Great Calva descent - help!

I don't really feel 'qualified' to be posting here... but as a BG novice I could really do with some advice!

I've reccied the whole round a couple of times now, and I think I've got my route choices fairly sorted, except for coming off Great Calva :(

I initially tried East down the fence line (fence on my left) last year, crossed Wiley Gill and had an awful time ploughing through boggy ground trying to get to & across the river Caldew.

Since then I've make a couple of attempts to come down the South ridge path (fast), then break SE (slow - deep heather) and cross the Caldew further upstream, just North of a sheepfold. Stay on the same bearing brings you out at the zig-zags near Blencathra:

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Is there a better way? I've heard people talk about East down the fence, but keeping it on your right for easier running? How do you get to the Caldew?

Many thanks!

I am not the greatest authority, but recce'd this with some BG vets who took the trod alongside the fence that I think you are referring to. If you keep to the left of it, you're right in saying the trod is much more runnable. About 80% of the way down, there is a gate in the fence. Go through this and there is a fairly obvious trod to follow that takes you to the Caldew and point to cross that is not too hairy... then there is that drag up Mungrisdale Common.

Someone else will be along shortly with more specific advice, I am sure.

If you don't cross Wiley Gill after dropping down by the fence there is a decent path almost all the way to the Caldew. I've done this a couple of times and crossed at this point without any issues (for me anyway, may mate fell over) I have tried bouncing through the heather in a more direct line also but it is a bit sapping, and the line to the Caldew was very rough.

What they both said - left side of the fence, right side of Wiley Gill, runnable all the way.

Climb fence from the summit and run diagonally to pick-up the fence line path, continue down to the gate on right, once through the gate pick-up trod through heather, this should bring you out with the sheepfold on your right, continue on trod, climb fence and take path down to the caldew, cross anywhere really and head up Mungrisdale common.

I am certainly not an expert but this is the route that I use, that my good friend "nee bother" taught me, he may also be better at explaining the route than me!

As Ashleigh says, if coming down the fence line keep it on your right (not the left) until the gate and then through it and cross down to the gill and across to Caldew but I think I'm leaning more now toward the route south and then SE across the heather. Depends on what kind of descent you like. Fenceline is steep and straight down whereas the other is more gradual but dependent on time of year can be a bit slower. I actually don't think there is much it in timewise.

By the way Nick...don't think we ever actually met but I used to live in your house...

Also Nick if you use the version I have mentioned above, once through the gate and on this trod its kind of splits in two, the one leading more to the right takes you through thick heather (or it was two weeks ago when my navigator recce'd) so take the one that leads straight down, this was the route that I use don Friday night.

Thanks everyone for all the advice :) So the sheepfold you're talking about is right next to Wiley Gill? At NY2998730812?

(And not the one I was talking about at NY2957230133)

And you stay fairly close to Wiley Gill (without crossing it), all the way to the Caldew? You don't contour SW along the Cumbria Way path after the descent?

Cheers

Yes, follow Wiley gill, don't take the Cumbria way path. The last couple of hundred yards where the gill veers more to the east, you can head more-or-less straight on to cross the Caldew at the big S-bend (thats the line I took anyway).

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Originally Posted by elliptic

Yes, follow Wiley gill, don't take the Cumbria way path. The last couple of hundred yards where the gill veers more to the east, you can head more-or-less straight on to cross the Caldew at the big S-bend (thats the line I took anyway).

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I've tried various Caldew crossing points and like a point to the right of the confluence as you approach it (i.e. the SW), straight up the bankside and go on a bearing (from memory around 146) until you cut the trod on Mungrisdale, you shouldn't see the cairn if you do it this way and it feels most direct. It could be my imagination, but I think there are fewer of those little streamlets you get thereabouts and generally a bit easier going than if you go the S bend. It probably IS my imagination ..... :D

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Originally Posted by Martyn P

I've tried various Caldew crossing points and like a point to the right of the confluence as you approach it (i.e. the SW), straight up the bankside and go on a bearing (from memory around 146) until you cut the trod on Mungrisdale, you shouldn't see the cairn if you do it this way and it feels most direct. It could be my imagination, but I think there are fewer of those little streamlets you get thereabouts and generally a bit easier going than if you go the S bend. It probably IS my imagination ..... :D

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No, I think your line is good. After following the fence line then following wiley Gill, that is the ideal point to cross the Caldew.
I concur with others that it is the best route.

That blinkin' Ash giving all my shortcuts away :w00t:

Hi Nick,
Yup, posts above all pointing you in the right direction. Been 3 times in last few weeks and there is a faint very wet trod developing from the bend in the Caldew straight up Mungrisedale. (i'm keeping off it and zig zagging up further to right).

A few years back I used to prefer the 'direct' route, South ish then down through heather to a ribbon of grass leading to the sheepfold you mention. You can get a good view of this as you climb to Mungrisdale but it is hard to locate from above!!

The fence East then Wiley is failsafe and is distinct all the way now.

Auld Ken

[QUOTE=Nee Bother;485875]That blinkin' Ash giving all my shortcuts away :w00t:

:thumbup: Good me you see!!

I always took the view that the ground here is crap everywhere, so i'd try and cross as little of it as possible by taking a direct route from the summit of Calva to the big bend in the Caldew where there is a mini landslide that creates a peaty 'stepping stone' down to the river. I;d then strike up the fell ahead and pick up the track from the summit of Mungrisedale Common which is off to the right (about 300m away). This results in a rough ride towards the bottom of the heather but is fairly fast initially.

I then supported a couple of rounds down the east fence and must admit that the running is easier and far more pleasant. But i did find that the direct route was usually a couple of mins quicker and kind of stuck with it. The little trod that has been mentioned wasn't there in 2007 when i went round.

It (the direct route) carries a greater risk of turning an ankle (something a friend of mine did badly on that slope on a recce) and so given the fact that the east fence is 'safer', more pleasant and not materially different in time, it's probably the best choice on balance, despite being arguably a touch slower, and even that assertion is based on a sample of one (me).

In short, there's hardly owt in it either way.

Having supported the east fence route once (2002), done my round via the direct line (2005) and supported the direct line once (2011) I think things have changed.


The east fence line used to be horrendous but may well have improved in the intervening years - I've never been tempted to go back on it. The direct route I suspect was a lot easier seven/eight years ago as the heather was very short, in fact most of the ground down to the vehicle track up the valley was on bilberries or grass, you only had the ground between the track and the river that was difficult. Last year the heather was much higher - about mid shin height - and picking up the trod was a matter of keeping your eyes peeled.

I don't know if there's an equivalent point lower down the river but the direct route has an option of crossing the river using the fence as a bridge about 200m further upstream. This is useful if the Calder is running high.

The other alternative if the river is high is going via Skiddaw House - it was mentioned on a thread some years ago - it doesn't have as much descent/reascent as either the direct or the east fence but is slightly longer (about 400m from memory). With the exception of the pull up to the Cloven Stone it's very runnable.

How much advice can 1 man take??? I've done various routes over the last 3 years as described by Bob, but I'd go with Martyn's route, but just as you approach the Caldew I would be slightly to the west to cross at the large bend - short, shallow (if this weather holds), and then take a bearing to hit the trod running east to west from the Cloven Stone. Keeping the fence to the right of you off Great Calva there is a very runnable path and you can't go wrong once you get to the bottom - right turn over fence on a trod. For me this route was far better than the direct line thru heather sapping stuff (I am short mind), and the risk so early in the round would be to twist an ankle orn knee. It is slightly quicker (marginal) but for me this route wins everytime. Good luck

My preferred route is as shown. The river crossing up there is 25m higher than that by Wiley Gill and the river banks are shallow.

Thanks everyone. I tried the fence line/sheepfold route last week and was amazed by how good the trod was. How did I miss it before?!! :(

Comparing it to my S/SE route through the heather, the fence line route is about 45 seconds quicker and far more runnable, but quite a bit longer and you lose an extra 25m of height. It is also more reliable, as the heather is so deep going S/SE that you have absolutely no idea where your feet are going.