Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club
Walk & Event Reports
Sunday 28th May 2017
A Walk
Swindale - Harter Fell - Kidsty Pike
18 Miles Grade 1
Leader: Ian Watson
Report by Peter Flynn
Photos by Peter Flynn & Lauren Sarasini
This was a walk which broke all the records. On a careful measurement by Ian Rowley, it clocked in at just over 18 miles, with 4630 feet of ascent – Ben Nevis plus a walk in the park! The walk started at 10.15am in Swindale went onto Mosedale – reminds me of The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner – “we were the first that ever burst into that silent world”, utterly and totally deserted – then onto Gatesgarth Pass where we came across a major fell running recce. Then up to Harter Fell, and – for the other four, not for me, a return via Mardale Ill Bell, High St., Kidsty Pike and back to Haweswater, along the shore and up the Old Corpse Rd. I left the party at Harter and returned via Small Water, Mardale Head, along the shore of Haweswater and up onto the Old Corpse Rd. which went across country back to Swindale. I arrived back at 5.50pm, the others came back pretty well shattered at 7.10pm. The others – the two Ians, Lauren and Andy – are all built for this kind of walk, but even they had just about met their match. What the statistics do not in any way reveal is that this was one of the most beautiful walks we have ever been on. It took in two remote valleys with a lovely collection of flowers and orchids. We came across Mosedale House, which clearly had been built as a cottage – I would think the most remote in England - and was now open to all and sundry as a bothy. The other record was that this was Ian Watson’s first lead for several years. While it was rather long, it was very well planned and very easy to cut short if necessary, was thoroughly enjoyed by those present, and he knew the area well and was able to point out many of the really interesting features, such as the plans for Swindale to be flooded and made into yet another reservoir to feed Manchester, or the unique salmon ladder built into the stream in Swindale. Many thanks Ian, and we all hope you will lead many more in the future (maybe a teeny weeny bit shorter)
Peter
