Keswick/Derwent Water (77m), east, ascending Cat Gill to Lady's Rake, turning south to Bleaberry Fell (590m), then to High Seat (608m), descending west to Dodd (502m) and back down along Ashness Gill to Derwent Water shoreline, with some further exploring of sites along the lake, including Surprise View.
Total Time 5 hours 6 minutes; Total Distance 13.56km; Total Ascent 1,339m
Weather: Weather reports were gathered from Met Office, Special Forecasts - Mountains, from MWIS, by watching the Midweek "Fleeting View" and checking the Lake District forecast, as well as checking the 'Lake District Ground Conditions' Facebook page and Lake District Weather Line - 'Lake District National Park Fell Top Assessors' blog. Visibility was good to 600m again today. Visibility was down to about 50m at the summit of High Seat (608m). Moderate winds averaging around 20mph were continuous throughout the day, with continued periodic light rain. The ascent from Derwent Water up Cat Gill was a very lovely walk. Completely protected from wind. Forested trail. Other than occasional wet rock underfoot the ascent all the way to Lady's Rake was very pleasant. From Lady's Rake to Bleaberry Fell and on to High Seat was open country, windy, with marshy wet and often muddy ground underfoot.
Route Planning: The route for this journey was planned from the OS Explorer OL4 map, which I carried and used on the trail. I ran a simulation on the OS Maps App on my computer and printed and laminated map sections.
Safety: Walking in the Borrowdale area a while ago I experienced having no reception on my mobile, not only on the Fells, but including in the valley at the YHA I was staying at, which meant that in an emergency situation I would not have communications capability. To alleviate that short fall I now carry a Garmin InReach Mini, with a 'Professional' level subscription. I have now tested the text capability to communicate with home base, and it works well, with Bluetooth to my mobile. Though not cheap, it provides significantly improved safety on the Fells. I also carry a 4-6 person emergency shelter and Blizzard Bag blanket, and as always, my First Aid Kit. I also left a copy of the route plan at home.
Area :
Central Fells
The Vale of Keswick, provides separation from the Northern Fells whilst to the west runs the long valley of Borrowdale. The parallel eastern boundary is created by Thirlmere and the St Johns in the Vale. Grasmere to Windermere forms the remainder of the eastern boundary. In the west, Stake Pass descends into Great Langdale.
