High Rigg and The Dodds

Name of walk High Rigg and The Dodds
Date of walk 2011-03-22
Distance walked (miles) 12
Duration of walk 7 hours 10 minutes
Weather Blue skies and sunshine
Peaks on walk High Rigg, Threlkeld Knotts, Clough Head, Great Dodd, Watsons Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd
Walked with Ged and Kas the blind dog
Parking Roadside Stanah

Time for a big walk around the St. John’s in the Vale skyline to include High Rigg (1163ft), Threlkeld Knotts, Clough Head (2381ft), Great Dodd (2807ft), Watsons Dodd (2584ft) and Stybarrow Dodd (2770ft) returning down The Sticks Pass to Stanah. A walk of 12 miles.

01

We parked the car on the grass at the side of the road seen below, and headed up to Great Rigg via the stile in the wall. It was a warm spring day so no coats were needed yet.

02

13

Looking over to Threlkeld Knotts and Clough Head our next ascent.

03

View point.

04

Blencathra from High Rigg summit.

05

Lonscale ahead left with Great Calva in the gap and Tewitt Tarn below.

06

St. John's in the Vale Church with Clough Head behind, built 1845. Another small, out of the way church with great views. All the daffodills were flowering today in the church yard.

07

We headed for the public footpath to Bridge House, crossed the bridge over the river in the photo below, and made for the main road. Opposite to where we crossed the field was the track to Matterdale. We headed up the track and around past the quarries and along the fell wall climbing all the time.

08

The north end of High Rigg in the background.

09

The middle bit of High Rigg........it was long!

10

We headed on up the grass and took a small detour on to Threlkeld Knotts. Looking over to Great Mell Fell.

11

Ahead of us on the track were men with big back-packs. They were paragliders. As we headed up to Clough Head we watched them take off. Cloud is on Skiddaw.

12

It must be great to sit and glide effortlessly over the fells! I think I have the wrong hobby!

14

We keep on with the relentless effort of crossing the scree under Clough Head.

15

View out towards Scotland.

16

Clough Head! It was a bit too windy to stay and have lunch here so we headed for the shelter of Calfhow Pike.

17

Great Dodd on the left, Calfhow Pike on the right. Kas is well on his the way already!

18

View back to Clough Head from Calfhow Pike.

19

This is the view of Great Dodd from our lunch spot in the sun and out of the wind

20

We met the first two other walkers of the day here. Kas has a 30 second rest!

21

Heading up to Great Dodd looking back to Calfhow Pike.

22

Great Dodd summit. Finally we can stop ascending! Today has been all up!

23

Summit view over Great and Little Mell Fell and Gowbarrow on the right..

24

The next group of walkers we meet are a teenage school group heading this way on the path. Watsons Dodd on the right, Stybarrow Dodd on the left. Helvellyn still with some snow!

25

View over to Bassenthwaite Lake from Watsons Dodd.

26

Looking over Thirlmere.

28

We head up to Stybarrow Dodd.

29

After Stybarrow Dodd we make for Sticks Pass. We stop briefly for a drink here and survey the length of our first fell, High Rigg ahead. Skiddaw behind still has a covering of cloud.

30

We pass waterfalls and loads of pools that would be good to swim in in the summer.

We reach Stanah and continue on to the main road and the car. The walk took seven hours and ten minutes. This is the first time I have done the Dodds in this direction. There seems to be a lot more “up” than in the reverse direction, or maybe it was just the addition of High Rigg to complete the circuit that made it seem that way. Still a good walk!
Jo.

 

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