Meet time: 9am
Start time: 9.15am
Estimated finish time: 3pm to 3.30pm
Distance: 11 miles (17.7 kilometres)
Ascent: About 3,820 feet (1164 meters)
Ramblers walk grading: A (Strenuous)
Start point: Legburthwaite Car Park
Postcode: CA12 4TQ
Car parking: Legburthwaite Car Park. There is also additional parking on the small reservoir road that goes from the A591 to the dam section of Thirlmere reservoir (this section of road borders woodland)- and from this small road it’s about five minutes’ walk to Legburthwaite Car Park.
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: We will start from the car park and follow the St John’s in the Vale road for a little bit until we reach Sty Beck Fall and the turn off. This path goes straight up the western slopes of Stybarrow Dodd until it levels off at Sticks Pass (745 meters), and at this point we are between Stybarrow Dodd and Raise. If you felt stuffed at the beginning of the walk you will feel hungry reaching Sticks Pass!
We then take the left turn to follow the wide track-like path to go north along the Helvellyn Range, and we follow this path to reach first Stybarrow Dodd (843 meters), Watson’s Dodd (789 meters), Great Dodd (857 meters) and Clough Head (726 meters). Now if it ain’t misty and if the cloud base is not low, then we shall all feel like kings and queens going along from one mountain to the next with massive views all around.
It’s at Clough Head where we leave behind the high terrain and begin the descent into St John’s in the Vale. If it is snowy or icy then we will avoid the paths going down Red Screes and instead take the northeastern trod connecting Clough Head to the Old Coach Road (there are at least two paths from the Old Coach Road to Clough Head that are not shown on an OS map). But if all goes to plan, we will take the path (marked on the OS map) that goes all the way down to Hill Top Farm.
By then we would have reached the B5322 and now we set our sights on the low but rather beautiful High Rigg (357 meters). This is an extension, but it is worth to follow the gentle ridgeline of High Rigg. We will have to walk on some very quiet country roads to reach the Youth Centre between High Rigg and Low Rigg. Then from the Youth Centre it is about 400 feet ascent to reach the highest summit of High Rigg.
At the top one’s eyes are most clearly drawn to the tapering ridgeline of High Rigg as it extends southwards towards Thirlmere. Pretty much all of Thirlmere Valley can be seen and this is what we will be seeing as maintain our elevation of about a 1000 feet for a mile and a half. There is one final quick descent, a brief walk along the grass by the A591 (we will not be crossing that road) to cross over the river and then straight back to Legburthwaite Car Park.
Please contact Miles on 07842 783319 by 10pm on Monday 25 December if you are coming on this walk (text or phone, or message on Facebook (Miles Saunders-Priem)). This walk is suitable for dogs as there are not too many sheep milling around the Helvellyn Range.
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.