Walk

Walk : Red Screes (2,541ft) and Middle Dodd (2,106 ft) from the Kirkstone Pass Inn

Date : 11^th April 2015

Weather : High winds, freezing cold, dry around 4 °C

Distance : 3 miles round trip

Time Taken : 1 hour 10 mins to first summit (Red Screes)

Terrain Overview

Overview

A steep initial climb up a well engineered path which is stepped for large parts of the track, followed by a steep drop to Middle Dodd

Taking the Kirkstone Pass route out of Windermere, this walk starts at the car park of the Kirkstone Pass Inn which is free of use

From the north end of the car park take the hand gate and turn left which takes you onto the open fell side

Head across for the prominent stone stair case which helps greatly with the initial steepness

Slightly further up the path and the start of the climb up the South East ridge

Looking back towards Rydal Water and Windermere in the distance

The stair case swings right to avoid the main bulk of the crags.

At this point a little rock handling is called for

Back on the steps again as I approach the “hairpin” bend

Looking across to the sheer face of Raven Crag. By now the wind was biting cold and blowing fiercely

The scree path as it approaches the hair pin

The marker post shows the direction to go and at this point there is an adverse sloping ledge which normally would be effortless, but in this

wind a little care was needed

To give an idea of the height and exposure on the ledge here is a view looking back to the Inn. Its quite steep

On the approach now to the summit

The summit shelter cairn comes into view and a welcome break from the biting cold wind

An amazing view across the Tarn over to the Scafells and Great Gable.

Click here for a 360 degree view from the summit http://youtu.be/u1wa5iCSyUA

Looking north east towards the Helvellyn range

Looking north over Brothers Water towards Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes

A close up on Great Gable and Pillar

I now start the descent north towards Middle Dodd – this shot is taken on the well defined path looking back to the summit trig

point of Red Screes

The descent to Middle Dodd

Depending how brave you feel you can skirt quite close to the edge of the ridge. In today’s wind this was close enough for me

An idea of the scale of the drop in altitude. You can just make out the summit trig point of Red Screes in the centre of the shot

The summit cairn on Middle Dodd

Helvellyn still snow capped

On the way back down and three lakes in one shot .. Windermere (left) Rydal Water (centre) and Coniston Water (right)