Bakestall

A quick bag today.  It started as a route with options; the options being straight up and down Bakestall, up and down Bakestall by different routes or even an extension of the walk to take in Skiddaw, Carl Side and Longside Edge.

In the end the weather, in the form of snow, made the decision for me and it was a straight up and down affair.

straight up and down to Bakestall

in 3d.

The start was from Peter House Farm.  This is somewhere I have not been before so I used technology to recce it.Here's what I did.

First I found it on the OS map using Memory Map software NY24940 32346.  

I then converted the units into Degrees, Minutes and Seconds because this is the format the Sat Nav in my car uses.  

I took a picture of the position co-ordinates.  

I then went to Google Maps and looks at Streetview where I was able to browse up and down the hill, checking out parking places and landmarks.  

It really worked well, when I was driving up the road, it felt like I had already been there.  

When I got to Peter House Farm there were no other cars parked so I reversed into the parking area and got myself ready to go.  

I was pleased to see that they support Fix the Fells and had a collection post there.

Navigation was straight forward, there is a road/track which goes to Dash Farm.  This is followed until a track branches off to the right, eventually leading to Skiddaw House.  Before this point, a gate is reached, alongside Dash Falls.  I headed straight up alongside the wall to the right.  The wall eventually turns into a fence and, at the corner of the fence, reaches the summit of Bakestall.  There is a further cairn to the north, which presumably would usually give better views being out on a limb but today there was little to be seen.

cliffs of Dead Crags on the right.  The track is in the centre with Dash Falls visible to the left of the track

that way then

Dead Beck, which has an old mine shaft in it.  I was considering descending via the path seen to the left of the beck
but the snow and poor visibility put an end to that idea.

Dash Falls

crags and scree of Dead Crags

fence leading to the summit

weather taken a turn for the worse.  Looking back over Dash Valley

the summit is at the corner of the fence

I had planned to have a look at Dead Beck, to try to find the opening to the mine shaft that Wainwright mentions.  

I had also thought about descending via Cockup and taking the path across the fields back to the road.  

However, as Wainwright said, in mist there is no safe alternative to the way I had ascended the fell, so back down the same way it was.

I had a little run down from the top.  The path to the left (when descending) of the wall was slippery but the grass alongside was springy and crispy, ideal for a little run.  It will make up for the painfully slow progress on the way up!

Back on the path and the snow was falling pretty heavily so I put my micro spikes on (I have the type with what look like springs on, ideal for icy paths).

It was approximately a mile and a half back to the car along the good track.  I enjoyed the rest of the walk, knowing I was heading for the warmth of my car.

to the north is another cairn

these people have come down from Skiddaw

looking back down the road, lightly covered in snow - time for micro spikes!