Middle Dodd and Red Screes 4th May, 2025

After far too long a gap I was finally back in the Lakes looking to get another couple of Wainwrights ticked off the list. This time though I was accompanied by my son again which was brilliant.

We arrived in Ambleside with the aim of getting two fells completed, Middle Dodd and Red Screes. So it was onto High Sweden Close and we made our way upwards towards high Sweden Bridge.

The path is straightforward but legs were having that early morning burn after 18 months away from hiking! Soon enough though you reach high Sweden Bridge which is on the left of the picture below. You don't cross that but rather bear left onto the path that takes you onto the pack horse trail along the Scandale Valley.

The path is obvious and not really any boggy bits but we had had a lot of sunny days so perhaps we were lucky? not sure. Anyway we followed the path and soon the valley opens up, it's a lovely sight.

You are aiming for the dip on the horizon to the right of the picture above.

The path really is quite clear and soon enough you are heading to the top of the valley. At the top there is a wall with a stile to climb over, although in reality the wall is broken down in many places so the stile is unnecessary. We climbed it anyway.

We then turned right immediately after the wall and you begin to climb up alongside it for quite some time. It is rocky near the wall so no issues with the bogginess I'd heard about. About 2/3 of the way up we turned sharp left and heading over the grass, on a direct route to Middle Dodd.

There are a few times you wonder if this was a good idea but believe me there are bits of path to follow. Just be careful as this was a little boggy and bouncy in places!

Soon enough we reached the col between Middle Dodd and Red Screes and so could finally see our first fell top of the day.

And we'd done it! First fell top for far too long had been reached.

And I was there too!!!

From here we retraced our steps back to the col and could see the climb to the top of Red Screes - daunting it certainly was after this long without climbing. Having said that we were so chuffed to have got a first fell bagged we were keen to hit our target for the day.

It is one of those parts of a walk that looks worse than it is. there were some steep bits but we reached the summit in about 25 minutes from Middle Dodd.

As always this looks like you're near the top but there were a coupe more bumps to go!

But we made it and two more Wainwrights tops had been achieved.