A great day above Hartsop today climbing Caudale Moor.
We set off from Hartsop at 10am and climbed up baove Hayeswater Gill, turning off the pain track to climb up the northern end of the Gray Crag ridge. As we climbed up the ridge the views ahead opened up giving us good views ahead towards Caudale Moor and Hartsop Dodd across Pasture Bottom.
We were soon on the summit of Gray Crag and following the ridge south towards Thornthwaite Crag. It was easy walking along this grassy ridge with good views down over Hayeswater and across to High Street.
Once on the summit of Thornthwaite Crag we had some great views south over Windermere and Morecambe Bay, there were a few people on the summit here, but these were the only people we saw all day.
From Thornthwaite Crag we descended to Threshthwaite Mouth, stopping here to eat our lunches before pressing on, climbing Caudale Moor, the summit of Caudale Moor is also known as Stony Cove Pike.
We decided to cross from the summit of Caudale Moor to John Bell's Banner, apparently John Bell used to be stationed here to turn the fox during hunts, banner meaning boundary.
From John Bell's Banner we crossed back to Caudale Moor and followed the wall down to the north, descending the grassy ridge to the summit of Hartsop Dodd, a wonderful viewpoint over the Patterdale Valley.
So far the rain forecast for this afternoon had kept off us, but the clouds to the south were starting to build and as we descended the steep northern end of Hartsop Dodd we started to feel the first few drops of rain, it wasn't long though before we were back down at Hartsop and into the cars, just in time as the rain got heavier on the drive home.
A great day with good company.
