The best way up Kidsty Pike?

Frankly, I don't believe there is a perfect route to the summit of Kidsty Pike, but here's one that's pretty close.

Of course, you could struggle up from Hartsop past the Knott (well named), or take the long drag from Haweswater over Kidsty Howes (shudder). Or, out of pure desperation, you could sample the wilderness of Riggingdale and climb Short Stile past the enigmatic Sale Pot - not recommended (I've done it and don't plan a repeat). But here's an alternative that ought to make your mouth water...

Get up early, take the long drive up the side of Haweswater and snag yourself a good spot in the excellent car park at the head of the valley. Yesterday, this was the perfect start because the bluebells were out and the slopes around the new nature reserve at Naddle Farm were a pure blue sheet rising heavenwards beneath the trees.

Exit the car park via the hefty gate in the deer fence and head right towards the beck that feeds the reservoir. Over the bridge and turn left. You're now on a good path heading up towards Blea Water.

This stage of the route quickly becomes a waterfall walk. The Blea Water beck is joined by its twin tumbling down from Small Water, and the united pair are delightful. Furthermore, all the effort spent on rewilding the head of the valley is beginning to bear fruit. For example, here, growing literally on the edge of the path was something I've never seen before - carnivorous butterwort. Tiny, but deadly - a single gentian-blue flower rising from a knot of sticky leaves! The views up the valleys towards Nan Bield and Gatesgarth were pretty good too.

Through a couple of gates, and the path starts to deteriorate. Now, here's where experience tells. If you follow the more obvious signs of passage, your walk will quickly become a soggy struggle. You need to keep well to the right on the pathless, higher ground. Eventually, you'll get to a point where the path makes a determined dive down toward the beck, which you can now see tumbling down from Blea Water itself, still hidden from sight by a small ridge. Resist all temptation to follow it. Look up to the right and try to locate a small cairn.

Heading uphill at this stage seems a dubious tactic, but it pays dividends. My guess is that this cairn marks the start of what must have been the old shepherd's route. Once you've found it, a sharp eye will pick out a thin track contouring the hillside ahead and curving gently but unerringly towards the reservoir's outlet. If you're lucky, you'll have the pleasure of observing fellow travellers struggling through the mire below. Meanwhile, you're enjoying the royal road to Blea Water.

The tarn itself is a sombre place - the beck exits over a dull concrete dam and the steep headwall - basically the North Face of High Street - always gives me the shudders. Too many winter climbing accidents up there. So, ignoring this, once you've got your breath back, take a sharp right on a thin path up a steep grassy bank. Your objective is the notch where Riggindale meets Long Stile. This section of the route may start steeply, but trust me, it soon settles down into a steady plod as you gain useful altitude and the views slowly develop around you. At the top, you're rewarded by your first view of Riggindale itself, Short Stile and your objective, Kidsty Pike itself, on the other side of the valley.

But first, you've got the fascinating prospect of climbing "Long Stile". Basically, this is just moderately steep, rocky walking, but it goes on for quite a while, and, towards the top, generates a mild sense of exposure. I've always loved this bit of the climb, but I'll admit I'm quite pleased when a final short section of pitched path appears, leading to a gravelly "exit couloir".

You're now, basically, on top of High Street - the summit cairn is only a few hundred yards to your left. But today you've got your sights set on Kidsty Pike, so take a right on a faint path through the rough summit grass. Quickly, a wall appears. Follow this downhill. Ah, here's the snag. To reach Kidsty Pike, you have to lose a couple of hundred feet and then reascend - so, as admitted earlier, this route isn't perfect. But heck, it's no problem, and on the way, you have the pleasure of standing on the tiny cairn at the top of Short Stile and looking down the magnificent long trench of Riggindale. Once upon a time, you might have had the chance of seeing a pair of golden eagles here. I never did, myself, but one can still dream that some day they might be back.

Still, back to the present. Kidsty Pike is just half a click away now, but what's the rush? Crazed Wainwright bagger that you doubtless are, there are two other tasty Wainwrights here, almost within touching distance.

First, to your left, Rampsgill Head will take you literally ten minutes to "conquer". This is a truly crazy Wainwright where nobody (and likely not even AW himself) can have the slightest idea where the highest point lies - my bets yesterday were on a large boulder with a rock on top. But it really doesn't matter because you can still enjoy savouring some stomach-turning gullys dropping down into Ramps Gill.

Slightly further away is High Raise, which does have a proper cairn and a decent wind shelter to boot. This is handy because you're at a surprising 2,600 feet here.

Reversing your outward route to High Raise and taking a left-hand branch at the obvious point, you're quickly on the summit of Kidsty Pike itself. Which I regret to say is a bit of a disappointment, being no more than a slightly rocky eminence lacking even the boulder with a rock on it. But it's a Wainwright and, as they say, the pleasure is not about arrival but the getting there.

Now to get down again. I was disparaging about the attractions of Kidsty Howes as an ascent route, but it's excellent when going the other way. So it's down the obvious long grassy ridge heading towards Haweswater now. There is a rocky path, but I think you'll find the grass much more comfortable. This is particularly true when you reach the little rocky eminence of Kidsty Howe itself. Things get a little steeper here, and the beaten track is distinctly uncomfortable. Non-conformists like me will take note of the grassy gully that beckons to the left. It steepens further down but is a safe alternative, and rejoins the main route once the worst is past.

When you finally reach the valley floor, a pleasant, clear path takes you through a little patch of woodland just below the small hut that was once the "hide" for bird-watchers scanning the eagles' nesting site on Rough Crag. Continue along the path, a short rise takes you over the far end of Rough Crag with the car park just ahead of you.

I honestly rate this walk as on a par with my favourite Pasture Beck route - remote, mildly challenging and hugely rewarding. Do give it a try!

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