Walk Description

An early morning start meant that I could meet up with Steve in Kendal and still have plenty of time to reach the small car park at the head of Haweswater before it became full.  We had a dark and gloomy start to the walk and actually put our waterproof jackets on before we left the car park.  The low cloud spread an eerie atmosphere across the valley.  We crossed Mardale Beck and as we rounded The Rigg we could just about make out Kidsty Pike peeping through the drifting clouds.  I stood on the bridge over Riggindale Beck and scanned the skyline in vain; there was no sign of the eagle.  We spent a few minutes looking at the cascades in Randale Beck before we started the steep ascent to Kidsty Howes.  As we climbed higher we were treated to the occasional glimpse of sunshine on the water far below us.  As we approached the summit of Kidsty Hawes we could hear an engine coming closer to us.  Eventually we saw a farmer and his three sheep dogs riding a quad come out of the gloom towards us.  Today was evidently the day that had been chosen for bringing the sheep from fells and down to the valley.

As we began to get a little higher, the weather started to deteriorate and just before Kidsty Pike we had to admit defeat and put our full waterproofs on. From here on as the cloud swirled around us the visibility kept changing.  Occasionally we got glimpses of the wonderful views but most of the time the visibility was poor.  As we climbed from the Straits of Riggindale towards High Street a small herd of deer bounded across our path and by the time I got my camera ready they had disappeared back into the mist.  The summit ridge was virtually deserted and after a quick visit to the trig we managed to find a sheltered spot for our lunch.  Afterwards we followed the wall and wondered whether we would be able to find the path to Mardale Ill Bell in the mist.  We shouldn’t have worried, as it wasn’t long before a new and extremely bright obvious path came into view.  We followed the path over Mardale Ill Bell and down to Nan Bield Pass.   We now decided that instead of climbing Harter Fell we would descend down to Small Water and investigate the many waterfalls and cascades in Small Water Beck.  We lost height very quickly and by the time we had arrived at Small Water, we were out of the cloud and could see the views back down to Mardale.  Nan Bield Pass however was still covered with cloud.

Steve and James spent a lot of time investigating the waterfalls and trying to find the best place for photographs.  Eventually we set out on the final stretch of the walk back to the car park.  Far below us in the valley we could see the shepherds and sheep dogs at work.  The path to The Rigg was blocked by hundreds of sheep, which had been brought down from the higher fells.  It wasn’t long before we were back at the car.  We had a quick change and then drove back to Kendal for a warm drink.  We had had a good day despite the weather and the walk had taken about 6 and a half hours. 
 

Route & Planning

Details and Route Map

Photo Opportunities

Walk Profile

The route map shown here should not be used as a replacement for the appropriate map(s). Before attempting the walk you should check the suitability of this route in relation to your capabilities and experience.