Sunday 1st July 2007

As this was the last day of our holiday and having sat in the tent for the previous two days only torrential rain and gale force winds were going to stop us walking today. There were occasional views out towards the Duddon Estuary but it was another day of using the compass to navigate our way out of low cloud. At the end of the walk we were surprised by how long it taken us until we stopped and considered how much of our time had been spent fighting our way up and down the summits through the thick ferns that seemed to grow on each of the slopes. In hindsight a walk that is maybe best saved for a different time of year when the ferns have died down

Start: Kiln Bank Cross (SD 2147 9328)

Route: Kiln Bank Cross - Fox Haw (168) - Brock Barrow (169) - Caw (170) - Pikes (171) - Carter Ground
            - Raven's Crag (172) - Kiln Bank Cross

Distance: 7.25 miles     Ascent: 770 metres     Time Taken: 6.5 hours 

Weather: Showers turning to persistent rain with low cloud.

Pub visited: Brook House Hotel, Eskdale      Ale Drunk: Jennings Cumberland Ale

Fox Haw, the first summit of the day.

Fox Haw's summit.

Raven's Crag, the final summit of the day, from Fox Haw.

Caw from Fox Haw.

Harter Fell with its summit lost in the cloud.

Stickle Pike with Black Combe in cloud, from Fox Haw.

Brock Barrow and Hesk Fell. 
Seat How is just visible above the top of Brock Barrow.

Brock Barrow's summi.

Stickle Pike and Great Stickle from Brock Barrow. 
Sat here it looked like the weather was going to be kind and we would be able to enjoy
 some good views from Caw, the next and highest summit of the day. How wrong we were. 

Caw's summit. As we had climbed towards the summit the cloud had descended to meet us
 and the rest of the day was spent in a mixture of drizzle, heavy rain and cloud.

Pikes summit with no views, again.

The cloud lifted briefly as we started up the slopes of Raven's Crag to give us 
this view back to Carter Ground, with the Knott behind it.

A small, unnamed tarn, on the way to the summit of Raven's Crag.

After two false summits, each with cairns, we finally arrived at the real summit which had the smallest cairn of the three.