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Whittle Wander|
Sedbergh, Howgill Lane, The Calf, Winder. Wed 07 Dec 2005 |
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Left Sedbergh just before 8am as it was getting light. I started off by walking along the narrow Howgill Lane to the NW. The sky was clear, the air cold and the road surface icy. It was pleasant walking and once I reached the Roman Road bit the valley view ahead looked very impressive. The few people I saw were all friendly and all returned good morning greetings. The temperature had dipped to -2degC which I suppose was a good sign for clearer weather. Before I reached the area called Howgill on the map I spotted a small Church own a lane to the left. The lane was gated but I had a quick look before continuing north. By now the morning sun had begun to clip the tops of the fells to the east and ahead I could see White Fell and the deep furrow of a track winding up it's west ridge. That was on my route and I couldn't wait to get up there and decided that my first coffee stop would be when I reached the sunlit fell side. At Four lane Ends I stopped a while to take in the scenery. Across the valley I had a great view of the abandoned Lowgill railway viaduct and just behind it the M6 motorway. |
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Walking up the lane to Cookson's Tenement the views of the valley got even better and I made a few stops to take it all in. The track then turned up Chapel Beck and the weather took a turn. The sunny slopes I was heading for were lost in cloud. Never mind, the valley wasn't and it's always nice to see new areas for the first time. The track faded then I found myself on the track furrow I'd seen earlier, but now I was in thick cloud and was resigned to another misty walk. It was a steady and easy climb and as the gradient lessened I found myself approaching the summit. A bit of compass work was needed to keep me on the correct path for 'The Calf'. There were no views so I wasn't tempted to stay. |
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 South view from Cookson's Tenement. |
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I turned south, resigned to another mist shrouded wander over the summits. I'd only been walking a few minutes when the sky above seemed a bit brighter, and then I could see the sun's disk appear in front of me. The cloud seemed to drop and before long I was in clear sunshine and the valleys below were filled with cloud. I couldn't see anything of the Lake District but some of the Yorkshire Dales peaks emerged from the clouds. |
| I could see Pen-y-Ghent 30km away to the SE; mist blankets below and bright blue sky above. It was a wonderful walk over the tops to Winder. An easy descent down pleasant grassy slopes took me back to Sedbergh. | |
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