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| LITTLE HART CRAG, HIGH HARTSOP DODD, MIDDLE DODD & RED SCREES from AMBLESIDE |
Summary & Summits
| Walk statistics | Name of Summit | Height (ft) | Height (m) | Grid Ref |
| Date - 6th September 2009 | Little Hart Crag (west top) | 2091 | 637 | NY 3872 1002 |
| Map - OL7 | High Hartsop Dodd | 1702 | 519 | NY 3935 1076 |
| Distance - 11 miles | Middle Dodd | 2146 | 654 | NY 3973 0957 |
| Ascent - 4250ft | Red Screes | 2546 | 776 | NY 3964 0867 |
| Start - Ambleside (NY 376046) |
Walk Blog
The weather had been appalling this week with days of rain, but Dad resolved to take us out today. For Little Eric and myself this was great as we would tick of another three Wainwrights. From Ambleside we took the side road, where at its end a gate leads to a track to the pretty High Sweden Bridge, then onwards up the valley of Scandale, with Low and High Pike towering to the left. Not surprisingly is was muddy in places and the streams were swollen, but Dad forded them safely. The steady ascent started leading to the Scandale Pass, but part way up we struck left to gain the wall, and then ahead and right to climb steeply to Little Hart Crag and its west summit that is the highest point. Now crossing to the east summit, we then took the path down the ridge crossing over a number of small humps, to the small cairn marking the summit of High Hartsop Dodd. Returning up the ridge, Dad then cut left below Little Hart Crag, to finally reach the path at the Scandale Pass. The steep 900ft ascent to Red Screes now faced us, and our little hearts sank, but Dad strode on climbing steadily taking rests now and then. We were in fact first going to Middle Dodd, so when he judged we had reached the level of that summit, we cut left along a path that bought us to the bottom of Smallthwaite Band. It was then just a gentle stroll to the substantial cairn marking Middle Dodd's summit. Both from here and High Hartsop Dodd, we had had fine views to Brothers Water and the fells beyond. Now all that remained was the ascent of Smallthwaite Band to the trig point and shelter on Red Screes. Here, as at all the summits it was very windy, and knowing the vertical drop just a few yards behind us, we were glad to get safely tucked up in the rucksack. So far it had been dry, but now the rain came on, which together with the strong wind, made for a rather unpleasant descent of Red Screes, down to the Kirkstone Road and on to Ambleside. By now the rain was getting ever heavier, so we just headed straight home.
Allen
Walk Scenes
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| The
gate at the end of the road and beyond the track to High Sweden Bridge larger image |
High Sweden Bridge larger image |
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| Scandale,the west & east tops of Little Hart Crag are prominent on the skyline to the right larger image | A Herdwick lamb. Note the wonderful markings on its face. Their equivalent of a fingerprint? larger image |
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| At the summit of High Hartsop Dodd. Windy as you can see from the blur of the flag. larger image | Brotherswater
from Middle Dodd. Place Fell is dominant behind with
Angle Pikes to the right. Distantly left is Great Mell
Fell larger
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| The
sheer north face of Red Screes, from Smallthwaite Band larger image |
Highest cairn and shelter on Red Screes larger image |