Mardale Ill Bell, Thornthwaite Crag, High Street, The Knott, Rampsgill Head & Kidsty Pike walk from Mardale Head

Mardale Head Car Park

Looks like I'm in for a good day weather wise - bit breezy mind.

There's Harter Fell up ahead, it always looks impressive from the east. My route takes me to the right of this beauty.

The path veers to the right and then heads upwards to the left towards Small Water.

After half an hour, I arrive at the very quiet and serene Small Water.

Then it's a steady climb up to Nan Bield Pass (the col up ahead).

Looking back down towards Small Water and Haweswater in the distance.

Reaching the stone shelter at Nan Bield Pass.

A little bit more exposed to the side wind here as I leave the protection of the shelter and head northwards towards the summit of Mardale Ill Bell.

Kentmere Reservoir and the western side of the Kentmere Horseshoe walk with the shapely Ill Bell prominent.

Looking back down towards Mardale Head and my route up today - The Pennines can just be seen in the distance too.

Not been to this top for a while - Mardale Ill Bell.

Another look over to the Western side of the Kentmere fells, this time Yoke, Ill Bell & Froswick are all visible.

It wasn't in my original plan, but Thornthwaite Crag is so close by it was worth it to do a short detour over there.

A summit cairn never to be forgotten, Thornthwaite Beacon is an impressive fourteen foot vertical column seen for miles around.

High Street Roman Road.

A bit of a bland summit this one for such a splendid and varied fell. I've always enjoyed walking up and down High Street, my favourite ascent is via Rough Crag, but all are enjoyable to be honest.

This place is steeped in history and Mr AW gave it a full 14 pages in his Far Eastern pictorial Guide - One of my favourites to be sure.

Still following in the footsteps of the Romans as I descend gradually from High Street and head northwards - Kidsty Pike can be seen on my right.

It looks like it's nice and sunny now, but a few minutes earlier I was enjoying this view with a hot coffee as a near horizontal hail storm whipped in from the west. Fortunately, I had High Streets lovely dry stone wall behind me so I was totally protected as I watched the white bullets fly over my head.

No sign of the storm now as I leave my protective wall and head away from High Street.

Twopenny Crag - Coast to Coasters will know this turning point well. For now, I headed straight on towards The Knott.

Gray Crag on the other side of the valley.

The nose of Gray Crag and Hayeswater.

The Knott

Heading down from the summit of The Knott, you can see the path up Rampsgill Head that I would seen be following.

As I climb up towards the summits of Rampsgill Head I looked over at Rest Dodd & The Nab.

Now, I had originally intended to call in at Rest Dodd today, but you can't climb Rest Dodd without doing an out and back to The Nab. But the ground was reasonably soft at the moment, so The Nab saddle would be awful to cross with all those peat bogs. So, I'll return in a few months when it's frozen solid.

Like most folk, I tend to only visit The Nab in the middle of an extremely dry spell or in the middle of a cold winter.

Rampsgill Head, I tried to work out which of the three cairns denoted the summit, but there was hardly any difference.

I usually visit all three - this is the one I think most will consider to be the true summit.

Ten minutes later and I'm now standing on the top of Kidsty Pike - Another memorable spot for all the coast to coasters (highest point on C2C).

High Street looking magnificent over Riggendale.

From Kidsty Pike summit, looking over towards Rough Crag.

The grassy slopes of Kidsty Pike as I head back down towards Haweswater. Selside Pike & Branstree can be seen on the other side of the reservoir.

Bathed in lovely warm sunshine, no wind down here - would love to be starting off the walk again.

Looking back at the lovely slopes of Kidsty Pike right up to it's unmissable sharp peak.

Cutting across The Rigg at Mardale Head as the car park comes into view. The end of a lovely days walk.