Walla Crag – The Ascent

I had walked a fair way around Derwentwater before getting here on the start of our journey up Walla Crag. We begin at this rather quaint and charming stone bridge called Ashness Bridge. Barrow Beck which flows beneath its arch was but a trickle after almost two months with hardly any rainfall. This is an old packhorse bridge which is said to be one of the most photographed in the Lake District.

A narrow, stoney path takes you up Walla Crag amidst lush green ferns despite the extreme dry weather. Soon the path steeply rises and magnificent views of Derwentwater and the mass of Skiddaw rising above Keswick can be seen. This panorama can suddenly take you by surprise and it does take your breath away.

Climbing higher above the lake the vista opens up further, and beyond Derwentwater can be seen Bassenthwaite Lake and an open window into Scotland on a clear day. The two lakes have merged during past flooding.

This ash tree offered some welcome shade from the baking heat of the day whilst I rested and had a spot of lunch. I couldn’t help but drink in the views.

Turning back we can just about see Ashness Bridge down below towards the left, and the magnificent splendor of Falcon Crag And Maiden Moor rising from the far shore of Derwentwater.

Further on and levelling out, and not far from my sighting of the Dark Green Fritillary butterfly (see previous post), we once again see (not that we entirely lost sight of it) this mighty mountain range rise up above the landscape. Skiddaw is the sixth highest mountain in England and it is 931-metres (3,054 ft) to the summit.  It offers some of the finest views in all of the Lake District, and one that is definitely on my to do list in cooler climes in another year.

---

Click once to expand view, click again to get that little bit closer

---

July 2018, Walla Crag, Keswick, Cumbria, England. © Pete Hillman.