Ard Crags & Robinson with Dave Colbert
12½ miles (20km) with 3200ft (980m) Total Ascent.
"Ard Crags? Where the heck is that?" I can almost hear the cries as I write this! In trying to find something different in the Keswick area - we climbed both Skiddow and Crag Hill / Grasmoor last year - I remembered traversing this ridge on my tod years ago and thinking it was one to do again. But where is it? Look to the south of Causey Pike / Scar Crags / Sail Ridge and there it is, off the beaten track and not even a 2000 footer. So how come we will climb over 3000 today? Come on the walk and find out.
Starting at Braithwaite we follow Newlands Beck southwards for some distance to Ghyll Bank beyond Stair where we cross it to reach the road at Rowling End Farm. Sounds familiar? But, rather than slog it up Rowling End, we head up the valley of Rigg Beck and tackle Ard Crags (1906ft/581m) head on via Aikin Knott - I assure you Ard is not short for Hard! Then follows a delightful ridge walk, narrow and airy but never exposed, to Knott Rigg before we descend back into the valley at Keskadale farm. Our next task is to pay a visit to Mrs Tiggywinkle, so off we go to Little Town and the hill of the mammal that rings. Finally we head to Keswick where we pick up the coaches (not literally), the route taking us through Fawe Park and across the bouncy bridge to Portinscale.
Cat Bells with Tony Ingham
9.5 miles (15.3km) with 1312ft (400m) Ascent.
This will be a familiar walk for many but none the worse for that. Today we will be starting from Braithwaite heading south along Newlands Beck for 2 miles (3.2km) to Ghyll Bank. From here we turn north east to Hawes End. After levelling out for a while, and taking lunch at this point, we then climb to the top of Cat Bells at 1476ft/450m. We descend from Cat Bells to Manesty at the southern tip of Derwent Water. Here we start heading through the woodlands of Manesty Park and Brandlehow Park alongside the lake. This takes us back to near Hawes End where we pick up the Allerdale Ramble route and walk past Lingholm and through Fawe Park to Portinscale. At the northern end of the village we cross the River Derwent and go east across open land into Keswick where we will pick up the coaches. This is a varied walk incorporating a stiff climb, two short scrambles, woodland, open fields and lakeside and beckside paths.
Around Cat Bells and Newlands with Eric Jackson
8 miles (13km) with 1250ft (381m) Ascent.
Starting from the main road in Portinscale we make our way through the village and into Fawe Park woods. It is possible that we might see red squirrels as they end their hibernation. On now to Hawes End at the base of Cat Bells. Don't panic, we are not going up this end! We take the path along the slopes with good views overlooking Derwent Water. As we reach the end of the lake we too have a steepish climb up to Hause Gate, then down to Little Town in Newlands. From here it is a pleasant stroll to Braithwaite via Skelgill, Stair and along Newlands Beck.
Derwent Bay with Irene & Steve Watson
5½ miles (8.8km) with 300ft (91.5m) Ascent.
As we get off the coach in Keswick there will be time for toilets and a quick coffee if required. We then take the path for Portinscale. After a short distance along the road we take the path to Nichol End and join the old miner's track (Cumbria Way) to Derwent Bank and Hawse End. A good track takes us on to Skelgill Farm and then down to Stair village. From here we follow Newlands Beck northwards to Braithwaite: toilets and we hope an open cafe but, if it is closed, there are several pubs.