The Skiddaw trek begins near a village just off the main A66 route called Ormathwaite on the outskirts of Keswick.

A small lane leads West from the village just to the North of a fell called Latrigg. At the end of the lane is a Car Park called Gale Road Car Park.

This photograph is taken from that Car Park looking Northwest. The highest point, covered in snow in centre frame is Skiddaw Little Man. The summit of Skiddaw (3053') itself is hidden behind from this angle. To the right is the flat top of Jenkin's Hill (2400') and to the extreme left is the outlying peak of Carl Side (2420').

From the Car Park begins the trek up the main path to Skiddaw which shortly comes to the Howell Memorial. This was built in recognition of three shepherds of the Howell family who worked on Lonscale Fell, there are a few nice sentences to them on the memorial itself worth reading.

This view from the monument looks Northwards.

The view to the Southeast from the Howell Monument includes Clough Head (2381') and the start of the Helvellyn Range.

Ruinning along the valley floor from right to left is the A66, the Northern main entrance to the Lake District.

From the monument the path continues to climb Northwards towards Whit Beck (centre shot) Lonscale Fell.

Ruinning along the valley floor from right to left is the A66, the Northern main entrance to the Lake District.

When the beck is reached the path veers to the East and follows the contours of the Fell to the point where the Lonscale Crags loom large.

The path Eastwards around Lonscale Fell is left at the point where it is blocked by a gate. Here the route turns left and heads directly up the fell.

Beyond the gate the path continues round throught Glenderaterra Valley under Lonscale Crags, our return route.

This photograph shows the Western slopes of Blencathra (2847') known as Blease Fell on the far side of the valley.

The fence that was intersected by the gate in the previous photograph is followed on the ascent of Lonscale Fell (2344').

This shot looks back to the South across the Greta Valley towards the Helvellyn range.

Once more the accompanying fence is visible in this view looking to the Southwest.

Derwent Water is visible lying just beyond Keswick with the Coledale Fells of Causey Pike (2035') and Grisedale Pike (2593') behind.

The summit of Lonscale Fell (2344') is reached after a slog of some 1109' from the gate at the Lonscale Crags intersection.

From here the way ahead is to the West across Jenkin's Hill to Skiddaw Lesser Man and Skiddaw Little Man (2838'), visible here just to the left of centre. To the right, in cloud, is the summit of Skiddaw (3053').

The summit of Lesser Man is a somewhat ramshackle affair with a stone and rusting fencepost mix rather spoiling the view.

From Lesser Man to Little Man a gentle grassy ridge rises some 130' in a matter of a few hundred yards. This view Easwards from Lesser Man takes in Lonscale Fell to the right of centre with the multi-peaked Blencathra lying behind.

This photograph is taken from near the Summit of Skiddaw Little Man looking in a Southeasterly direction.

The peak to the right of the frame is Skiddaw Lesser Man a few hundred yards away. To the left of centre is seen a snow covered fence leading back to the summit of Lonscale Fell with the precipitous edgge of Lonscale Crags visible.

Beyond, covered in cotton wool cloud is Blencathra and on the far off horizon are the heights of the Pennines.

from almost the same position as the previous image this photo is looking a little further South toward the Helvellyn range.

The valley floor below heads off to the South between the Helvellyn ridge and Bleaberry Fell (1936') appearing to the extreme right. This South running valley is split in two by the low-lying fells of Low Rigg and High Rigg (1171'), just visible in the morning mist. The left fork in the valley is St. John's in the Vale and the right fork is the Dale Bottom valley leading to Thirlmere.

From Little Man to the West, on a clear day, should reveal vistas including the Irish Sea and the Isle of Man. However, as often is the case in Lakeland, this picture suffers from the weather's intervention.

Nearby summits are visible, though, and here Carl Side (2420') runs from left to right to meet the Southwestern slopes of Skiddaw. Beyond is the summit of Long Side (2405') connected by a distinctive ridge (Longside Edge) to the furthest peak of Ullock Pike (2230').

This panorama image illustrates the Fells to the Southwest of Skiddaw and the North-South running ridge that constitues the summit of Skiddaw itself.

There are four distinctive tops to Skiddaw: South Top (3034'), Middle Top (3039'), Main Top (3053') and North Top (3024') which is not quite visible in this photo.

The summit of Little Man is at 2837', which, with a slight descent along the ridge to Skiddaw South top at 3034', means a total ascent of around 200' in the one mile journey.

This photograph is taken near the South top and looks back along the fence that is partly followed at Little Man. To the right is Keswick and Derwent Water through the gap between Little Man and Carl Side.

Perhaps one of the most spectacular weather conditions to in Lakeland is temperature inversion. Here the cloud lies thick in the Derwent Valley leaving the surrounding fell "Floating" in the sky.

To the extreme left is the edge of the Southern slopes of Blencathra with Lonscale Fell immediately below. Along the horizon runs the ridge of the Helvellyn range with Little man in front.

There are four shelters on Skiddaw's main summit ridge. This one is at the Main Top near the summit cairn.

The people in this view are making their way from the Middle Top to the Main top. The shelter on the Middle Top is visible in the distance with the Southern Top just to it's right.

To the extreme left is Lonscale Fell with the Helvellyn range behind. On the horizon to the right are the Scafells.

From Skiddaw's Northern Top (3024') to Bakestall (2189') is a trek of around a mile and a quarter to the Northeast. Again there is a convenient fence to follow all the way to Bakestall.

The route from Bakestall (2189') leads down into the Dash Valley and up the other side to ascend to Little Calva (2106') and Great Calva (2265'). The Dash Valley route involes a descent of some 800' along Birkett Edge that skirts the precipitous Dead Crags.

This photograph looks down from just above the start of Birkett Edge and shows the route up the far side of The Dash Valley crossing the Cumbrian Way before agling up the fellside onto Little Calva and beyond to Great Calva..

Running along the floor of the Dash Valley is Dash Beck which, at the foot of Birkett Edge at 1300', forms the attractive Dash Falls.

This image looks to the North and the outlying fell of Binsey. To the left are Dead Crags.

This photograph is taken from the ascent to Little Calva from the Dash Valley floor.

Birkett Edge, and it's path, can be clearly seen bordering the cliffs of Dead Crags on the left with the Cumbrian Way road at the bottom running down from left to right.

From the summit cairn of Little Calva the way ahead is a mile ascent of around 150' to Great Clava.

Here we see Great Calva from that cairn with angled face of Lonscale Crags to the right.

Skiddaw House is a property owned by the Youth Hostel Association.

It was built by the Earl of Egremont, whose descendants later became the Lords Leconfield, as a ?keeper?s lodge?; a base for grouse-shooting and for the gamekeepers who managed the extensive land owned by Egremont in the area known as Skiddaw Forest.

From the route between Great Calva and Skiddaw House, a glimpse to the right reveal the full expanse of the Skiddaw range.

To the left are the twin peaks of Lesser Man and Little Man. In the centre is the long, "multi-summitted" ridge of Skiddaw itself. To the right is the sub-peak of Bakestall with the rocky cliff face of Dead Crags to the extreme right.

The route from Great Calva to Skiddaw House eventually joins the Cumbrian Way before crossing the River Caldew via a wooden bridge.

The wood visible in th upper centre section of this photograp, forms a windbreak that protects Skiddaw House. To it's right are the steep sides of Lonscale Crags and to the left are the less aggressive slopes of Blencathra.

Skiddaw House is a property owned by the Youth Hostel Association.

It was built by the Earl of Egremont, whose descendants later became the Lords Leconfield, as a ?keeper?s lodge?; a base for grouse-shooting and for the gamekeepers who managed the extensive land owned by Egremont in the area known as Skiddaw Forest.

Nearing the end of the trek, the Cumbrian Way follows the contours of Lonscale Fell back round to Ormathwaite and the starting point.

Above the path is the grey mass of Lonscale Crags.

The Great Central Fault starts it's journey South through the Lake District at Glenderaterra Valley, splitting Lonscale Fell from Blencathra.

To the right of this photograph the fault can be seen continuing South, being split by High Rigg into two the subordinate valleys of St. John's in the Vale (left) and Dale Bottom (right).