Lake District Walks
Cat Bells
Date: 4th August 2005
Distance: 3.3 miles
Ascent: 1131 feet
Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
With: Lisa
Start Grid Ref: NY246214
Walk Summary:
My first walk in the Lake District, a short but delightful walk on to Cat Bells.
Route Summary: Hawse End - Skelgill - Hawse Gate - Cat Bells - Skelgill Bank - Hawse End
Pictures:
1. Hindscarth and Robinson
2. Looking across the Newlands Valley to Causey Pike
3. Lisa and the Newlands Valley
4. The top of Cat Bells looking north towards Skiddaw
5. Sat on Cat Bells with Derwent Water below me
6. Looking back at Cat Bells from Skelgill Bank
7. Lisa on Skelgill Bank
Walk Detail: This was our first walk in the Lake District. I picked this specific walk because it was fairly short and it was already early afternoon by the time we'd pitched our tent at the Burns Farm campsite and had an initial walk around Keswick.
The walk didn’t start too promisingly though as there was a short heavy shower that thankfully quickly died away. The walk along the western side of Skelgill Bank and Cat Bells was on a delightful grassy path amidst the bracken. Along the way I made my first visual acquaintance with the likes of Causey Pike, Hindscarth, Robinson and the delightful Newlands Valley.
As we reached Hause Gate on the saddle between Maiden Moor and Cat Bells the views opened out to include the Skiddaw group to the north, Derwent Water just below us and to the south Borrowdale and Glaramara.
The top of Cat Bells was bare and rocky and considering what a popular destination it is we were lucky to share it with just one other person. As we headed down I was surprised by some of the scrambling involved especially as this is supposedly a destination for all the family.
As we descended the weather began to improve slightly and so we lingered for a while on Skelgill Bank to enjoy the views. All in all this was a perfect appetiser to our first Lakeland experience.
Follow me on ...
