Cat Bells, Maiden Moor, High Spy Castle Crag

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Route: Grange, Manesty, Hause End, Brandelhow, Skegill Bank, Cat Bells, Mart Bield, Hause Gate, Trap Knotts, Bull Crag, Maiden Moor, Narrow Moor, Minum Crag, High Spy, Wilson's Bield, Tongue Gill, Rigghead Quarries, Castle Crag, High Hows Wood, Borrowdale, Grange

Date: 03/03/2018
From: Grange

Parking: Grange
Start Point: Grange
Region: North Western Fells

Route length: 10.6 miles (17.0 km)
Time taken: 05:15
Average speed: 2.02 mph
Ascent: 1,065m
Descent: 1,072m

Wainwrights on this walk:
Cat Bells (451m), Maiden Moor (576m), High Spy (653m), Castle Crag (290m)

Other Summits: Brandelhow (338m), High Spy North Top (630m)

Other Points of Interest: Terrace path, Cumbria Way

We've been away getting some winter sun recently, hence why you may have noticed a brief lull in my usual exploits. That said, we arrived back in time for a final blast of winter as the so-called 'beast from the east' (a sizeable weather system originating in Siberia), brought the coldest March day on record and more significant snowfall to the majority of the UK.

I had originally planned to get over to North Wales this weekend but the closure of all trans-Pennine routes scuppered those plans. Instead, the low-level route through Skipton to the Lake District remained clear so I packed my bags and winter kit, hopped in the car and drove up to Keswick after work.

My plan was to do a walk I've had in mind for a while - the Cat Bells to High Spy ridge, returning along the Cumbria Way in Borrowdale with the added bonus of an ascent of Castle Crag. After a restless night in Keswick YHA listening to some serious snoring, I arrived in Grange ready for the day ahead.

The River Derwent at Grange

Grange

Having not been walking for a number of weeks I was grateful that the first part of the walk involved a fairly level stroll along the lanes to Manesty and then up onto the terrace path that traverses below Cat Bells' summit. It was cold and very hazy but the majority of snow that had fallen in the days previous seemed to have blown away. In fact, it was only the icy roads that needed any real care and attention.

The Manesty road

Blea Crag - part of High Spy

Climbing up to the terrace path

Looking across to Grange Fell

A seat with a view

The terrace path

Cat Bells

I made my way to the north end of the ridge at Hause End and proceeded to start climbing the fell. Despite its diminutive size, Cat Bells does have some steep sections, the final push to the summit requiring the use of my ice axe for some much-needed assistance. A new memorial pillar now adorns the summit of Cat Bells, a nod to the man that made these fells famous - Alfred Wainwright. The views from the ridge and summit are nothing short of spectacular.

Bleaberry Fell

Starting the climb up Skegill Bank

Looking down to Hawse End

Stair and Uzzicar below Barrow

Cat Bells and Brandelhow

The Newlands Valley

Cat Bells from Skegill Bank

Newlands panorama

Brandelhow

Causey Pike and Rowling End

A toposcope now stands atop Cat Bells

A panorama at Cat Bells' summit

A tiny scramble leads off the summit into the depression of Hause Gate before starting a slow and steady climb up towards the wide summit of Maiden Moor. The views across the valley are still a sight to behold, ever-changing as we continued the climb. A fork in the path leads to a slight dilemma for the unaware, the main path bypasses the summit of Maiden Moor whereas the slightly shabbier looking path leads right to the top as well as passing above the impressive Bull Crag which falls to the valley floor with as much drama as can be found in Lakeland Fells.

The Newlands Valley

Derwentwater

Maiden Moor above Hause Gate

Hause Gate

Looking back to Cat Bells

Sun starts to pick out the drifts

Above Bull Crag

Maiden Moor's summit

From Maiden Moor it's a long but easy walk over Narrow Moor towards High Spy - the highest fell on the ridge. The sun had started to poke through as I deliberately made my way over to High Spy's northern summit before crossing the snow to reach the main summit perched above Red Crag. Once again, the views are pretty amazing, this time taking in the full aspect of Dale Head.

Hindscarth

Panorama from Maiden Moor

The long route to High Spy

Skiddaw makes an appearance

Drifts at Narrow Moor

High Spy's north top

North top summit

Goat Crag above Borrowdale

Looking a little Alpine at Eel Crags

Eel Crags

Dale Head

The panorama above Eel Crags

High Spy's summit

Dale Head

High Scawdel and Dale Head

From High Spy, an easy descent drops to Wilson's Bield. You can continue back up Dale Head from here to complete the classic Newlands Round though I was bound for Tongue Gill and the valley down into Borrowdale.

Dale Head

Clouds above High Scawdel

Dale Head

Wilson's Bield

Wilson's Bield

Looking down Tongue Gill

The Tongue Gill path passes the old Rigghead Quarries - you might have thought the workings would have been on the surface, but not here - although plenty of spoil has been left behind. As you can see, Rigghead Quarries were actually mines. There were some impressive, icy waterfalls on the route down - one of the great things about winter walking. You wouldn't find these in the summer.

Frozen waterfalls

Frozen waterfalls

Tongue Gill

Rigghead Quarries

A stairway from the old mine workings

Looking up Tongue Gill

Tongue Gill

Tongue Gill

Picking up the Grange - Seatoller bridleway, Castle Crag appears around the corner, illuminated in the afternoon sun. Castle Crag, though the smallest of all the Wainwrights and often not classified due to its height, is too good to miss, despite the steepness of the ascent.

Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite

Glaramara

Castle Crag

After clambering through some trees, the path begins a zig-zag up a loose slate pile, the result of years of slate quarrying on the fell. Close to the summit is High Hows Quarry, an obvious yet impressive scar, surrounded by a series of curiously placed, upright slates. It seems that it's the tradition but no one seems to know why or when it started. It's certainly different, and quite a surprise for the first time. Above High Hows stands the summit.

The slippery path up Castle Crag

Rosthwaite

Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite

Upright slate stones in High Hows

High Hows quarry

memorial on Castle Crag's summit

Castle Crag's summit area

Despite its lowly height, Castle Crag has extensive views to the north and to the south, as if you had been suspended high above Borrowdale. To the north is Derwentwater framing Skiddaw and to the south is the entire Scafell range. There are much higher fells that simply cannot compete with this one - it's obvious why Wainwright included it as a separate chapter.

Castle Crag's summit rocks

Looking towards Glaramara

Having enjoyed the summit, I retraced my steps back to the base of the slate pile, this time making the descent through the woods to the River Derwent. I intended to try and find Millican's Cave - a famed spot in Borrowdale but one I had yet to visit.

Trees atop Castle Crag

Castle Crag's slate fortification

Great Crag

Cumbria Way

Millican's Cave?

Millican Dalton's cave, as it is locally known, is on the eastern flank of Castle Crag and consists of two inter-connected split-levelled caves formed by the slate quarrying process. This cave was inhabited for nigh-on fifty years by Millican Dalton, the self-styled 'Professor of Adventure. To this day, Dalton's legacy can be seen in the upper chamber of the cave, where he carved his own epitaph into the wall above where he slept. It reads: "Don't Waste Words, Jump to Conclusions".

Alas, I did not manage to find the cave for three reasons; 1) I only had a vague idea of where it was, 2) I was tired and 3) as I tentatively inspected one of the quarries, a car-sized block of ice fell from the ceiling and smashed not 10m in front of me. This was best saved for another day.

The River Derwent

Tree-lined lanes on the way back to Grange

It's a further mile back to the Grange from the quarries along the River Derwent - it was a fine way to end the day. Having not walked for around a month the combination of the 11 miles and a heavy, winter pack had taken its toll but I still mustered the effort to stop at Friar's Crag on the way back to Keswick to catch the colours of sunset.

Derwentwater

Keswick launch jetties

Cat Bells from Friar's Crag

Derwent Isle