Day 5 Wednesday 18th July Patterdale to Shap
Distance 16 Miles .......... Ascent 2600 Feet

On leaving the hotel there starts quite a long hard climb up to Boredale Hause. Slightly difficult navigation here to get the right path up towards Angle Tarn. Angle Tarn towards The Knott is quite straightforward with an almost level good path. The Knott is a pointed hill which is quite a climb but nothing too difficult. Then follows a quite wide track on The High Street and a very sharp left turn onto a gentle climb up to Kidsty Pike which is the highest point of the whole walk. From Kidsty Pike down to Kidsty Howes there is a reasonably gently descending grassy path. Kidsty Howes itself is an outcrop of rock with a very steep descent down towards Haweswater (steep for about 400 yards but very stony and quite difficult – it would be very difficult to come up it). Really damaging to the knees and continues to be very steep although better underfoot all the way down to Haweswater Reservoir at Bowderthwaite Bridge. Any hope of an easier time at this point is destroyed on realising that there is quite a steep and rocky path to get round Gate Crag – immediately the water line is reached on the descent from Kidsty Howes have to start climbing up again. In fact the 3½ walk along the lake is not too easy. Pass The Forces, a not too impressive waterfall, to the lakes end at Burnbanks and then a pleasant walk alongside Haweswater Beck through Rawhead and to Rosgill which is the northernmost point on the walk. Follow close to the River Lowther to Shap Abbey and then to Shap. A hard day’s walk.

Accommodation

I am booked into the King's Arms Hotel, Shap. Single ensuite £45 b&b

Click image for details or for other accommodation follow the Sherpa Van link

Signed up for this day: David Brawn, Keith Case, Nigel Williams, Nick Case, Tom Case

Some notes on the day

When we got up it was raining, had been raining heavily in the night and the forecast was for thunderstorms. All the local hills were covered in cloud. So we decided on local advice to take the steamer from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge. This is the length of Ullswater and on getting to Pooley Bridge with our American friends we set off across Askham Fell. After the fell we used country lanes to Bampton where we had lunch in the Mardale Inn – very good beer. Continued through Bampton Grange, Rosgill and then across several fields to get to Shap. Continued down the main street of the long village to the King’s Arms at the southern end of the village. In the evening we got a taxi to go back to the Mardale Inn at Bampton in the hope of better food and beer (it was). Taxi cost £40 because as there were 5 of us he had to make the journey twice in each direction.

King's Arms Hotel Shap website
 
Accomodation and baggage transport
Sherpa Van Website - Shap
Packhorse website
 
 
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