Haweswater

The Rigg and Mardale Head through the snow

A circumnavigation of Haweswater today, the starting point being Burnbanks. This was the site of the purpose built village for the construction workers when the dam was built. A short section of Coast-to-Coast path brings you back onto the road to Mardale Head. In the past I've always used the permissive path on the  East side of the lake, however United Utilities have decided to close it. Or at least stop maintaining it and posting signs at all the access points to deter folk, Why??

As I made my way towards Mardale the snow came down driven in by a vicious Northeast wind, I knew that the return leg on the West shore would be into the wind. Through the blizzard I could hear geese on the lake and closer in to the shore there were several pairs of Goosanders. There wasn't many cars at Mardale Head, but as I walked round The Rigg I was met with the full force of the storm. The camera stayed in its waterproof bag for this section!

East from below Whelter crags

As I approached Measand the snow stopped and the sun came out, the views opened up at last. The wind still blew though! The lack of rain for the last couple of weeks meant that the falls weren't very impressive, but from here the view back to Harter Fell is excellent.

Harter Fell and Mardale head from Measand

From Measand the path undulates gently below the bracken covered slopes, crossing the aquaduct bringing water from Heltondale. Once past the dam the path descends to Burnbanks passing the new houses that were built in 2005ish to replace the "temporary" houses built in the 1930s. I got back to the car as the sun disappeared and another snow shower came blasting in.