Stybarrow Dodd, Watson's Dodd, Great Dodd and Clough Head

We discussed our favourite walks of our 2nd annual Lake District walking adventure on our final evening, trying to choose between four fantastic routes. When it came down to the final vote, we couldn't decide between our first walk to the Langdale Pikes and this thrilling ridge adventure, so we left it as a score draw!

This adventure started, as is often the case, with a severe ascent to the high fells from low Legburthwaite via Sticks Pass. It involves climbing almost 600 metres in 2.5 kilometres, with the first 250 metres gained in just 700 metres. I recalled Steve, Dave, and I doing this once before on our Helvellyn and Striding Edge walk, where Dave wasn't too enamoured with the stiff start! Some things don't change, but he drove himself up the slope without complaint.

Stopping to catch breath and capture sublime views over Thirlmere and Steel Fell toward Lakeland's highest peaks beyond, we also watched farmers at Stybeck Farm trying to rouse cows indoors for milking. After a kilometre, the noise of the farm and A591 traffic faded entirely, leaving us to enjoy steady ascents and wonderful changing views until we reached the breast of Sticks Pass.

Sticks Pass has the distinction of being the highest pass in the Lake District crossed by a common path. We sat right at the top on a pile of stones marking the crossroads, enjoying a beautiful Monday morning with friends instead of working in an office or sitting in motorway traffic—absolute bliss!

To our right was Raise, bringing back fond memories of looking out over Ullswater. Turning left led us to our targets, the Dodds, with Stybarrow Dodd first. After the climb over Sticks Pass, the walk was pleasant and gentle over a grassy surface to Stybarrow Dodd's featureless summit.

From Stybarrow Dodd, we strolled to Watson's Dodd and then Great Dodd. Walking the Dodds bears a great similarity to walking the Howgill Fells due to their rolling, grass-covered, undulating tops. The difference lies in what lies beneath: while the Howgills are safe in all directions, a western descent off the Dodds is treacherous.

Completing the three Dodds, we descended to Calfhow Pike, a curious small spike of rock in a landscape of rolling grass. As we reached Calfhow Pike, our eyes were drawn to Clough Head by the sight of paragliders riding the thermals.

The climb to Clough Head was a steady gradient on a clear grass path. Chris led the way to observe the paragliders up close. As Chris reached the brow, I noticed him sprint; soon after, Steve stopped to film. Joining them, all was revealed: a paraglider had landed, lost his footing, and was being dragged across the fell by his open canopy in the wind. Chris had sprinted over and collapsed the canopy—knocking the wind out of his sails!

After a chat with the grateful paraglider, we gathered at the summit cairn for the boys' traditional walking pose, a ritual representing triumph and the high point of a day's walk. Clough Head offers breathtaking views north to Blencathra, north-west to Skiddaw, and east to Penrith and the Pennines.

While I had initially planned a descent down Clough Head's western edge, the sheer gullies and cliffs proved too treacherous and difficult to locate from above. Remembering Wainwright's warning that "Fisher's Wife Rake is difficult to locate... and too steep... in bad weather Clough Head is a dangerous place," we took the safe option: descending east-north-east to White Pike and tracking toward the Old Coach Road.

Walking 2.5 kilometres along the Old Coach Road brought us to Birkett Bank and a series of disused quarries (Hilltop Quarries and Brammcrag Quarry) full of abandoned gear and rusted equipment—enough to make a scrap dealer's Christmas!

Leaving the open fells, we crossed a packhorse bridge near Bramm Crag to the west side of St John's Beck. Following the beck south past Sosgill Bridge to Low Bridge End Farm, we had a very comical encounter with a curious turkey that acted like a pet and followed us through the farm grounds!

Passing Wren Crag along a superb woodland path with sheer rock to our right and a drop to the beck on our left, we emerged onto the A591 and walked the final 600 yards back to Legburthwaite. A fantastic 10-mile day featuring a steep climb, rolling fells, paragliders, stunning mountain views, industrial history, a beck-side stroll, and a mad turkey!