Walk

Walk : The Knott (2,423 ft) and Rest Dodd (2,278 ft) from Hartsop

Date : 22^nd April 2019

Weather : Dry, sunny and warm @ 21°C light breeze

Distance : 6 miles round trip

Time Taken : 1 hour 50 mins to first summit (The Knott)

Which part of Lakeland is this walk situated

Terrain Overview

Overview

The fine weather over the Easter weekend continued to the Bank Holiday Monday and was too good of an opportunity to not make the journey up the M6

back to Lakeland. This time we opted for a couple of Fells in the Far Eastern Region which we had not seemed to have visited for some time now.

Logistically it is far easier for us coming from Junction 36 on the M6 to visit, especially using the Kirkstone Pass to miss all the major traffic that scoots up

and down the A591 from Keswick to Windermere.

I had forgot how completely charming and dramatic are the Fells around Haweswater, Hayeswater and Ullswater and the route we took today starting

from Hartsop is an absolute belter as it is an ideal gateway / starting point to access a number of stunning Wainwright classified Fells

This particular route has the potential to include several other fells should your time permit

From Windermere take the A592 Kirkstone Pass towards Bridgend and from there after passing the Kirkstone Pass Inn and dropping down to the valley floor turn right

at the signpost for Hartsop. The road is marked as a dead end and is quite narrow in parts but eventually leads to a free car park, that has an honesty box where you can

make a donation to help with upkeep

The steep sided Hartsop Dodd is the prominent view at the start of the walk

Through the gates in the car park head off down the stony track that branches off to the left

Looking up along the Pasture Beck valley towards the terminus of Threshthwaite Mouth – a lot of heat haze today

Within a couple of hundred yards a cattle grid is reached after which there are two paths that can be taken. Take the right hand path that leads ultimately towards

Hayeswater Reservoir

The path crosses Hayeswater Gill via a steel bridge before is starts to climb fairly steeply past the base of Gray Crag

Higher on up the track and looking back down to the old Filter House that was in use when Hayeswater was used as a Reservoir

Some of the waterfalls of Hayeswater Gill from the track

Very tempting to jump in and cool off a little in today’s heat !!

The track eventually leads to a relatively newly constructed footbridge that sits just below the entrant to Hayeswater

Tired Jones ??? – we’re not keeping you up are we ??

After crossing the bridge the first decent view of The Knott – our first objective. The track leads round to the open fellside where there are a number of grass tracks that

lead up to the ridgeline. This one that we chose is the first that is seen, there are other tracks that pass closer to the edge of the Reservoir should you wish closer inspection

Hayeswater from further up the grass path

Looking back to where we have climbed up from towards a still snow capped Helvellyn in the far distance

Continue up the grass track until you reach the very obvious stone path that cuts across from Brock Crags and Rest Dodd, its quite a popular highway and hard to miss.

At this point turn right and head up along the ridgeline to The Knott

The path gets rougher as it gains more height, but is worth keep to as it wends its way around the left hand side of the summit where the slopes up to it are more easier

At this point we depart from the stone track and head up over the grass to follow the line of the stone wall all the way to the summit

The summit cairn on The Knott

Sue, Me JtB and Ste on the summit of The Knott with the whole vista of the Eastern Fells behind us

Click here for a 360 degree view from the summit of The Knott … https://youtu.be/wwmMtC_RZQA

Through the heat haze the distinctive peak of Catstye Cam and the snow capped Helvellyn from the summit

After a lengthy stay to admire the views and have lunch we then set off for the summit of Rest Dodd, straight in front of us. The stone wall that can be seen rising up is the

most direct way to the summit but is also the most steep. We will keep to the stone path and then head up the less steep shoulder on the left hand side

The path as you can see leads on past the shoulder of Rest Dodd, Satura Crags and as far as Brock Crags in the left. The line of assent we will take to Rest Dodd

starts just before the dark ridge line you can see in the centre right of the shot

The faint grass path up the shoulder of Rest Dodd

One of the summit cairns on Rest Dodd

Sue checking up on the Wainwright Guide book entry at one of the summit cairns, the massive bulk of High Raise in the background

Click here for a 360 degree view from the summit of Rest Dodd … https://youtu.be/pxIGB6DWcQo

The Nab from the summit of Rest Dodd

Angle Tarn and Angletarn Pikes from the summit of Rest Dodd

As the summit was sheep free – we take the chance of letting Jones off the lead for stretch.

Team shot on the summit of Rest Dodd

Looking south over to the massive bulk of High Street

Back down and Re-Hydration therapy in The Lily in Ambleside (we tend to pop in there every now and again J) and low and behold we have actually managed to tire out

Jones the Bastard …. A first !!!