High Hartsop Dodd to Middle Dodd • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	High Hartsop Dodd to Middle Dodd
Date of walk	2022-09-23

I woke up early on Friday morning and the hills were clear and the sun was shining, so I decided to drive to Brothers Water and climb up to High Hartsop Dodd, Little Hart Crags, Red Screes and back down via Middle Dodd. An eight mile horseshoe walk. I’m glad I’d not decided to go to Patterdale, as the road was closed from Hartsop, with no signs until the Kirkstone Pass. At least it meant that the roads were quiet, there was only one other car in the car park when I arrived.

From the Cowbridge car park I walk down beside Brothers Water. Reflections of Brock Crags.

Angletarn Pikes.

Looking along the lake to Middle Dodd.

I head along the lane.

I take some more photos from the far end of Brothers Water.

Brock Crags again.

The sun is coming up behind Hartsop Dodd, as the mist rises from the water surface.

It is quite hard to capture mist in close up!

Caudale Moor, I once came down that path, it is very steep.

High Hartsop Dodd, my ascent route, on the right. Middle Dodd, my descent route, on the left. Both very steep! The crags of Little Hart Crag on the far right.

Hartsop Hall. I go past the farm and on through a gate to the field.

Passing tractors.

Dew on the bridge's spider webs.

I pass the large boulders. Erratics?

Then once past the barn I head up the clear grassy track.

View back.

Not too far now.

I cross the stile and continue on, the view back is just the same.

High Hartsop Dodd summit. Little Hart Crag ahead.

View back the way I've come.

I visit both the summits on Little Hart Crag.View out to High Bakestones' cairn on the left. Dove Crag on the right. A glimpse of sunshine on Helvellyn further right.

A view down Scandale. Windermere at the end. High Pike on the right. Coniston Old Man in the distance. Just below me is Scandale Tarn, my next destination.

Scandale Tarn.

Reflections of Little Hart Crag in Scandale Tarn.

Moving to the other side I look across to my route up beside the wall to Red Screes.

Looking back over to Little Hart Crag from the route up to Red Screes. I moved over on to a grassy track for most of the route up as the path beside the wall was incredibly muddy and wet.

A great view of the fells on the way up including Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and the Scafells.

View to Place Fell, Angletarn Pikes and Brock Crags.

Red Screes summit cairn.

My route down the ridge of Middle Dodd.

Red Screes Tarn. The Coniston Fells to the left.

On the summit I met three people from Derby and two from Vancouver Island, Canada. We swapped cameras for summit photos. The others had gained the summit from other directions.

Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke on the left.

Caudale Moor on the right.

View down Windermere.

After a coffee in the shelter, I head down Middle Dodd Ridge.

View back to Red Screes.

Middle Dodd summit.

Now for the steep descent.

Looking back across to High Hartsop Dodd, and the valley path below.

Not far now.

Back at valley level, I head for the little bridge, just left of centre.

I have to go right through a herd of cattle and calfs, which are spread out up the hillside. I do this very quickly! Thankfully they were sitting, so if they had decided to chase me, I would probably have made the bridge before them at full pelt! But they were not bothered by me at all. Middle Dodd behind them.