Lake District Walks
Sheffield Pike
Date: 7th October 2006
Distance: 7.7 miles
Ascent: 2991 feet
Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
With: Philippe
Start Grid Ref: NY386169
Walk Summary:
An enjoyable sortie up on to Sheffield Pike before detouring round to Hart Side via Green Side.
Route Summary: Glendridding - The Rake - Glendridding Dodd - Heron Pike - Sheffield Pike - Nick Head - Green Side - Hart Side - Glencoyne Beck - Seldom Seen - Stybarrow Crag - Glenridding.
Pictures:
1. Birkhouse Moor
2. Philippe on Glenridding Dodd
3. Sheffield Pike from Glenridding Dodd
4. Ullswater from Glenridding Dodd
5. Looking up Glen Ridding towards Catstycam
6. Ullswater from Heron Pike
7. Green Side from Sheffield Pike
8. On the summit of Sheffield Pike
9. Looking over Sticks Pass towards Great Gable
10. Hart Side from Green Side
11. Great Dodd
12. The top of Hart Side looking back to Green Side
13. Sheffield Pike from Hart Side
14. The hole in the wall we had to crawl through
Walk Detail: While I had been planning to visit the Lakes again sooner rather than later extra impetus was given to this walk by Philippe’s desire to see something of the area. I chose Sheffield Pike because it would be a relatively short walk but with enough height gain, and hopefully enough good scenery to make Philippe want to go again.
We set off about 7.30am and although it was lovely east of the Pennines we hit a few showers on approaching Ullswater and I did begin to worry a bit (just for a change!). As it turned out we were extremely lucky with the weather. Not only did it not rain on us but it was one of those fantastic days where the patches of sunshine through the cloud move quickly over the fellside because of the wind which means the scenery changes so rapidly.
The climb up to Glenridding Dodd was at first unremittingly steep but Philippe was game and we managed to gain height quickly. The detour out on to the Dodd was well worth it for the view of Ullswater, a view even better from the cairn further down to the eastern edge.
We both enjoyed the path up to Sheffield Pike which wound its way nicely up the south eastern ridge with good views across Glen Ridding towards Raise, Birkhouse Moor and Catstycam. After a brief detour to the top of Heron Pike, another great viewpoint, we headed for the summit. So far we had been sheltered from the wind but here it hit us full force and we had to take shelter while we ate our lunch.
We were both enjoying ourselves and Philippe wanted to carry on so I switched routes from the Hannon to the Dillon book and from Sheffield Pike we headed up to Green Side. The climb was a little bit steeper in places than it looked and I’m sure that Phillipe began to regret his decision to carry on. However the view of Great Gable over Sticks Pass was definitely worth the effort as was my first proper sightings of Stybarrow Dodd and Great Dodd both of which looked rather impressive in their own rounded way.
From Green Side the walk to Hart Side was very easy indeed and here we took some shelter from the strong wind for another little break. The best thing about the view from Hart Side was the clearer sighting of the Northern Fells to the right of Great Dodd while the view out towards the Pennines featured the lump of Great Mell Fell in the foreground.
The descent from Hart Side proved to be quite eventful. After negotiating some rocky crags we had to crawl through a hole in a stone wall and drop down the other side. Shortly after we had to ford Glencoyne Beck which was not as easy as it perhaps should have been due to recent rain. The rest of the walk was fairly pleasant with a nice little stretch along the shores of Ullswater being the highlight.
For a first time taste of fellwalking in the Lakes you could not have asked for a better day. For one such as me who goes walking whatever the weather it was even better.
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