Walk 68 - The Dodds - 1st March 2022
 

Wainwright's Walking Guide to the Lake District Fells - Book 1 The Eastern Fells
 

#156 Clough Head 2382 ft
#157 Great Dodd 2812 ft
#158 Watson's Dodd 2589 ft
#159 Stybarrow Dodd 2766 ft
Distance
11.4 miles
Time
8 hrs
Lowest Point
480 ft
Highest Point
2812 ft
Total Ascent
3216 ft
 
Walk Rating - moderate
 

Mini Route Map
(larger map at the bottom)

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  8.12 Looking out of my bedroom window at Keswick Park Hotel and I can see 6 Wainwrights and some nice weather. It promises to be a good walking day.  
 
 
  10.50 I'm parked up at the end of the Old Coach Rd on the B5322 near Crystal Cottage.  
 
 
  10.58 High Rigg behind Wanthwaite Farm.  
   
  11.03 Panorama 632 Contemplating the walk ahead just a few minutes up the Old Coach Road. My initial plan is to do Clough Head today.  
 
 
  11.08 Straight on at the path crossroads at NY 32144 23513.  
 
 
  11.12 Threlkeld and Blencathra.  
 
 
  11.13 Latrigg and Skiddaw.  
   
  11.22 Panorama 633 Looking across to Thelkeld and Blencathra.  
 
 
  11.45 The Old Coach Rd loops around Threlkeld Knotts.  
 
 
  11.59 A noisy Osprey passes through the valley.  
   
  12.00 Panorama 634 Through the gate and the path leaves the Old Coach Road and begins to climb the fell properly.  
 
 
  12.06 Looking down on the Old Coach Rd and over to the Mells.  
 
 
  12.10 Skiddaw above Lonscale Fell.  
 
 
  12.23 Two cyclists pass below me on the path. Suddenly the second one has a bike problem and starts ringing his bell but the front one doesn't hear and carries on to the edge of the picture before he realises he is alone and has to turn around.  
 
 
  12.26 First patch of snow at around 1800ft.  
 
 
  12.33 The subsidiary summit of White Pike at just over 2000ft.  
   
  12.35 Panorama 635 A view to the east from White Pike.  
 
 
  12.47 Looking back at White Pike with Great Mell Fell in the background.  
 
 
  12.50 This was the largest patch of snow I walked through today, about 20 footsteps.  
 
 
  13.00 I reached the summit of Clough head and by now I was starting to make plans to extend the walk to the Dodds. I'd made good progress and the weather was fantastic. It is also looking much less good tomorrow so I don't want to waste this.  
 
 
  13.04 In the distance is another walker I had seen going up the steeper approach over Threlkeld Knotts. That's Julian who I later met.  
 
 
  13.06 The Mells from Clough Head.  
   
  13.07 Panorama 636 Clough Head summit. (Wainwright #156 2382 ft.)  
 
 
  13.07 Skiddaw and Blencathra from Clough Head.  
 
 
  13.07 Derwent Water and Keswick from Clough Head.  
 
 
  13.08 Skiddaw behind Lonscale Fell.  
 
 
  13.24 Blencathra. As I took photos from the summit a young guy appeared who had walked from Grasmere that morning including over Helvellyn. He planned to go to the pub in Threlkeld and then climb Blencathra (so that would be in the dark) and camp up there. We discussed possible routes up but he laughed at my suggestion of the easier routes.  
 
 
  13.25 Great How and Thirlmere as I head towards Calfhow Pike.  
 
 
  13.25 Great Dodd will be my target after Calfhow Pike.  
   
  13.26 Heading for the small bump of Calfhow Pike with Great Dodd on the left and Thirlmere below. I'd been having a lot of trouble with my phone external battery today and spent some time fiddling with it as I walked along this path. It turned out to be the wire that was unreliable. After a while I suddently realised that I only had one walking pole and had to backtrack about 100 yds to where I had dropped the other one.  
 
 
  13.46 Looking back at Clough Head.  
   
  13.55 Panorama 637 Calfhow Pike.  
 
 
  13.57 Keswick from Calfhow Pike.  
 
 
  13.57 Thirlmere and Great How.  
 
 
  14.15 Ascending Great Dodd from Calfhow Pike. I only saw 9 people all day.  
   
  14.21 Panorama 638 Great Dodd ascent. The 3 ladies I passed a few minutes ago are now on Calfhow Pike  
 
 
  14.37 Ascending Great Dodd.  
   
  14.55 Panorama 639 Great Dodd summit. (Wainwright #157 2812 ft). A large flat summit area with a cairn at the north end and a shelter at the south. I am standing in the centre. I think this makes the widest panorama I have ever done with the most peaks visible.  
 
 
  14.56 The cairn between Skiddaw and Blencathra.  
 
 
  14.56 The summit shelter at the southern end.  
 
 
  15.05 The cairn was not particularly cosy and I had to share it with a large patch of snow, but this was lunch.  
   
  15.15 Panorama 640 Great Dodd summit.  
 
 
  15.17 Looking along my path.  
 
 
  15.18 As I dropped off Great Dodd I heard an engine but looking around could see nothing. Suddenly this girocopter shot over the summit and passed only about 20 feet above me.  
 
 
  15.20 The light caught the side of the fell and made it shine brightly.  
   
  15.24 Panorama 641 Great Dodd descent.  
 
 
  15.31 Still cold enough for ice in some of the sheltered spots. Great Dodd in the background.  
 
 
  15.33 A pond near the summit of Watson's Dodd with Stybarrow Dodd in the background.  
 
 
  15.35 The summit cairn of Watsons Dodd with some giants on the horizon.  
   
  15.38 Panorama 642 Watson's Dodd summit. (Wainwright #158 2589 ft)  
 
 
  15.38 Watson's Dodd with Skiddaw, Blencathra and Great Dodd in the background.  
 
 
  15.38 Watson's Dodd.  
 
 
  15.45 Pond on the path up to Stybarrow Dodd.  
   
  16.11 Panorama 643 Stybarrow Dodd summit. (Wainwright #159 2766 ft)  
   
  16.13 Panorama 644 Stybarrow Dodd summit.  
   
  16.19 Panorama 645 Stybarrow Dodd south end.  
 
 
  16.21 Descending towards Sticks Pass the ski slope on the side of Raise. Today its easy to see why they chose to put it there.  
 
 
  16.22 Still some snow in the gullies, its a foot and a half deep in places.  
 
 
  16.29 Sticks pass crossroads. To the left is Glenridding. Ahead is Raise and Helvellyn which is the way we went in 2017. To the right is the path back down to Legburthwaite and the road back to the car.  
 
 
  16.33 On the Sticks Pass path above Sticks Gill with a little piece of Thirlmere.  
   
  16.47 Panorama 645 Sticks Pass. Last view of the day before dropping down the steeper part of the path. Watsons Dodd in the centre and Skiddaw in the distance.  
 
 
  17.06 The livestock pen marked on the map at the top of the steeper drob towards the road. By now I had met Adrian, a fellow walker from Keswick. It took us just under 2 hours to reach the car from here.  

 
   
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