Grasmoor, Eel Crag, Wandope & Whiteless Pike

Name of walk Grasmoor, Eel Crag, Wandope & Whiteless Pike
Date of walk 2020-10-14

I have been wanting to go up to Grasmoor via the Lad Hows route for some time, preferably before the clocks changed, and in good weather. With only a week left, plus the prospect of another National Lockdown, it had to be now. It was half term for other counties, so an early start to guarantee parking was necessary. I left home at 6.45am. There were lots of vehicles already parked at the Cinderdale car parks when I arrived.

01

View from the car park of Grasmoor. The sun was still behind the mountains.

02

View back to the car parks, Crummock Water and Mellbreak.

03

I start on the left side of Cinderdale Beck planning to cross further up.

04

05

I have now crossed the beck.Grasmoor summit seems a very long way off.

06

07

I am finally reached by the sunshine and take my coat off. Loweswater in the distance.

08

I pass Lad Hows summit and head on up the ridge. There is now a large bank of cloud on Grasmoor.

09

Rannerdale Knotts and the valley I will be returning through below. Behind is Red Pike.

10

Grasmoor and the ridge.

11

It's a long trudge but the view back more than makes up for it.

12

I zig zag upwards. The wind was getting up on the exposed ridge.

13

I'm out of the heather now and on to scree. Soon the low cloud comes over and the temperature drops and my coat goes back on.

14

Approaching the flat top of Grasmoor.

15

I'm on the summit in two hours, and so is the cloud. I walk in the direction of the shelter.

16

Summit shelter.

17

The clouds lifts to give a narrow window of views.

18

19

Panorama. Left click to enlarge, click again to return.

20

Sun coming through the cloud over the ridge of Whiteless Pike.

21

Close up of Loweswater.

22

Summit selfie. I had gloves on too, it was rather cold and windy.

23

Whiteless Pike and a glimpse of Buttermere.

24

Eel Crag (Crag Hill) had been in the clouds but as I descended from Grasmoor the clouds lifted, so that was my next point of call.

25

View back to Grasmoor as I head up Eel Crag.

26

Eel Crag's flat summit.

27

View down the Coledale Valley. Grizedale Pike on the left, Skiddaw and Blencathra in the distance and Outerside on the right.

28

Panorama. Left click to enlarge, click again to return. On the far left is Hopegill Head and on the right Scar Crags and Causey Pike. It was very windy, I had a hard job to steady my camera.

29

Looking down on Force Crag Mine.

30

View back towards Grasmoor, I take the track off to the left of the main path up. Next stop is Wandope.

31

Heading round to Wandope.

32

Looking into Addacomb Hole.

33

Looking back to Eel Crag and Sail.

34

Wandope summit.

35

I head in the direction of Whiteless Pike, is was rather nice to be walking on flat ground.

36

Looking right to Grasmoor.

37

Whiteless Pike. I have to go down to go up.

38

View down to Rannerdale Beck.

39

From Saddle Gate looking down to Third Gill and Knott Rigg, behind is Robinson.

40

View back up the ridge. Grasmoor left, Wandope right.

41

View to the Lad Hows route I took this morning.

42

Third Gill ravine, as I head up to the summit.

43

View from Whiteless Pike summit.

44

I've forgotten that it is quite a long trudge down to Whiteless Breast. Very little light on the mountains beyond Buttermere today.

45

Close up of Buttermere. I stop for lunch here.

46

47

Causey Pike centre.

48

It is warm again in the sunshine so I remove my coat.

49

Rannerdale Valley.

50

The ridge of Rannerdale Knotts.

51

Looking back up to Whiteless Pike.

52

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54

55

I take the short-cut down into Rannerdale Valley.

56

57

View back the way I've come.

58

Whiteless Pike.

59

I cross the beck.

60

61

View across to Mellbreak.

62

Rannerdale Knotts.

63

The route back to my car.

64

Close up of Darling Fell and Low Fell, another recent walk.

65

Back at the car park and the view to Grasmoor, this time in sunshine.

This excellent 7.6 mile walk took me five hours and forty five minutes. All the car parks were full when I returned, with cars parked all along the roadsides too. I’m glad I made an early start!

Jo.

 

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