Haweswater - Nan bield loop

frankspencer1979

As part of the nan bield loop, I've seen pictures and read about a descent down to Haweswater that's supposed to be pretty decent.

I know the basic loop goes straight over Gatescarth (I've done nan bield before but cheated and took the cheeky route straight over Harter fell) but I can also see an alternative loop going via Mosedale/Swindale head/old corpse road and down to Haweswater.

Does anyone know how these two options compare?

sniper68

Only ever gone straight down Gatesgarth and it's a good descent.
Old corpse road is a FP and we we told to avoid Mosedale/Swindale as it's a bit of a grind/bog.
If we did it again we'd go over Harter Fell as the push/carry/hike upto and from Small Water spoils the ride.Good views etc but not worth the effort IMO.

frankspencer1979

Old corpse road looks like a BW on the os map?

I'm wondering whether to come up with a loop starting at Shap that takes in some of the BW's round there (not nan bield as well!)

The Harter fell short cut involves quite a bit of (technical!) carrying, but probably saves a hell of a lot of time.

sniper68

frankspencer1979 wrote:

Old corpse road looks like a BW on the os map?

I'm wondering whether to come up with a loop starting at Shap that takes in some of the BW's round there (not nan bield as well!)

The Harter fell short cut involves quite a bit of (technical!) carrying, but probably saves a hell of a lot of time.

Just checked on Bing maps and it is indeed a BW.My version of Memory Map shows it as a FP so it must have been upgraded in the last few years :roll:

frankspencer1979

I get that the section from mosedale to swindale head is supposed to be a boggy grind, but can anyone tell me what the full length of the BW from Gatescarth past mosedale cottage and on towards Shap is like?