August
8:00 Start with 17:30 (5:30pm) Return
10 miles (16.1km) with 3000ft (914m) Total Ascent
Leaving the coaches at Keswick we head towards Applethwaite through fields, passing a couple of unusual trees, one of them upside down. We then move on towards Millbeck where we start to climb, walking alongside Slades Beck with Little Man towering to our right.
From Carlside Tarn we take the lesser used zigzag path up Skiddaw. From the summit of Skiddaw, the fourth highest mountain in England, the views can be panoramic. We head back to Keswick via the tourist path.
9½ miles (15.3km) with 2300ft (701m) Total Ascent
From Threlkeld we head for Glenderaterra Beck via the Blencathra Centre and follow it north towards a ford crossing point. Carrying on north west a short distance we take a left turn & gradually ascend Burnt Horse Ridge to Lonscale Fell. We go downhill from here to a point where we join the descending path from Skiddaw. Continuing on we deviate to take in Latrigg before taking a path from the top that descends to join Cumbria Way back into Keswick.
8½ miles (13.6km) with 1200ft (366m) Total Ascent
We leave the coach on the A66 at Threlkeld and take a lane to Wescoe, cross pastureland to Blencathra Outdoor Centre. From here we head north making steady progress along a good track for quite a way.
Skirting Blease Fell, we cross by a Ford to go south to join the Cumbria Way. It is undulating for a while, eventually passing under the west side of Latrigg, to make a gradual descent to Keswick.
5¼ miles (8.4km) with 394ft (120m) Total Ascent
The Railway path from Threlkeld to Keswick had not been walked by the club since 2005 and with it now being three years since the 2015 floods (the bridge and tunnel was damaged), it was time we did this beautiful walk again. Unfortunately when we came to recce the walk, we found that it still wasn't open and that they were trying to raise the sum of 5 million pounds to repair the route. In the end it was decided to repeat the walk that Alison and Lesley had done last year.
Our walk begins today from the coach park in Keswick. Walking along the main street (brief stop for toilets), we take the footpath South East passing Castlehead Wood and continuing through Springs Wood. This is a gradual, slow climb and on a clear day there should good views of the valley. Turning South West we then enter Great Wood from which we descend to cross Borrowdale Road. This brings us to the shores of Derwent Water and from here we will follow the waters edge North West, passing The Ings, Friars Crag, and the Boat House.
From the Theatre we make our way back to Keswick and the coach park. This is a leisurely walk with beautiful scenery and the paths are good.