Riggindale Crag, High Street and Mardale Ill Bell

(Guest contribution by John Deasey)

An area of the Lakes we hadn't explored much is a corner accessed from Haweswater. On a previous walk following the Kentmere round, we had noticed a wonderful-looking ridge across from Nan Bield Pass. This was Riggindale Ridge—the home of the last remaining golden eagle in England! The RSPB maintains a presence in this area, including a specially made observation shelter. Not wanting to spend several years of our lives sitting in a fabricated shelter waiting for a big bird that may or may not exist, we decided to bypass the shelter and just do the ridge.

After several recent 'epic' walks, we thought it might be nice to keep this one short and treat it as more of a ramble rather than a full-frontal assault on the steepest crags and gullies in the shortest possible time.

The drive to Haweswater was interesting as we pulled off at Shap, meandered through tiny villages, and were confronted with a ROAD CLOSED AHEAD sign. United Utilities were doing major pipe-laying along the road edge, but we decided to take our chances and hope the signs were a bluff. To a degree they were, though we circumvented minor closures by moving barriers or waiting patiently while men in giant diggers saw us and moved over politely.

It's always good to arrive at an empty car park, and this stunning little spot at the head of Haweswater was no exception. Our early arrival had almost been jeopardized because Mr. Smith had been the victim of an unplanned night out and was still sleeping at 6:00 AM! Tumbled out 15 minutes late, he proceeded to spill his rucksack water bladder all over the car boot, soak his clothes, lock himself out of his house, and leave a pile of soaking garments on his doorstep for his wife to find like Reggie Perrin!

A mirror-like Haweswater was the stunning backdrop as we walked toward The Rigg before cutting back for the ascent of Riggindale Crag. With no manic pace, we enjoyed peaceful surroundings without another soul in sight. The morning chill quickly turned into lovely warmth, prompting us to pack away our winter gear.

Riggindale Crag is a lovely ridge with hints of Haystacks, traversing small hollows, heather, and tiny tarns. Climbing steeply past Swine Crag, Heron Crag, and Eagle Crag onto Rough Crag toward Caspel Gate, there is an airy feeling without dangerous edges. Views kept getting better as we gained height: Haweswater glimmered below, the Howgills were glimpsed in the distance, and Blea Water came into view with dramatic reflections resembling Red Tarn under Helvellyn's eastern face.

During a photo stop, a couple of young lady fell runners scampered past in lycra, cheerfully blowing snot rockets in our direction. It was tempting to give chase, but we decided against it given our age!

The final drag up Stile Crag is a cracker—plenty of choice for hands-on scrambling or path-picking. Sitting in the sun on Blea Crag watching crows play on air currents, we eventually moved on to the crossroads of High Street, where we could see Caudale Moor, Hartsop Dodd, and distant western fells like Grisedale Pike.

Looking south, the entire Kentmere Horseshoe was in view with Froswick, Ill Bell, and Yoke rising in a southerly line. We veered toward Mardale Ill Bell along a stunning path akin to a mountain bike track leading off into the heavens as sunlight streamed down.

Ominously, clouds gathered from the south, bringing rain and a sharp temperature drop that forced us back into winter gear. Deciding on a nice short cut back to the car from Nan Bield Pass down past Small Water, we experienced a fantastic descent—never too steep, never too rocky.

After brushing off two posh toffs who bragged about cycling in Morecambe the day before, we tested Mr. Smith's new stove designed to boil water in 60 seconds (which took closer to 60 minutes!). Sipping packet soup and eating sandwiches, we felt wonderfully clever before an easy descent alongside Small Water Beck concluded one of our shortest yet most enjoyable walks.