Route: Whiteside
Area: North Western Lake District
Date of walk: 20th January 2016
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 5.5 miles
Ascent: 2,100 feet
Weather: Sunny at first, clouded over gradually, lots of snow on the tops
Today’s walk started from home but the round can easily be adapted by starting from Lanthwaite Green or the small lay by below High Swinside. After walking up the outgang near Miller Place I joined the elevated path above Lorton Vale, leaving it just before Lanthwaite Green to start the climb up Whin Ben, one of the 3 buttresses which rise up to the summit of Whiteside
As I gained height snow started to cover the path and after a while this became quite deep. Luckily some walkers had been here before me and I was able to follow in their footsteps, saving the effort of kicking steps. At a steeper section I decided to put on the microspikes, which turned out to be a good move especially later on in the descent
Eventually I emerged onto the summit ridge and walked over to the west top. From there it’s an easy but delightful stroll across to the east top. It was tempting to go on from here and follow the ridge to Hopegill Head, but the descent from there is steep and tricky at the best of times, so I decided to descend to Dodd Pass. On reaching the pass I followed the path which snakes round Dodd and when I reached the outgang again I retraced my steps back to the start
I didn’t realise until after the walk that today was the 25th anniversary of the death of Alfred Wainwright, whose Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells have been such an inspiration to me over the years. I’m sure that AW would have enjoyed today’s walk – I certainly did
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
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Start of the walk, with Whiteside behind the clouds
Looking across to Mellbreak and the Loweswater Fells
I walk up the outgang to join the valley path
The wonderful path above Lorton Vale
From top to bottom: Hencomb, Lanthwaite Hill, Herdy
Further along the path
Mellbreak
Looking across to Carling Knott above Lanthwaite Hill
Loweswater Fells
Mellbreak
Looking down to Lanthwaite Green and Loweswater from the start of the climb up Whin Ben
Crummock Water
Low Fell and Fellbarrow as the path becomes steeper
Another view back to Loweswater as I gain height
My route is along the ridge on the left
Looking across to Brackenthwaite Fell, leading up to Grasmoor
Looking back to Whin Ben and Crummock Water
Gasgale Gill and Sand Hill
Looking back towards Low Fell
Crummock Water
Gasgale Gill
Looking back towards Grasmoor…
A wonderful moment - west top of Whiteside, looking along the ridge to the east top and to Hopegill Head
Looking back to the west top as I walk along the ridge
Crummock Water below
Path to the east top of Whiteside
A last photo of the oh so inviting ridge to Hopegill Head before I turn off left to start the descent
The path down to Dodd Pass, with Lorton beyond
Bonnie…
Dodd - I will turn right at the col below this outlier of Whiteside
I follow the path down Dodd Pass
Looking up Hope Gill to Hopegill Head
Descending back into Lorton Vale
The outgang again, and the circuit is complete
Back home, a red squirrel in the garden…
