www.pdwc.org Vol: 23 Issue 8 26 July 2009

BUTTERMERE Coaches leave Buttermere at 6.00pm

FUTURE WALKS 8.00am Start : 5.30pm Return Sun 23 Aug Aysgarth & Leyburn A: D Colbert B+: C Hunt B: D Shackleton C: Alison & Lesley

Note change of starting time

8.30am Start : 5..30pm return Sun 20 Sept Keswick & Braithwaite A: D Thornton B+: P Stevens B: A Ingham C: D Lowe

Thursday Car Walks 10.30am Start Thurs 13 Aug Winter Hill B Walk with Derek Lowe Meet at Rivington Lower Barn 8 miles / 12.9km climbing 1035ft / 315m Our walk begins from the Lower Barn at Rivington and we start climbing straight away as we make our way up to the Top Barn which we go around and follow the path up to the Belmont car park. Here we take the path up to the Pigeon Tower where we shall stop for a breather. We now take the road on our left for about 2 miles and go over the footbridge on our right to take us to the top of Winter Hill. This is the end of our climbing (honestly!) as we now walk around the TV relay station (lunch stop). We now follow the access road but leave it to take a path across Smithills Moor. Descending to Pike Cottage we go to our right around the foot of Rivington Pike where we take a path on our left to take us down to Rivington Grammar School. A footpath alongside the school and through a car park leads us to (the ruins of) Liverpool Castle. From here we follow the footpath alongside the reservoir to take us back to the Lower Barn car park.

Thurs 10 Sept Standish B Walk with Jill & Bernard Croft Meet at Red Rock car park GR581099

Sunday Car Walks 10.30am Start Sun 9 Aug Dunsop Bridge B Walk with Judith Rawlinson Meet at the village car park Sun 9 Aug Longton C Walk with Barbara & Chrissy Meet at the Brickcroft Nature Reserve Sun 6 Sept Worthington Lakes B Walk with Jackie & Sheila Meet at the nature reserve car park Sun 6 Sept Brock Valley C Walk with Derek Lowe Meet at Brock Mill car park

IMPORTANT

Please read the Committee Nomination Papers. Now is the time for you to re-elect the committee or propose new members. (With their permission)

Seat belts are a legal requirement. Please use them. Dogs must be kept on the lead at all times. The coaches are non-smoking areas.

Editor: Maurice Bradbury Please note – All Walk details must be in 2 (TWO) weeks before each coach excursion.

Today’s Walks Today’s starting points: 1. A: Braithwaite 2. B: Lanthwaite 3. B+, C: Buttermere

Grisedale Pike with Allan Benson

Grade. A Distance 10 miles / 16km Climbing 2900ft / 884m I was scheduled to lead this walk in 2002, but it was cancelled due to a petrol shortage. Hopefully there’s plenty of petrol today. Today’s walk, starting from Braithwaite i.e. early off the coach, is a modest 10 miles and approx 2,900ft /884m of ascent, I am sure it should attract some energetic B+ walkers. It is an excellent ridge walk (weather permitting). Starting our walk from Braithwaite we first climb Grisedale Pike, this is the steepest part of today’s walk as we gain most height along the ridge finishing at 2,593ft / 790m. We continue along the ridge to Hopegill Head at 2,525ft / 770m and onto Whiteside at 2,317ft / 706m This is an excellent ridge walk with, hopefully, good views of the surrounding fells. From Whiteside we return to Buttermere via the shore of Crummock Water back in time for a brew / pint.

Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag with Pete Stevens . Grade B+ Distance 6.7 miles / 11.8km Climbing 2700ft / 833m

Although there is more climbing than I normally do on a B+ walk, once on the tops the views are truly magnificent and well worth the effort (weather permitting). This walk is taken from a suggestion by Dave Tilleray for whom I am leading the walk today. Starting in Buttermere, we leave in a southerly direction over a footbridge and through Burtness Wood to the eastern end of Buttermere Lake. We now start the main climb of the day ascending Buttermere Fell via Scarth Gap Pass, cutting across to 'Marble Stone' and ascending 'Gamlin End' to High Crag (2,440ft-744m). Continuing to climb, we follow the ridge to High Stile (highest point on the walk 2,644ft-806m) and then on to Red Pike (2,362ft-720m above sea level). The views (on a clear day) are truly panoramic, with Buttermere and Keswick to the north east, Scar Fell and Ennerdale Water to the south east, and to the west the Cumbrian coast line and the Solway Firth. We now make our descent to Buttermere down the 'Saddle', passing Bleaberry Tarn on the way back to the coaches.

Lowe swater and Crummock Water with Dorothy Dobson Grade B Distance 9 miles / 14.5km Climbing 500ft / 152m

The walk today is by two lakes with very little climbing. We leave the coaches on the B5289 at Lanthwaite and take the path that leads into Lanthwaite Wood. A short while later we head south and Crummock Water soon comes into view. We only walk beside the lake for a few yards before heading through the fields to the hamlet of Gillerthwaite. We now have a little road walking before we reach Maggie’s Bridge and on to Loweswater. We may have lunch at the lake before retracing our steps to the road. We turn off to the village of Loweswater and the Kirkstile Hotel. From here we walk down some lovely narrow lanes to High Park where we take the higher path to walk the full length of the west side of Crummock Water to Scale Bridge and on to Buttermere.

Buttermere Circular with Bill Manning Grade C Distance 5 miles / 8km Climbing: very little

Leaving the village we take the track to Scale Bridge where a left turn leads us to Burtness Wood along the lakeside. Emerging from the wood near Horse Close we cross Combe Beck to reach a sheep fold. From here a road walk takes us to Gatescarth Farm. Continuing north-west along the road we soon take a path back to the lakeside and on to a stand of Scots pine near Cragwood and the grounds of Hassness. We reach a short tunnel then pass through wooded pasture land before taking a right turn to reach Wilkinsyke Farm. (Ice-cream etc. here) Then we continue up the road to the small church to find Wainwright’s plaque before heading back to the village and the coaches. Please help to keep the coaches clean by removing muddy boots. Please check that you have all your belongings and take newspapers etc. away with you. Thank you.