Haweswater - Visit 1

High Street, High Raise, Rampsgill Head & Kidsty Pike

Distance 12.5km

Ascent 727m

This was very enjoyable but certainly a more moderate than easy route, with the almost all the climbing prior to the first peak on the route, High Street. The ridge up to the summit of Hight Street was very picturesque. After the HS summit the other three peaks were done with minimal additional climbing followed by a long descent back to the car. The total time for this walk was 5 hours including lunch. 

 Haweswater from Mardale Head

We started at the Mardale Head car park at the southern end of Haweswater, walking round the end of the reservoir to the eastern end of the very prominent ridge leading west to the summit. A good 3km of solid climbing on an excellent ridge followed, and we were frequently distracted by the views back towards the reservoir. 

The view back along the ridge to Haweswater and Mardale Head

Blea Water, almost at the summit of High Street

We broke for lunch at the cairn marking the top of the initial ridge, just prior to the summit of High Street as this was a slightly more sheltered location than the actual summit. 

Summit of High Street

Sheltering from a spell of wind and hail near the summit

With the summit in the bag we headed north to Rampsgill Head, which we would have definitely walked straight past if we hadn't been checking the map, followed by a trudge up to a comparatively bleak High Raise. 

Summit of High Raise

Turning south lead us back onto the main path at the summit of Kidsty Pike, a small rocky outcrop on the northern ridge. The descent was nice and easy but extremely picturesque down Kidsty Howes and back to the car. 

Descending Kidsty Howes, with the ridge we climbed in the background

On the descent, Kidsty Howes in the background

This route could easily have included The Knott after High Street but as we had already done it on a previous walk, we decided not to detour from the planned route. All in all a very enjoyable walk.