The Higher Osprey Viewpoint had trees cleared again, and it also had the luxury of a picnic bench at the side of the road. I looked through my camera long lens, but there wasn't an Osprey to be seen. I did see some man-made contraption in the marshy land at the end of the lake. There was also what looked like a fluorescent  orange band tied to a nearby tree. I wondered whether the band was used by spotters to easily identify the nesting site. There again it might just have been a high visibility vest that had got caught in the tree.

As I discussed this with Calse and Mo, the Devon family strolled up. They'd not seen any Ospreys since we last talked to them. One of the youngsters sat at the picnic bench and started devouring some blackberries they had picked. The other declared an interest in looking for a long eared owl. We left them again and started our ascent of the imaginatively named Dodd.

Dodd

The forestry company is obviously determined to get every penny from this land and trees have been planted almost to the top of Dodd. Only the very top of Dodd's scalp is bald of trees and offers a view to the walker. About twenty metres from the top we could hear jets flying over Keswick. We ran to the top just as they both flew over Bassenthwaite Lake. Judging by their height and the noise, maybe the Ospreys had made a good decision to move home to the south of the Lakes. Five minutes after we started the descent Calse piped up that I'd not taken their summit photo. I gave the excuse that I'd been distracted by the jets. Even so, we had to climb back up so that I could take their photos, much to the amusement of other walkers who asked why we were climbing back up.

Carl Side, Long Side And Ullock Pike

Calse is not a fan of the path up from Dodd to Carl Side. I'd describe it as an honest route; the same gradient (steep) with no surprises. Having escaped the claustraphobic trees of Dodd Wood, it also has some wonderful views over to the northern fells and Keswick. From the top of Carl Side I could see the path leading up Skiddaw's flank to its summit. At least Calse wouldn't have to climb that today. 

I then made my second photo faux-pas of the day. I mistook Longside Edge as Ullock Pike and so didn't take a summit photo of Mo and Calse on the actual Ullock Pike. In my own defence, their isn't that much of a drop between them and I did wonder why Wainwright treated them as two separate hills. 

It is quite an exciting ridge walk with good views to Bassenthwaite Lake on the left side and Southerndale on the right. At Long How we dropped down, back towards Dodd Wood.

Return To Dodd Wood

Before entering Dodd Wood I was interrogated by two elderly ladies about the path over Carl Side and Ullock Pike. They had seen us climb up to Carl Side and assumed we had come across the ridge. The more elderly of the two was going to lead a walking group across the ridge in the near future and she wondered at its sharpness and the difficulty of any scrambling. I was able to reassure her that the ridge wasn't dangerous and that any rocky parts could be avoided by easier paths. I did say though, that it is easier going up the ridge, rather than down it (as we had just done). They seemed satisfied with my answers and allowed us to proceed into Dodd Wood. Our path took us downwards until it reached the A591 and then ran alongside it back to the car park. If I did this walk in future, I'd probably opt for a higher path away from the road. At the car park there was a curious smell of hamburger and onions from the cafe, and urine and disinfectant from the toilets.

It had been an interesting walk with good views. I could see though that my summit photo lapses on Dodd and  Ullock Pike would be held against me, by Mo and Calse, in the future.