Robinson, Hindscarth and Dale Head

A few weeks back I managed to catch a cracking walk whilst the weather was looking elsewhere. The day didn't look promising, with low cloud around, but at least it was a lot better than it had been, and the forecast was for it to clear. I'd woken in the night to the sound of rain so when I eventually got up everything outside was wet and looked pretty grim. Getting up what I thought was plenty early enough I drove down to the parking area beside the bridge at Little Town just in time to bag the last space.

Sorted out my rucksack, grabbed some lunch stuff, and booted off up the road past Newlands Church.

I could see Robinson had it's head in the clouds, and I idly wondered how easy the rock steps were going to be. Wet often means slippery rock and Wainwright says they require a 'concerted effort...'. And whether to perhaps use the path alongside Scope Beck. Still I fancied a bit of scrambling even if it was wet and greasy so I thought I'd crack on and see how it went.

The climbing starts just after the wonderfully named Low High Snab.

Jessie out in front on the climb up Snab Bank.

Encountering the rock steps, the first one whilst wet and a little slippery was no trouble. However the next was going to be rather tricky. Looking down to Scope Beck I could see a group of people following the lower path, maybe I should have been down there! Ah well. Whilst I contemplated the situation Jessie was sniffing about and found a wee path round the side of it. It was a bit narrow, and not so well frequented but it looked okay. So with her in the lead we skirted round that one, and this set the scene for the rest of the steps. Handy having a Collie dog sometimes!

Cracking view down!

So it was up some more, and over the top of Robinson still in the cloud. Next was Hindscarth. So we walked down to the fence and along Littledale Edge for a bit. The cloud was actually clearing as promised and the views opened up.

Honister pass and the slate mine at the top.

Hindscarth summit was busy with a group of walkers standing around nattering but I managed to get a quick snap of Jessie.

Then it was back to Littledale Edge and along to Dale Head. We followed the group to the trig point, and hastily continued whilst they all did the photo thing and nattered some more. There were some great views so I stopped and took some snaps of my own.

High Spy to Catbells, from Dale Head.

Dropping down to Dale Head Tarn the group overtook us as I faffed about with the camera. The path here had obviously seen a lot of work done to it. Engineered steps made it easy although as usual the old knees were glad when we got to the tarn. There was a tent pitched on a walled-in grassy area, probably a base camp for some climbers on the nearby crags.

Just past the tarn is a stream which drops down into the valley and becomes the Newlands Beck. Here it was just a trickle and easily crossed. Turning left we followed it down. Climbers were indeed high on the crags above us, I could hear them calling to each other.

Newlands Beck and Valley.

There are some more marvelous views along the valley as you drop down, and what with the recent rain the waterfalls were fantastic! I kept alongside the beck even tho it was a little boggy. The higher path wouldn't have been nearly so interesting. Stopped at the sheepfold, or ruins, at the bottom of the steep section for a bite to eat before the long trek out of the valley.