That was the final walk of our short stay in Crosby Garrett. The weather forecast was good but not like the prior days. There was the potential for a shower.
I picked a clockwise circular route beginning from the road intersection in NY68528 09120 Middle Busk, where there’s lots of parking and a fresh rock end break.
We headed west over moorland on a footpath which was very hit and miss, more cows trod than footpath. Ahead we could just about make out where the trail crossed an area wall so we simply took the course of least resistance. The ground inside the intake fields was in quite great condition as is normally true in these Dales.
Once we reached the Dales High Way track we united it heading north, hand railing the wall until it exits on open moor. Just during the last gate we startled a Mountain Hare in summer guise. It shot at a reasonable rate of knots and disappeared down between the limestone.
Views were rather restricted especially over Orton towards the Lake District, we could just about make out the shapes of those Mallerstang hills but looking northwards it had been reasonable. There was a strong odor of marijuana burning being transported on the end but we could not see anything.
We followed the west west and south west heading for the 412 metre OS trig point on the Knott. In the previous wall there’s a stile but it doesn’t get you over the wall into the trig point which I find somewhat strange. A stile would stop possible wall damage from people climbing over. Anyway we managed it with a small balancing act. Then when we had listed our trip to the trig point we retraced our steps back.
This route is on private property but also the Coast to Coast route uses it also, therefore we’re in good company. From our high point we had a excellent opinion of Castle Folds, an early settlement on a knoll surrounded by a limestone scar.
We walked past Castle Folds without climbing up on the knoll. There are lots of cairns around the plateau and we all did each one in turn and carrying in High Pike. Why it’s called High Pike I do not understand because it is neither. Walking was not as easy as it looks on the map due to the limestone crevices that need to be reversed with caution, especially if wet.
After the wall until it curves south we left the wall here and walked along Grange Scar selecting out natural breaks at the plateau until the vehicle came into view. A fantastic path off the plateau direct back.
Centre, the new rock wind break and Small Asby Scar past. The car just out of sight to the best.