Words & Photos James Carron

August 01 2010

Helvellyn may dominate the landscape east of Thirlmere but after queueing to reach the summit of Scafell Pike the previous day – my mistake for going up on a bank holiday – I was eager to escape the highly populated peaks and find somewhere a little less crowded.

The High Fells drew my eye and I set my sights on Great Dodd and Clough Head.

This rambling collection of fells undulates north from Helvellyn, finally bowing out at Threlkeld Common. The climb, as I soon discovered, was strenuous but once on the ridge, a cracking upland hike with some of the best views of Blencathra and Skiddaw offered more than ample reward.

From a wooden bridge above the hamlet of Legburthwaite, the Stanah Path climbs to Sticks Pass. The route sets out alongside Stanah Gill but soon leaves the tumbling falls of white water behind, rising remorselessly to the col. A more challenging alternative can be found by heading half a mile south from the bridge to Fisher Gill and following this sprightly brook up. There’s no path as such but the scramble reveals some slender ravines and superb waterfalls.

Catching my breath at Sticks Pass, I considered a detour onto Raise. It was there for the taking, but I decided to push north, following the less frequently taken trail onto Stybarrow Dodd. The track veers away from the summit, but I made the short detour onto the windblown plateau before rejoining the upland highway for the next leg of my journey.

Like a rural bus service, the route winds a wandering course around the top of a series of steeply sloping gills, calling first at Watson’s Dodd before rising to the top of Great Dodd, the highest point on my walk. After admiring the scenery from the sanctuary of a shelter, I descended to the small rocky outcrop at Calfhow Pike and, after scrambling over this exposed pimple, embarked upon the final climb of the day.

The path strikes straight up Clough Head and it is a very well graded incline, terminating at a trig point. This hill may look unthreatening but I was soon to discover it has a wilder side. Retracing my steps, I branched right halfway down, picking out a narrow trail in the grass that led to a small cairn and a clearer route dropping below the hill’s craggy west face. The narrow, rocky path and the rough and ready terrain were quite unlike anything I had experienced on the walk so far. I even indulged in a little scree-running, hastening my descent to Hill Top Farm.

After negotiating a complex of quarries above the farm, I reached the road and a couple of hundred metres of tarmac tramping took me to the start of a path that headed south through St John’s in the Vale. With the river by my side, I savoured the tranquillity of this grassy valley while viewing, to the east, the high ground I had covered during the day.

Distance: 10.5 miles/17km Ascent: 3280ft/1000m Time: 5-6 hours Start/finish: Telephone box in Legburthwaite (GR: NY 318189) Map: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 90 (Penrith & Keswick); Harveys 1:40,000 British Mountain Map, Lake District Information: Keswick, 01768 772645 Travel: Stagecoach Lakeslink service 555 linking Keswick with Ambleside stops at Thirlspot, a mile south of Legburthwaite.

Technical Spec
Follow Stanah Lane up past four garages to ladder stile. Cross, head over field to stile at top and bear R to bridge. Follow signed Stanah Path to Sticks Pass. Ascend N to summit of Stybarrow Dodd. Head NW to Watson’s Dodd, then NE to Great Dodd. Descend to Calfhow Pike then climb N to summit of Clough Head. Descend S for 500m, contour NW to join path descending N below W face of Clough Head. Continue down to stile above quarries. Cross this and two further stiles below to reach track and follow to Hill Top Farm to meet B5322. Go R on B5322, then L on minor road. At next road junction, go L on signed path heading S through St John’s in the Vale, passing Bridge House and Low Bridge End Farm to join A591 just north of Legburthwaite.