Walk title: Glenridding Dodd and Raise
Group: Summit Good
Meet time: 9.15am
Start time: 9.30am
Estimated finish time:
Distance: 9.3 miles (15.0 kilometres)
Ascent: About 3240 feet (986 meters)
Ramblers walk grading: A (Strenuous)
Start point: Glenridding – Ullswater Information Centre
Postcode: CA11 0PA
Car parking: There is a car park immediately by the Ullswater Information Centre.
It is the responsibility of each walker to make sure they understand where to park. If you are not sure where the car parking/meeting point is, you must contact the walk leader at the latest the day before the walk. You should not rely on mobile phones or postcodes. There is often no mobile reception near walk meeting points and postcodes are for the nearest place nearby but should only serve as a guideline. Please allow plenty of time to find a parking space so that walks can start promptly.
Description: From the village of Glenridding we take a path which immediately ascends to Glenridding Dodd, this mountain is east of Glenridding and the first Wainwright of the walk. At the top are beautiful views of Ullswater and of the Helvellyn Range. From Glenridding Dodd we take a thin path which winds around small crags, heather and marshland to come to the top of the larger Sheffield Pike.
Sheffield Pike is another Wainwright and the first mountain of the walk above 2000 feet. Once the beat bogs and swamps of Sheffield Pike have been navigated the route becomes drier and quicker as it begins a gradual ascent to one of the mountains of the Helvellyn Range: Stybarrow Dodd.
Stybarrow Dodd will be the third Wainwright of the walk and it has amazing views of the northern part of the Helvellyn Range, Thirlmere and the Skiddaw Range. At this point the paths become wide and very gentle as we make the approach to Raise, the fourth Wainwright of the walk, the last mountain of the walk and the highest one coming in at 883 meters.
For the sake of brevity Helvellyn will be missed as instead we come off Raise to enter Keppel Cove and the beginnings of Glenridding Beck. This path/track gradually descends as it runs parallel to the beck. Eventually it swings rightwards, we go along the Greenside Road to make a very quick approach to Glenridding.
Note: The reason why I’m not adding Helvellyn is because at this time of the year the eastern side has a large and deep snow drift, this would have to be crossed to descend Helvellyn either from Swirral Edge or Striding Edge. If it’s very cold then the snow drift is very slippery and steep which means if one slips then you would uncontrollably slide down it, and it’s warmer then it could be soft and could collapse if walked upon, thus large chunks of snow would rush down very steep slopes more than 500 feet high and probably take the walker with it. Finally, one could go southwards and then go to Grisedale Tarn and then return to Glenridding via Grisedale Beck, but this is a massive diversion. For this reason, I’m cutting the walk short by descending from Raise.
Please contact Miles on 07842 783319 by 10pm on Friday 3 February if you are coming on this walk (text or phone, or message on Facebook (Miles Saunders-Priem)). This walk is suitable for dogs but please make sure you keep your dog under control.
Please check the weather and bring appropriate clothing (waterproofs and spare warm clothing), footwear and enough food and water. The leader reserves the right to turn away any walker not suitably equipped. The leader may cancel the walk or modify the route dependent on conditions.
Car sharing is now possible – please contact the walk leader to arrange.
New members: please note the walk leader may ask for more information about your walking experience. This is to ensure you have the fitness required to complete the walk that is planned safely.