White Side and Raise

Saturday 10th October

The map of this route is on my Google Maps site and the photos are my Flickr page.

Having abandoned our wild camping plans the day before, we needed to find some other routes to fill our days. Denise came up with the route for this walk up Glenridding Beck to White Side, across to Raise and down via Sticks Pass.

As with our ascent of Helvellyn two days previously, we left the campsite and headed up the track. However, at the first junction we too the track to the right, towards Greenside Road. Crossing Glenridding Beck we climbed the far bank and joined the road.

Glenridding Beck

Looking up Glenridding with White Side in the centre.

 

We followed the road up the valley to the Youth Hostel at the site of the old mine. The beck, flowing through the valley, with the coniferous plantation on our left made me think of the American Rockies, or Canada, and when a brown sheep moved in the undergrowth just for a moment I thought it was a bear!

Just beyond the youth hostel the maze of paths can be a bit confusing. Luckily there are a number of sign posts, and by a process of deduction we found the correct one. (We didn’t want to go up Sticks Pass and we didn’t want to go to Helvellyn).

We continued to follow the easy path up the side of Glenridding Beck until we drew level with the lower slopes of Catstye Cam to our left. Here the old path continues to the dam at the bottom of Keppel Cove, but the path we wanted headed up to the right and started to zig zag up the side of Glenridding Common. Up to this point the weather had been bright and sunny. However, cloud was pouring over the summit of White Side and we stopped to don the soft shell jackets as the cloud came down and it started to rain. By the time we reached the top of the path above Red Screes visibility was very poor. Fortunately the path to the summit was fairly clear and a short steep section soon bought us to the top of White Side.

  Cloud coming over the top of White Side as we climb the zig zag path.

I’m sure that on clear days the view from here would be stunning. Unfortunately we were only able to see a few metres in any direction!

Descending from the summit we we came we kept a look out for the path across to Raise. It was a bit unclear but a bit of compass work soon had us heading in the right direction. After an easy walk across open land we were soon ascending slowly across a more rocky area. Uncertain as to whether or not we were near the summit I consulted my Suunto Core to check the altitude. The watch suggested that we were still below the summit so we kept heading in the same direction and sure enough the ground started to rise again and we were soon at the cairn on the summit of Raise.

On the summit of Raise.

We left the summit of Raise and descended North West across a rock strewn slope and turned right onto Sticks Pass at a small pile of stones, just before the ground rises again towards Stybarrow Dodd.

As we descended Sticks Pass we could see the snow lift and snow hut to our right – it must be very keen skiiers who make the effort to get all the way up there to ski. And with so many steep drop offs around the area I wouldn’t want to try it.

Sticks Pass is another path that is undergoing a lot of work, as evidenced by all the bags of stones and various tools that were lying around the path. In places the path was really good and easy to follow, while in others it was practically invisible or very steep and slippery.

Descending Sticks Pass

The path leads to the North side of a very flat open area above the old mine (I would have got away with it if it hadn’t been for you pesky kids) and the abandoned workings and slag heaps give a very odd sensation.

Sticks Pass with Sheffield Pike ahead

The view from the end of Sticks Pass towards Glenridding.

From the top of the mine, opposite Lucy’s Tongue the path descends steeply to the Youth Hostel, from where we retraced our steps back to the campsite.