Hartsop Above How

The ridge over Hartsop Above How provides excellent walking with views down into Deepdale to the north, and Dovedale to the south. Straight ahead were the massive crags of the Fairfield range. It was still quite early and we were surprised when a group of lads marched quickly past us, heading downhill. Wherever they'd come from, they must have had an early start. Over towards the massive lump of St Sunday Crag, we could hear the occasional howl of dogs. The Tweed Trouser Brigade must have been somewhere out on the fells, but we couldn't spot the hounds. Initially, I thought the howls might be from one of the many dogs that seem to have got lost in the Lake District over the last few months. The latest were a couple of Spaniels that had gone missing near Low Pike, four days ago, although one of them had now been found. I'd already ticked Hartsop Above How on my Wainwright Venture (see Fairfield Sunday Lunch), but it was a new tick for the Cabin Boy and Under Cabin Boy. This was their 199th Wainwright; not a bad tally in their 11 month campaign. From the summit we looked down into Dovedale and could see a steep pathway leading down through the crags below Dove Crag. This would be our descent route later in the day. We stopped for a break before making the final ascent to Hart Crag. Looking back along Hartsop Above How's ridge we could see a steady stream of walkers making their way over its summit. It was definitely a popular route today.

Hart Crag And The Priest's Hole

We soon climbed the final steep section of the ridge up to Hart Crag's rocky summit. We joined a throng of people, most of them on their journey along the Fairfield Horseshoe. I've never seen the route so busy. Obviously people were making the most of the Bank Holiday and the welcome break in the poor weather we'd experienced over Christmas and the New Year. One of the walkers was getting his Spaniel to pose for a photo, on the top of Hart Crag's summit cairn. The dog was very accommodating, adopting dramatic poses for his owner. If only the Cabin Boy and Under Cabin Boy were so compliant for their summit photos. Maybe I need to feed them doggy treats.

We joined the Fairfield Horseshoe path to the col between Hart Crag and Dove Crag and then started the descent into Dovedale. My 2002 OS map showed the path being nearer to Dove Crag than their latest version. We ended up below the Priest's Hole, a large cave in the Dove Crag cliff. It is quite large, retreating about 5 metres into the rock face. It is often frequented by wildcampers and even has a visitor's book. It is  surprising that it didn't even get a mention in Wainwright's guides. Remarkable, given his forensic documentation of the Lakeland peaks. Later in the day, I noticed that you can actually see the Priest's Hole from as far away as the Kirkstone road.

Dovedale

Just below the Priest's Hole, the views along Dovedale are truly spectacular, although a lot of our time was spent looking at the steep stone steps that led us down through the crags. Near the bottom of the steepest section, we met an elderly couple who were making their way up, and we started chatting. They intended doing the same route as us, but in the reverse direction. The man's hands were shaking and I presumed he had Parkinson's or something similar. There was only about 3 hours of daylight left and I couldn't envisage them completing their walk before it got dark. A few minutes later, I looked back and could see them talking to some other walkers. They were making slow progress and I hoped they'd call it a day and turn back.

The Dovedale valley must be one of the prettiest in the Lake District. The path follows the Dovedale Beck and passes some wonderful waterfalls. Gradually the valley opened out to the fells surrounding the Kirkstone valley.  After the cold shade of the Dovedale valley, we were back in the warm sunshine again. The Cabin Boy looked distinctly unhappy at Hartsop Hall, when we had to walk amongst some cows, but the moment passed without incident.

Brothers Water looked stunning with the still water reflecting the fells and the clouds above them.

The Cabin Boy's and Under Cabin Boy's Fitbits suggested a mileage of around 6 miles for the route. There was certainly a lot of tremendous scenery crammed into such a small distance. It had been a memorable ridge and valley walk.