Terrain Overview
Walk Overview
The route from Bowness Knott to Great Borne is direct and in my opinion quite
adventurous climbing steeply up the side of Rake Beck over slippery wet rock
where there are some areas of exposure. Once on top, the relatively flat ridge walk
all the way up to Red Pike is straightforward. Also adventurous as when we left the
summit of Great Borne, Sue found the only pothole for miles to fall down
thus breaking her Fibula. At one point we genuinely thought we would be coming
down by Air Ambulance. However, being made of stern stuff she carried on to Starling
Dodd and Red Pike albeit at a greatly reduced pace
From the A66 follow the signs for Ennerdale Bridge and Croasdale and take the narrow
road that leads to Bowness Knott car park. The path seen on the right will be our eventual
return route from High Gilberthwaite
From the car park, head back down the path that you have just drove up from
towards Herdus (see in front)
After about half a mile or so a path that cuts through dense heather is accessed
from a wall stile on the right
Head for the point of the edge of the tree plantation that is at the foot
of Bowness Knott in the dip
At this juncture the path swings left through the bracken and heads for the Col
between Great Borne (on the left) and Brown How (on the right)
Keep left as the path cuts through some very dense bracken
Crossing the minor tributary of Rake Beck. The path becomes clearer
as it heads towards the Col
Nearing the top of the Col and this big boulder indicates a left turn
towards some steeper ground over a grass path
Heading up Rake Beck
Looking back to Bowness Knott and Ennerdale Water
Heading towards Rake Beck waterfall
At this point near a stone built fox trap is a convenient moment to pause, put away
the walking sticks, gird the loins and prepare for some serious scrambling on
often wet and bare rock. Not for the faint of heart !!
Ste sets off on what is to be an arduous 30 minutes or so. Camera away now.
Eventually we thankfully move away from the steep precipice of the ravine to the relative
safety of the belly of the mountain. Certainly glad that bit is over and we know for sure
that this path is NOT a viable way down
Eventually flatter ground is reached as we near the summit
The trig point summit of Great Borne. Click here for a 360 degree view
Looking South and the ridge walk to Starling Dodd, Red Pike and High Stile.
What could possibly go wrong? As we were leaving the summit, Sue fell thigh deep
into a pothole on the wrong leg so to speak. This caused the leg with the metal knee
joint to bend backwards in a way that it was not meant to. The scream was deafening
and when we turned round to see here lying in agony, I seriously thought that we
would be coming down in a helicopter. Ten minutes later after the shock had subsided
she was able to carry on but at a much slower rate. It was only days later that we
discovered that she had broken her Fibula
Very gingerly, Sue makes her way down from Great Borne
Looking towards Grasmoor
Ennerdale Water
We eventually reach the very unusual cairn on the summit of Starling Dodd
Click here for a 360 degree view
Ahead of us, the summits of Red Pike and High Stile just beyond.
An easy walk along a good path
The summit cairn on Red Pike. Click here for a 360 degree view
Looking North down the length of Crummock Water. Scotland in the distance
Looking South and the ridge line to High Stile
Looking towards Pillar and Great Gable
At this point Sue was starting to feel a great deal of pain in her leg and had slowed
noticably. It was time to leave High Stile for another day as this was going to be a long
journey down and back to the car park some three and a half miles away. The main
path off Red Pike is over grass, relatively gentle and well cairned for most of the descent
Looking towards Pillar from the path down to Ennerdale Water
Pillar in close up
Nearly back down now and the low sun start to cast shadows over Pillar.
The bump in the middle is Pillar Rock
The path leads through the only gap in the forest down to the track that
skirts the length of Ennerdale Water
At last, we are down now and Sue is hobbling very badly. The next two miles
are going to be very slow and painful
Back at the car park in the fading light at the end of
a very eventful yomp
