Car
Parking: Lanthwaite Woods National Trust
car park, Loweswater. Grid reference NY 149 215
Start
Point: At
Lanthwaite Woods car park
Meet Time: 09.45 am
Start Time: 10.00 am
Description: This walk is a mixture of mountain trails, moorland
walking and forest paths. It is a circular route.
Route: Viewed from Loweswater
village, Mellbreak rises up steeply and appears as an imposing sentinel,
standing guard over Crummock Water. In this walk, we will ascend Mellbreak
directly, following the path up its steep northern edge before making a
complete traverse of its ridge-like form.
Starting
from Lanthwaite Woods, we walk for about a kilometre on country roads (care
required) until we reach Kirkhead. From here we take the path that leads to the
base of the northern nose of Mellbreak. The path steepens as we continue, and
it becomes rocky. However, this section will not be rushed, and people will be
free to progress at whatever pace is comfortable for them. Soon – after
stopping occasionally to “take in the view” –
we will be past the steepest of the ascent and ambling over to the northern
(lower) summit of Mellbreak (508 m). Our route continues southwards, firstly
into a shallow col and then gradually up to the highest point of our day, and
Mellbreak’s southern (higher) summit (512 m).
The
views are fantastic from Mellbreak’s skyline, with the imposing bulk of
Grasmoor to our east and the entirety of the Crummock & Buttermere valley
stretching to the south.
We
continue southwards and begin to lose height. Soon we will reach the shore of
Crummock Water. The walk back northwards is lovely, and having a splash and a
paddle in the lake is hard to resist!
As we
reach the north end of Crummock Water, we cross the source of the River Cocker
and head back into Lanthwaite Woods. At this time of year, the blue bells will
hopefully be putting on a show for us, covering the forest with a carpet of
delicate purple flowers. From here it’s just a short wander back to the cars.
High Point: Mellbreak summit (512 m) (approx. 540 m height gain)
Distance: Approx. 6.5 miles (10.5
km)
Time: Approx. 6 hours
Grade: Moderate, although the ascent directly up Mellbreak
is steep and strenuous
Leader: Wayne
Please
let Wayne know in advance by 6.00 pm on Saturday if you are coming on this walk
(text 07753 121168)
If the
conditions are bad I reserve the right to modify the route or cancel the walk.
If insufficient interest is shown in the walk it may be cancelled.
