Not the cleverest choice of walk on a post lockdown August Tuesday with a good forecast, so no parking in the car park at Glenridding, nor above the Travellers Rest, where there appear to be twenty new residents with invisible houses. So by chance, as we had to park up the main road on a good pull-off GR387179, we were right by a poorly used path which leads steeply and with some minor scrambles to the col between Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd, but with nobody else after the first view point (for Photos). This passes through a pleasant wood and is really quite splendid. And the gem of The East Ridge as mentioned in the post of April 2014 was also empty, till the top. From here, to make a decent 7+mile walk with at least 2800ft of ascent, carry on down to the west col, squelchy today, and along the side of the valley with mounds and other signs of its mining past, onto Sticks Pass, the highest of the main Lake district passes at nearly 750m. Various mountain bikers were about to descend, which I would not have enjoyed, in fact would have walked down at least half, but they had done it before and were confident of enjoying it. Youth! Turning left to climb Raise, you can then descend easily to find the well used large track leading back to the Glenridding valley, or, if frisky, ascend Helvellyn and descend one of its edges. To return to the car, after the first bend after Rake Cottages, take the track on the left which leads along and down to the main road, where cross it for the safer and pleasanter walking of the lakeside paths. The Travellers Rest has organised the new rulings very well, no wait for a drink today, cheers!
At the top of the wood on the initial path. On the east ridge, Sheffield Pike. Looking down the East ridge. The narrow steep gorge near the top of Sticks pass.
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