High Spy
 
Wednesday, 24th September 2014 was not a very promising day for a long walk. It was cloudy, windy and I was not feeling very enthusiastic at all.

Surprisingly, I found a parking space at Gutherscale and set off from there to climb over Catbells. I guess I started walking at about 10:00, although I did not check.

I could hardly stand up against the wind on Catbells and was planning to descend down to Manesty Woods but on reaching that path decided to continue up onto Maiden Moor, which I had never previously visited.

Maiden Moor proved to be a hard uphill struggle and not particularly attractive but Greenup ahead looked more interesting. 		  Greenup from Maiden Moor Greenup photographed from Maiden Moor
 
Dale Head Dale Head   As I approached High Spy, it was possible to get a clear view of Dale Head. I would save this summit for a future visit when it might be possible to complete the round via Hindscarth and Little Town in the Newland Valley.

High Spy has a quite splendid summit cairn, not quite as splendid as the Westmoreland Cairn on Great Gable and not nearly so precariously placed but very fine nevertheless.

Wainwright gives the height of High Spy as 2143 ft.

The photograph below was taken at 12:05.
 
Summit Cairn on High Spy Summit Cairn on High Spy
 
The author by the summit cairn The author by the summit cairn   Unlikely though it may seem, I was back by the same cairn two days later.

I had been walking in Borrowdale and decided to climb alongside Tongue Gill. The path left the gill and passed through the disused Rigghead Quarries before emerging at Rigg Head just short of Dalehead Tarn. I then turned right to follow the path above Eel Crags to arrive at High Spy from the opposite direction.
 
Looking over Eel Crags to Hindscarth Looking over Eel Crags to Hindscarth   The descent to Maiden Moor The descent to Maiden Moor
 
For this first visit I decided to return via Maiden Moor and to drop down towards Manesty before returning to my motor-car.   The return was much quicker than I expected and I was back at Yew Tree House in Bassenthwaite before 15:00.
 
Editor: Peter J. Cosker   top of page       Updated: 28/09/2014