Glencoyne and Hart Side • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Glencoyne and Hart Side
Date of walk	2012-11-28
Distance walked (miles)	8
Duration of walk	6 hours 0 minutes
Weather	snow, cold
Peaks on walk	Hart Side

Yesterday Brendan was off to Carlisle for a meeting, so he dropped me at Glencoyne at 8.45am and would pick me up from Dockray at 3pm.

I had thought of doing some or all of the Dodds. I had lots of options for getting to Dockray. The southern fells had little or no snow on them, and nothing was mentioned about snow on the 6.30am Radio Cumbria Fell Forecast, so I never bothered to pack my Microspikes….

The smooth grassy Dodds…..I`ll not need them! Hmmmmm!

Ullswater from my drop off point. I was heading for the start of the old Miners Track. The track leads off behind the bus stop

A row of old miners cottages called "Seldom Seen"......not difficult to figure out why they were called that!

Looking back at Ullswater.

Then it starts to get steep! Seldom Seen down below.

Glencoyne Head. There is an old miners track which runs all the way around just below the snow line. I have walked it a couple of times. Today I planned to walk around the top of Glencoyne Head to Hart Side

Close up of a ruined dam in Glencoyne Valley

Looking back. Best not to trip here! On the other side is the wall I will follow down to meet the miners track on the way back

From my walk up towards the quarries I could see over to Catsycam and Helvellyn.

Close up of the sun on Ullswater with the slopes of Sheffield Pike on the right

Close up of the ski run and club house on the side of Raise. No one is ski-ing at this hour of the morning!

Into the snow line. No one has been here since it snowed.....no foot prints!

I carefully skirt the side of the quarry. Good views over to Swirral Edge

Hart Side (2481ft) ahead. Clouds looking a bit black!

Looking down Glencoyne from Glencoyne Head.

Sun on Blencathra

I walked down to the far cairn to get the view north.

White Stones summit view. Walking through the snow was proving very difficult. It was ankle deep, but with a frozen crust that you sank into with every step. Today I have bruises on my ankles where the frozen crust dug into my skin above my boots. The summit was better as it is higher and the crust would take my weight, but it was an ice rink!

Catsycam, Helvellyn and Raise.

This bit looks flat but it isn`t. Some bits were sloped sheet ice....at least Torvill and Dean danced on the flat! Oh for some Microspikes!!!!!!! I probably managed a 5.5 for artistic interpretation! I made it about half way up to Stybarrow Dodd, I was crunching through the snow okay, but as I got higher the temperature dropped and the snow became thick sheet ice and the slope got too steep to stand upright! It had taken an hour to reach this point from Hart Side. Without Microspikes I had no choice but to return to Hart Side.

Back on the flat again, Hart Side on the left. I trudge back through the snow with the lovely ice crust! Grrrrr!

Still good views out to Blencathra.

Looking back to Stybarrow Dodd

I meet the first people of the day on Hart Side who had come up from Dockray. They had also planned to do the Dodds, and like me not bought their spikes. As they were also not expecting there to be any snow. I told them of the conditions ahead, but they said they would give it a go! I hope they faired better than me! View from Birkett Fell. I would follow the wall down to the Glencoyne Miners track.

Birkett Fell, the only fell with its name on it!

I would follow the track on the far side of Watermillock Common down to Dockray

Heading down the steep slope into Glencoyne.

View over to the track I walked up this morning.

A two photo panorama of Ullswater from Watermillock Common

Just follow the wall.

At this point I leave the wall track and follow the track that leads off left. Gowbarrow Fell ahead.

Soon I get a view down to the little village of Dockray. Little Mell Fell behind.

I get to the pub with 25 minutes to spare!

A coffee and a roaring fire.Wonderful! My trousers have defrosted and are now wet up to mid-thigh, a combination of the occasional knee-deep snow, and very wet ground below the snow line. Steaming for half an hour in front of the open fire cured both a walker`s and baker’s nightmare…..a soggy bottom!

Brendan arrived just before 3pm. I was now dry enough to be allowed in his car!

The walk I did was just over eight miles long and took me under six hours. The walk I had planned to do was 12 miles, but even with spikes I would have had to have come off at Great Dodd missing out Clough Head, as the snow slows you down and takes a lot more energy!

Still a good walk,

Next time I will pack my Microspikes!!!!!!!!