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The easiest place to start this walk from is the car
park or road parking situated below Cat Bells itself
at a small hamlet called Skelgill, to get there you
must follow a small road through the village of Portinscale
which then heads south passing the boat clubs on the
shores of Derwent Water before making its way down to
Skelgill, the car park itself is on a bend just before
Skelgill and is clear and signposted.
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Skiddaw above Keswick |
Cat Bells from Skelgill
Bank |
You can of course also start the walk from Keswick,
although you have to add another four kilometres on
the way and on the way back too for this and add around
another fourty five minutes. To get the start of the
walk from Keswick follow the footpaths signed for the
Cumbria Way and Portinscale and then at Hawes End after
the path crosses a forest land follow the signs for
Cat Bells and you'll end up at the starting point of
this route.
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Heading towards Cat Bells |
Newlands Valley views |
From the car park at Skelgill an obvious and sign posted
path heads straight up the north ridge of Cat Bells.
This is very easy navigation up a rough and steep but
also simple path, although beware of the shiny slippery
rocks worn down from thousands of walkers boots each
year. Once you have done the initial slog up and topped
out on the first flat area you will be on top of Skelgill
Bank. The views from here should already be opening
up over Derwent Water, looking back you'll be able to
make out the mighty Skiddaw above Keswick, to the right
of that the extraordinary shape of Blencathra with five
ridges coming of its main summit, then swooping round
the Helvellyn range and then further up the valley at
the end of Derwent Water is the beautiful valley of
Borrowdale.
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Causey Pike |
Cat Bells Summit |
From Skelgill Bank continue in the obvious direction
south along the ridge towards the summit of Cat Bells.
At only 451M height above sea level its one of the Lake
District's smallest mountains but by no means the least
satisfying, the views open up again and now you should
be able to see all the way down the Newlands Valley
to the west and make out most of the Derwent Fells that
make up the famous horseshoe walks of the Newlands Horseshoe
and Coledale Horseshoe, with one peak in particular
Causey Pike standing out due to its pyramid shaped peak.
As I've already said the views from this mountain in
miniature compete with almost any other Lake District
summit.
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Yewthwaite Gill |
Yewthwaite Comb Path |
From the summit of Cat Bells continue heading in a
southerly direction along the obvious ridge until you
come down into the Hause Gate col between Cat Bells
and the next mountain on the ridge Maiden Moor. At Hause
Gate a path crosses the ridge path from left to right,
the left option goes back down towards Derwent Water
and the village of Grange in Borrowdale, take the path
to the right as it heads down into Yewthwaite Comb and
passes to the left of Brunt Crag. There is a lot of
scree and quarry spill so take care descending here.
The old quarries are a fascinating diversion and the
Yewthwaite Gill provides some dramatic waterfalls here
too.
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Track to Skelgill Farm |
Skelgill Farm Lamb |
Once past the descent into Yewthwaite Gill the path
heads towards a very clear track on the right with a
stone wall keeping it from the farming fields to the
left in the valley, often full of bouncing lambs in
the spring time. Follow this track for just over a kilometre
as its skirts the right hand side of the Newlands Valley.
You will eventually get to the Skelgill Farm with its
lush fields full of sheep and cattle and warm camping
barn. From Skelgill Farm the car park is a simple half
a kilometre walk back up the road just after Gutherscale.
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Duration
: 2.5 Hrs
