Starting point: Legburthwaite car park  (NY 318195)  Distance: 10.2 miles  Ascent: 3010'

A walk along the Dodds from Clough Head to Stybarrow Dodd.  Easy walking and with wonderful views along part of the great ridge of the Eastern fells, which stretches eighteen miles from St John's in the Vale to Rydal Water.

Route: From Legburthwaite car park (pay and display), walk along the road through St John's in the Vale to Wanthwaite.  Ascend the old coach road before crossing a stile and climbing through the disused quarries and gaining the open fell over a ladder stile.  Use an old peat road to ascend the flanks of Clough Head before detouring to climb Threlkeld Knotts.  Here there is a fine view of Blencathra.  Regain the main path for the final climb up to a grassy plateau and a pathless ascent of Clough Head.  Descend the fell to the rocky top of Calfhow Pike and follow the well worn path to the summit of Great Dodd.  An easy stroll leads to the five viewpoint of Watson's Dodd before the last ascent to Stybarrow Dodd.  Descend to Sticks Pass and turn west, dropping down steeply to the road at Stanah and walk back to the starting point.

Clough Head from the A66
with the promise of a fine day's walking ahead!

The Dodds

The north western fells

The old coach road
High Rigg in the background

A peat road on the flanks of Clough Head

Fair weather clouds over the north western fells

Great Gable peeps over the central ridge

The high southern fells - Bowfell, Esk Pike and Great End on the horizon

Blencathra from one of the cairns on Threlkeld Knotts

Trig point and wind shelter at the summit of Clough Head

Beattie has a rest!

Great Dodd from Calfhow Pike

Great Dodd summit cairn

Looking over Stybarrow Dodd towards Helvellyn

The ridge walk to Watson's Dodd is a gentle stroll

Catstycam
Three walkers can be seen on the summit!

The cairn on Watson's Dodd

The view across Thirlmere from Watson's Dodd

Blencathra from Watson's Dodd

The summit cairn on Stybarrow Dodd

The ski huts on the slopes of Raise
I imagine that they have seen some use this winter!

Looking down Sticks Pass towards Ullswater

The descent route over Sticks Pass to St John's in the Vale

The head of Stanah Gill

Stanah Gill

Lower Stanah Gill at the base of Sticks Pass

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Comment from Dave Brown
Great pictures of your walk on the Dodds Derek. Can't ask for a better day than that.
Dave
Thanks, Dave.  It was one of those 'golden days' on the fells!
derek

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Photographs taken with a Fuji MX-2900 Zoom or a Canon EOS 20D
Copyright © 2009 Derek Cockell     All Rights Reserved