The following day I had arranged to meet David and Rod for a Birkett walk taking in Middle Dodd, Red Screes, Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd, four summits covered in a little under six miles starting at the bottom of Kirkstone Pass close to Caudale Bridge.
It was set to be a lovely day (mind you so was yesterday) even so I stuck to wearing long trousers after yesterdays snowy encounter on Helvellyn. The walk starts road side and passes below Middle Dodd's steep north ridge via Kirkstone Beck then Caiston Beck. With the steep ascent on all our minds we de-layered and tried to make the ascent as comfortable as possible each knowing we were in for a tough one.
I feared leg burn after spending five of the last seven days on the hill but my legs reacted well as did the lungs. With the shoulder reached layers were re-added due to the cool summit winds whose temperatures either plummeted or rose depending if the sun was hidden, or free from cloud. Next we ascend steadily towards Red Screes via Smallthwaite Band and reached the summit under clear, but chilly skies. After a walk around Red Screes Tarn we descended passing the top of Scandale Pass then made the short ascent onto Little Hart Crag where we broke for lunch.
It was all down hill from Little Hart Crag most of which was done under glorious sunshine and we left the cool summit winds behind for warmer valley temperatures, with one of the best views over Brothers Water and beyond we arrived at the ancient settlement in the grounds of Hartsop Hall and double backed below the ridge crossing Kirkstone and Caiston Becks before arriving back at the cars in glorious sunshine. |