Derwent Bank, Keswick, Cumbria

HF Holidays - a week of hard mountain walks based at Derwent Bank house on the northwest shore of Derwent Water, near Keswick.

Holidays

Photo Gallery

(1) (Day 1) On Saturday our hard group approach the rocky scramble at Taylorgill Force (waterfall in photo).
Our main objective today is Great Gable.
(2) Below Our group (except me as the photographer) stops for a break after we clear the scramble and head towards Styhead Gill.
(3) Below Above Styhead Tarn as we climb the steep ascent towards Great Gable.
(4) Having climbed to the summit of Great Gable (2949') we cross the dip to the smaller Green Gable (2603'). The weather was kind to us today, but rain was coming later in the holiday.
(5) We've done Great Gable, now it's the turn of little sister, Green Gable.
(6) The next few peaks were minor ones including Brandreth and Grey Knotts.
Here the moorland scenery is evident as the blue sky is reflected in some wetland pools.
The last leg was a descent to the Honiston slate mine for a well deserved cuppa.
(7) (Day 2) Sunday and today we are going to climb Skiddaw, a bleak rocky peak with a long summit (it is the fourth highest of the Wainwrights at 3053 feet).
First we headed up towards Carl Side with Bassenthwaite Lake below.
(8) Further on and the grey mass of Skiddaw looms on our left.
(9) The last stretch to the summit was up an extraordinarily steep bare slate path.
(10) We are at the summit of Skiddaw and it's about to get windy. Phil, Vanessa, Anneliese, Rik and Tod.
(11) On the summit it turned cold, misty and very windy and we didn't stay up there long.
Heading southwest past Little Man, Keswick at the head of Derwent Water comes into view.
(12) Heading along the side of White Beck towards Keswick as we say goodbye to the brooding Skiddaw.
(13) (Day 3) Monday and Tod and I took a trip into Keswick, visiting the Puzzle and Illusion museum and having a coffee in the pretty town.
In the afternoon we hired canoes and paddled around Derwent Water.
Here I approach the lakeside jetty near the HF house where we stayed.
(14) Tod points his bow at the cloudy summit of Skiddaw.
(15) Paddling around one of the little islands in the northern part of Derwent Water.
(16) (Day 4) Today's walk starts with the ascent of Causey Pike.
(17) (Day 4) We're at the summit of Causey Pike. A ridge with several bumps starting with the main one.
(18) Continuing along the ridge after Causey we look down the deep valley of Rigg Beck.
(19) Looking west to Outerside and the Causey ridge from the summit of Barrow.
(20) A pretty view of Derwent Water from near the Barrow top.
(21) Heading downhill towards Braithwaite with the lake in view.
After reaching the flat we walked back to the house.
(22) (Day 5) Well, today was a challenge!
Red Pike (2479'), High Stile (2644') and High Crag (2443').
We start the steep climb from the shore of Buttermere.
(23) The long rocky climb towards Dodd with Red Pike not yet in view.
(24) That was a hard climb but as we topped Red Pike the weather soon turned nasty, windy and cold.
(25) A gap in the bad weather as we look north from High Crag across Buttermere and Crummock Water.
The Swaledale ewe makes this superb photo (courtesy of Anneliese) an iconic Lakeland image.
(26) Wet and cold, we had lunch on the ridge and decided to miss out Hat Stack as it was becoming dangerous under foot. Here our intrepid group pose for a photo as we head back down. From left, Tod, me, Paul and Anelise.
(27) The peace and tranquility of Buttermere again and the bleak and bitter trek on the ridge is a tough but satisfying bag of three more Wainwright peaks.
(28) (Day 6) Well, the last walk and it will be Hart Crag and Fairfield (2863').
Here we are overlooking the little Brotherswater lake where we used to camp.
(29) The long but fairly gentle ascent of Hartsop above How heading towards Hart Crag (2698').
(30) Phil (leader), Paul and Tod trudge on with the weather about to turn.
(31) At Fairfield summit it started to get nasty so we had lunch in the circular rock shelter and headed onwards.
After an abortive attempt to head down towards St Sunday Crag ridge, the leader decided we'd do Plan B, which was to head down and finish the walk in the valley.
Here we head down to Grisedale Tarn.
(32) As the weather brightens we head along Grisedale Beck, on the road to Glenridding.
(33) After quite a challenge, wet but in good spirits, we descend from the Fairfield walk.
Cheryl (on the right) was with us. Soon we were down and a welcome pint in a pub near Ullswater.
Quite a varied holiday!

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