Roads to Red Screes

One or two people have asked what was I going to do now the Wainwrights are all ‘bagged’.  Well, there appears to be more than one way of getting up any hill round here and it is just good not to have the onerous list dictating.

I wanted to go up Red Screes again simply because I had seen the way up  Scandale Fell from the Pikes on the way up to Fairfield.  It looked such an easy stroll.

And it pretty much was.

Though there was more of an initial  pull up from Ambleside than I remembered when plodding up to High Sweden Bridge previously.

 

But there were no great visitas.  Just a track through the woods to the Bridge.

With a few foxgloves.

Even when it did emerge the grey day hardly did the valley,

with sides rounded to the smoothness of an ice-cream scoop any justice.

The sheepfold at close quarters.  It is so distinctive from the side of Fairfield and still occupied.  Though one resident had left their coat behind.

The stile at the top of the pass being the point to turn right and head up to the top of the hill.

Thankfully the dull insipid grey had rolled up into proper cloud giving lending a bit more definition to sky and light.

Grey stone was just fine.

My last slog to Red Screes was straight up High Hartsop Dodd, then Middle Dodd and stumbling down the scree side to the Kirkstone pass Inn.

Oh, this was a much easier way.  With only one hill and no detours.  Except around the butterwort.

Down also was just a track. Over Snarker Pike to the Struggle.  When these old tracks were made they must have had a fair bit of traffic.

This was no single track road.  Look how wide the walls are apart.  And what’s more, we are still using it

Back to the question of what to do now the Wainwrights are finished.  I shall be leaving Cumbria and its hills in August.  Just for a few months.  Going East to work in Cambodia/Vietnam.  The blog will take on a slightly different direction.  Still time to climb a few more hills first, but as they say;  watch this space.