Lake District hike suggestions please

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ShaunyC66
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Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by ShaunyC66 »

Hi
I’ve been asked to accompany a friend on a Lake District hike / wild camp he’s always fancied an overnight camp on one of the many summits in the lakes but never had anybody to go with him , so I’ve volunteered
The plan is to go sometime in September..
neither of us are experienced hikers/walkers
My friend isn’t the fittest of lads but wants a relatively challenging route
It’s my job to pick and plan the route of which I’ve no experience and rarely been to the lakes.
So can anybody make any suggestions for a route based on these points

1…Looking for a summit pitch not necessarily one of the well known summits with space to pitch two tents
2..ideally a route with spots to replenish water stocks on the way up
3..he’s not the fittest and has on the odd occasion been not so sure footed , I’ve looked at scafell pike and helvelyn and both look a little dodgy for him
4..somewhere with a rewarding view at the top would be nice weather permitting obviously
5 ..parking spot suggestions please ,as we will be leaving the car overnight .

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/advice 👍

We will obviously leave no trace 👍
boxelder
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by boxelder »

Brandreth/Grey Knott's, accessed from the top of Honister pass. You start at 350m and can start by walking up the mine access track (bridleway running west from Honister YHA).
Where that levels out take the footpath heading south towards Brandreth. If you look at the OS map, west of Brandreth summit, there's a flattish area around 650m. The views westwards from there are down along the Ennerdale valley and Buttermere. Great Gable is next door and the Pillar range.
Took my 13 yr old daughter there last August and she's now hooked on high camping.
Don't underestimate how cold it can get at that height.
There are plenty of spots on Brandreth or Grey Knott's summits if you NEED a summit. Escape is fairly easy if it gets lairy.
Lazarus
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by Lazarus »

Old man of coniston park at walna scar bottoms it's a horseshoe or you can go towards walna scar road
Helvellyn is easy if you avoid striding edge it's practically a road up sticks path. Could descend dolly waggon and pitch lower at grisdale by lake
Skiddaw parking at the bottom
Langdales plenty of options and most walks are on good paths
Ambleside horseshoe ?long walk that one.
Kentmere horseshoe . El bell and rest as you walk round to. Nan bield would camp at the bottom personally

I would want a very very good weather report to camp at the top personally. YMMV
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whitestone
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by whitestone »

A lot of the summits in the central Lakeland area are rocky and even many of those that are "grassy" only have a thin veneer of soil so you might want to consider being close but not very close to the summit area. Also consider that the summits and ridges can be very windy places.

Also close to Honister is Fleetwith Pike - quite a few hollows that could provide shelter. Great views down over Buttermere.

Similar might be Hardknott. The pass is at 393m and it's only about 1km to walk. There's a tarn to the N of the summit but don't know what it's like. Great views of the Scafells, and the head of Eskdale.
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ChrisF
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by ChrisF »

Not a high summit but a beautiful spot - what about Haystacks? There are various tarns near the top and the undulating ground means you should be able to get a sheltered spot.
Easy route is along lakeside and up Scarth Gap and onto Haystacks. A more challenging route would be the Red Pike/High Crag ridge walk - it’s quite a steep path coming down off High Crag, Alternative would be up Fleetwith Edge - Fleetwith Pike and round the head of the valley to Haystacks.
Last summer I parked up in Buttermere to do a wild camp in Ennerdale.
boxelder
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by boxelder »

Not a high summit but a beautiful spot - what about Haystacks? There are various tarns near the top and the undulating ground means you should be able to get a sheltered spot.
This is half an hour's walk from the Brandreth site I mentioned, and where daughter and I walked once we'd pitched the tent. As above, lots of sites there.
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Shewie
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by Shewie »

(deleted) is nice, it's very quiet as it's a dog leg off the more popular routes. It's very campy up there, lots of pitch options out of the weather due to the rocky out crops.

Access from Langdale or Wrynose, easy bail out options if it goes t1ts up, puts you in a nice position to do the Crinkles/Bowfell too.
Last edited by Shewie on Mon Jun 28, 2021 2:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ShaunyC66
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by ShaunyC66 »

Thanks for all your recommendations so far
All are appreciated 👍
lune ranger
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by lune ranger »

ChrisF wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:36 am Not a high summit but a beautiful spot - what about Haystacks? There are various tarns near the top and the undulating ground means you should be able to get a sheltered spot.
Easy route is along lakeside and up Scarth Gap and onto Haystacks. A more challenging route would be the Red Pike/High Crag ridge walk - it’s quite a steep path coming down off High Crag, Alternative would be up Fleetwith Edge - Fleetwith Pike and round the head of the valley to Haystacks.
Last summer I parked up in Buttermere to do a wild camp in Ennerdale.
This is a good one. Especially if you go via Fleetwith Edge. Not too much of an undertaking but feels pretty mountainous nonetheless. If I did that I’d camp by Innominate Tarn for a stupendous Lake District experience.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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Javi
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Re: Lake District hike suggestions please

Post by Javi »

ChrisF wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:36 am Not a high summit but a beautiful spot - what about Haystacks? There are various tarns near the top and the undulating ground means you should be able to get a sheltered spot.
Easy route is along lakeside and up Scarth Gap and onto Haystacks. A more challenging route would be the Red Pike/High Crag ridge walk - it’s quite a steep path coming down off High Crag, Alternative would be up Fleetwith Edge - Fleetwith Pike and round the head of the valley to Haystacks.
Last summer I parked up in Buttermere to do a wild camp in Ennerdale.
We were running there 2 weekends ago, coming from Honister pass and both agreed that was a lovely camping spot, maybe a bit midgy. We carried on down to Scargh gap and up again to Red Pike. I think it's much easier to start from Honister pass.
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