Name of walk | Causey Pike to Sail with Tom |
Date of walk | 2013-07-08 |
Distance walked (miles) | 6 |
Duration of walk | 5 hours 0 minutes |
Weather | Very hot |
Peaks on walk | Causey Pike, Scar Crags, Sail |
Today Tom and I drove to Uzzicar in order to climb up Causey Pike, Scar Crags and Sail. A walk of six miles.
It has been five weeks since my last fell walk, the longest time I have ever gone without climbing up something! Even when I had my knee arthroscopy I only lost three weeks. My knee is still not good, I’m having an MRI in a couple of weeks, and then, no doubt, another arthroscopy. So today needed to be a knee-friendly walk. ie grassy, smoothish, with no awkward descents that require me to bend my knee. The north western fells generally fit this description.

So we headed up Causey Pike. I usually go via Rowling End, but it is a bit of a scramble, so we took the slow grassy ascent up the side of the fell. We seemed to have picked the hottest day of the year to do this. It was 30C in the valley. One of the guys we met coming down from the summit said "it was like descending into a cauldron". Try bloody ascending it matey!

Our descent path on the right.

Looking back to Derwent water. It was very hazy today.


Looking back towards Rowling End. Our route up on the left. The family that had started up just before us were now coming down. They had run out of water. Their Boxer dog had drunk all three litres as he was struggling so much with the heat, so they had to give up. I knew how he felt! To think I could be sat in the garden with a good book!

The rock scramble before the summit

There was actually a light breeze up here which was most welcome. We stopped for lunch. It was starting to cloud over, so we had some respite at last from the hot sunshine.

Looking over Outerside and Barrow to Bassenthwaite Lake and Skiddaw.

High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson.

Looking over to Ard Crags and Knott Rigg on the left. Scar Crags on the right


We head up towards Scar Crags.

View over the cotton grass

Scar Crags summit with Whiteside Edge, Hopegill Head and Grisedale Pike behind Tom

Looking back to Causey Pike.

Route up to Sail. It would be a there and back walk. With the new zig zags it is now twice the distance, but easier under foot.

It is still hard work in the heat!

Sail boggy summit with Crag Hill (Eel Crag) behind. I have already been on Crag Hill's summit this year, and besides, this direction up is not knee friendly in descent.

Buttermere at the far end.

Back down and then turn left!

Descending the Sail Pass.

Force Crag Mine.

Heading down the valley.

The path will lead us to directly opposite the car. Gill scramblers from a local OEC ahead.
The walk took us about five hours. My knee did okay. It was the driving here and back that actually caused me more knee pain!
We stopped at the Royal Oak. I even had a pint! (shandy). Thirsty work!
I`ll have to plan a few more knee friendly walks


