Great Calva descent - help!

[Nick Smith]

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:

Attachment 6126

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!

[lantern rouge]

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.

[Askern]

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.

[elliptic]

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

[ashstroller]

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!

[Nigel]

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.

[elliptic]

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

[ashstroller]

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.

[Nick Smith]

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

[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).