nice comfy B&Bs at the end of each day!  He had missed the turning up to Lingy Hut and had accidentally walked a mile down the valley to Mosedale before realising his mistake.  I was very glad that my few navigation problems had been very minor.

Murky view east towards the snow capped Pennines

After leaving the hut, the route continued to climb gently for a little over 1km.  It then veered left to climb more steeply up the slope of High Pike, which at 2157ft is the highest point on the CW.  From the summit were rather murky views both east (to snow capped Pennines) and west, across the Solway Firth to Scotland.  At the summit I met another chap doing the CW with his dog, a little Jack Russell.  Like the young lad in the shelter, he too had originally had a walking companion (this time, his daughter), but she dropped out after day two with huge blisters.   We took each others pictures on the summit for prosperity and then I left him on the summit and proceeded to descend off the edge of the Lakeland Fells.  To the north the land fell away sharply to a gentler, pastoral landscape.

On top of High Pike - the highest point on the CW

The quad bike tracks that led me astray off High Pike

Distracted by the view, I followed the obvious track on the ground rather than look at the map or follow the GPS, and suddenly realised that I was heading NE instead of N.  The paths I had been following were apparently quad bike tracks – the actual CW route is barely visible.  Annoyed that I hadn’t read the map properly, I was soon back on track after a little walk cross-country.  Fortunately, at this time of the year, there wasn’t much vegetation to get in my way.

View N over Caldbeck towards the Solway Firth and Scotland beyond

Stone barn at Nether Row

Nearly 3km after leaving the summit of High Pike, I arrived in the hamlet of Nether Row.  From here, the route continued north along tiny lanes for about 1.5km.  At some point the chap with the Jack Russell caught me up again and I let him go on past.  There was then just a short walk across a couple of fields to reach the outskirts of Caldbeck village.  We did have to cross a rather difficult stile here, and as I struggled to help Poppy across it, I enviously recall seeing the Jack Russell man lifting his dog up and tucking it under his arm as he tackled the same obstacle a minute or so earlier!

Looking back to High Pike

Waymarker on the outskirts of Caldbeck

Caldbeck village itself was extremely pretty, and despite my fatigue, I wandered round a little and took some photos before retiring to The Oddfellow Arms.  After a drink in the bar, I headed to my room for the now normal routine of a shower followed by photo identification.  Although Anne had booked us a table in the restaurant, I chose instead to eat in the bar so that Poppy could accompany me.  She was pretty tired, although she had clearly found the colder day much more to her liking, as evidenced by her playful mood at the snow pocket on Great Lingy Hill, and again on the top of High Pike, where she wanted to play tug with her lead., and slept at my feet.  She was within a few feet of three (also tired out) Border Terriers but didn’t bat an eyelid at them.

The Old Smithy tea room, Caldbeck

Oddfellow Arms, Caldbeck

As the bar eating area was rather small, I had to cadge a seat at another couple’s table.  We got talking and when I said that I would be walking to Carlisle the next day, the woman told me that she owned a tea shop in Dalston, a village through which I would be passing about 11 miles into my walk.  I told her I would definitely pop in for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. After dinner, I took Poppy for a last walk around the village before having another early night.  It hit me that tomorrow would be my last day.  I was enjoying this adventure – I really did not want it to end!