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

Date                           :  11th  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)

 

Which part of Lakeland is this walk situated

 

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)

 

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