Glenridding Dodd
The summit of Glenridding Dodd is surprisingly reachable despite the theatrics of The Rake. The top consists of a short ridge, patchy heather, rocky knolls and marshy hollows. A small cairn marks the high point, and a stone boundary marker inscribed “M / H” hints at old estate boundaries.
From that perch, the views are splendid (assuming clouds permit). You look down on Ullswater. Its long ribbon of water stretches and curves beside green slopes. Across, the fells clustered above Patterdale form a dramatic skyline. To the south-west you glimpse the bulk that is Birkhouse Moor.
On a clear day, you might even pick out the ridges beyond. On my day, clouds played peekaboo, but the glimpses that broke through made me glad I trudged uphill.
I lingered, admired the cairn (said a few remorseful “why am I here?” puns), and assessed the next leg. Glancing west toward Sheffield Pike, my internal voice said: “Nah, not today, mate.”
Take the Long Way Home
Looking toward Sheffield Pike, the route looked craggy, rough, and generally unwelcoming. My legs, already protesting, were in no mood for scrambling. And descending “The Rake again?” Negative. So I opted for the Mossdale Beck side.
The top was fine—pleasant underfoot. Lower down it grew uneven, rocky, and twisty. Thankfully though, trees offered occasional handholds. It was not slippery in earnest, but enough to keep my senses alert. All told, I judged this route safer and saner for the day’s conditions. The Rake was bad enough going up – lots of places where my feet were slipping downhill as I pressed upwards.
In the Wrong Place
This descent deposits you onto the main road about half a mile outside Glenridding, so I trundled along for ten minutes or so before entering the village.
Back in Glenridding I bought more cold drinks and sat outside near the stream while I thought about my next move.
My options were to a) jack it in or b) wander at least as far as the Youth Hostel and old mine to see what the climb round the back of Sheffield Pike looked like.
Shall I or Shan’t I?
My decision was that little would be lost by at least walking up to the old mine for a gander. It was a mile and a half up, but over the Youth Hostel access road, which is basically concreted. The weather was still decent and there was plenty of light left, and I figured I wouldn’t know what I really felt until I was standing at the bottom of it.
So after my rest in Glenridding I set off back up the same path as I’d done earlier, but this time I avoided “The Rake” and kept going in a straight line.
When I got to the mine I eyeballed the ascent to Sheffield Pike. The former Greenside Mine was apparently the largest producer of lead ore in the UK, and over the course of its life it produced 159,000 tonnes of lead and 45 tonnes of silver from 2 million tonnes of ore. Which is quite a long and contrived way of say “there’s holes in them there hills.” The mining left a bit of a scar – lots of old roads, building and tailings slopes which now serve as part of the route up/down Sheffield Pike. It’s still a bit of an eyesore, to be honest, but it’s history, innit?
Brave, Brave Sir Kevin
Chickening out and b*ggering off….
The route up to Sheffield Pike looked passable, but by this time cloud had closed in on Birkhouse Moor above, and if I went, there’d be no turning back. So I judged the risk exceeded the reward today. I was tired and my legs ached. Climbing the remaining 350m of altitude and then coming back down and walking a mile and a half home felt like too much. So that’s a hard “no” from me today. On reflection, I might have been better to “man up” and do the scramble from Glenridding Dodd, but by this time I was well past the point of being able to change that decision.
I turned tail and walked home. Sheffield Pike can wait for another day. I suspect it will still be there for quite a while. Anyway, maybe the walk up via Seldom Seen is easier.
Once back at the hotel, I retreated for a tactical snooze before dinner.
In other life news, the “house saga” continues: we’ve nearly got a confirmed buyer in Milton Keynes, and I’m pushing ahead with a purchase in Ashby.
Wainwrights Completed on This Day
