White Side and Raise, from Glenridding

Head up through the Lake District National Park Authority car park to the upper level, and exit via the gap beside the old Ranger Service hut to Greenside Road. Turn left, climbing steadily carry on past the Travellers Inn, and at the junction bear right and then left to swing just below Rake Cottages. The tarmac is soon left behind and becomes rough with stone and concrete surface. Cross the cattle grid and carry on up the road towards the YHA Helvellyn, bunkhouses, and mountaineering club huts in the old Greenside Mine buildings.

Keep to the track through the buildings following the fading wooden signs for "Brown Cove and Whiteside Bank". You have to snake up above the buildings, and then when the track splits keep ahead - the left branch.

Heading into the valley, Glenridding Beck is below you to the left and the steep slopes above you to the right is the eastern ridge of Raise, called Stang, which has a considerable population of juniper on Stang End.

Continue along this remarkably smooth gravelled bridleway for approximately 2.0km (1.2 miles). A craggy ridge comes down to the track from the right, just behind it the track splits. Take the right fork.

Initially the track climbs steeply, and then enters a series of zigzags to climb above Keppel Cove. There are good views to Brown Cove, Catstycam and Swirrel Edge, and across Glenridding Common to Birkhouse Moor.

At the top of the zigzags keep left to round the head of Keppel Cove, and when another wide path joins from the right, keep ahead. The cairned path climbs easily to the summit windshelter and cairn of White Side.

Retrace your steps, north east, to the path junction in the depression between White Side and Raise. Now take the left fork.

It is a short climb on a rough wide path to the almost-castellated top of Raise. Standing on an island of conspicuously rough and jagged grey andesite rock is the well built bee-hive summit cairn.

The view has opened up to the north with the Dodds stretching out the other side of Sticks Pass and Skiddaw with the Vale of Keswick and St John's slightly to the west.

Continue on from the summit of Raise heading approx north, dropping steeply on a rough path. Ahead in the saddle of Sticks Pass the crossroads can clearly be seen.

Also ahead are the bulks of Stybarrow Dodd slightly to the right and Watson's Dodd behind to the left.

In the saddle turn right. This gravelled bridleway starts to descend gradually, and and quickly gets steeper. Look back up to your right, at Raise, to see the ski tow. Sticks Gill alongside your right hand side deepens and the path steepens further becoming loose almost scree in places. Small becks and gills cut the path. Ahead of you is the top of the mine and quarry workings, with Sheffield Pike the fell beyond. Looking up to the left are the two Great Crush rockfall holes.

Eventually the path flattens out and swings right around a flat boggy area which used to be a reservoir for Greenside Mine.

Continue meandering through the workings, the path is reasonably clear with occasional cairns confirming the route. Cross the upper Swart Beck by the footbridge - this can only be seen once almost on top of it! Bear left at the top of the bank the other side of the bridge, and descend gently with fine views of Glenridding being revealed.

As Swart Beck deepens and becomes more industrialised, the gradient steepens and swings right. Now rough and somewhat loose, a little care is needed on the path. It soon drops left, and right again to pass below the crags of Stang End. With the worst over the path firms up and passes through juniper, zigzags and descends to join up with the outward path above the buildings. Bear left and follow the track back through the buildings onto Greenside Road. Follow this all the way back to Glenridding.