Great Calva & Knott circular walk

Parking on the roadside just outside of the tiny hamlet of Mosedale.

Always plenty of parking around in this area, although today appeared to be some sort of cyclists gathering, so there were plenty of cars parked up, especially in Mungrisedale, I've never seen it so busy.

Mosedale with Carrock Fell behind.

A left turn at the Phone Box - or should I say Defibrillator.

Heading down the Carrock Mine road, potholes and all.

First sighting of 'Knott' up ahead.

Bowscale Tarn (out of sight) and Bowscale Fell are on my left. I have never visited that tarn, so will have to pay it a visit at some point soon - not sure if you can easily incorporate it into a circular Bowscale Fell walk - I've made a note so will check it out later.

Any advice, feel free to let me know.

Following the Cumbria Way and the River Caldew as I head westwards in the direction of the Skiddaw massif.

As the river winds it's way down the valley, Lonsdale Fell and Skiddaw Little Man begin to appear in the distance.

Great Calva — the first to be visited today. There's a steep path of sorts alongside the fence which leads directly to the top. I've only ever descended on that route, and today I decided to take an easier, but longer option, by following the Cumbria Way all the way to Skiddaw House and then up the western flank to the top by a much more gentle climb.

Crossing the bridge over Wiley Gill.

Skiddaw House appears in front of me - you could follow the path all the way to the house and then turn right, but I cut the corner by picking up a small path to my right and following it around the nose of the fell.

Without fully checking the location of the main path up Great Calva, I impatiently turned right a couple of hundred yards before the path I was intending to take.

It looked straightforward enough, but the very feint path should have been a clue. I ended up yomping through quite a bit of troublesome heather and never found the main path I was looking for until I was well up the fell.

There's something very un-nerving about putting your boot into the heathery undergrowth not knowing what, or who, you would tread upon.

Anyway, I could have saved myself a bit of time and effort had I checked one of my own previous blogs!

Pretty terrain, but I'd rather be on the nice path somewhere to my left.

Looking back down and over to Lonscale Fell and Skiddaw Little Man.

Thank goodness!

Joining the path that I should have been on from the Cumbria Way, had I not been so impatient a bit earlier.

Great Calva summit

Skiddaw

The route down from the top of Great Calva was pretty squelchy, but it did improve the after reaching the col.

Here's the route up to Knott after the col.

Approaching the summit of Knott

The summit cairn with Skiddaw in the distance.

But there's a tent at the top!! - that's three I've seen during my last two visits to lakeland. This seems to be a growing problem, wild camping is okay and a blind eye can be turned if the tents are put up late and then taken down early morning and no trace left. But if this continues to become the norm, leaving them up all day, then our lovely lakeland will become a campsite with bright plastic tents spoiling the views for all visitors.

It's possible that the two chaps sitting outside this particular tent were possibly doing some sort of environmental work or something similar? but all the same, it looked terrible.

Heading down Knott and towards the Lingy Hut (a very nice bothy)

Picking up the path alongside Grainsgill Beck

The path winds its way down alongside the beck - a nice place to stop for a snack with seating provided, which is more than can be said for Great Calva and Knott - damp bums all round.

I may have had a late lunch but it was certainly enjoyable with that 'babbling brook' in the background.

Mining at Carrock was undertaken for 150 years - here are the remains of the tungsten mill which was utilised during WW1

Re-joining the lane as I start to head back to Mosedale and my car

Picturesque bridge over the River Caldew at Mosedale, I was parked just behind these trees, I obviously missed this pretty scene as I set off earlier today.

Never mind - spotted it on the way back.

Time to get my boots off and empty them of all the heather bits and pieces I picked up.