Skiddaw Man, 931 m., is the fourth highest peak in England so any hike up is a reasonable day’s outing. I took one of the quieter routes by starting right down in Keswick. Leaving the B&B on foot, I walked alongside the river Greta at Keswick, 85 m., then took the path along tthe track bed of the abandoned Pernith to Keswick railway through the gorge of the river Greta. The path is crossed by the A66 trunk route, the modern bridge framing the Lakeland fells beyond the wooded riverside and the town of Keswick. I was early enough to see a pair of Osprey riding the breeze and also I heard a cuckoo in the woods.
I followed the sheltered valley of Glenderaterra Beck up past an abandoned mine and joined the Cumbria Way long distance footpath up to Skiddaw House hostel, in the middle of the fell, protected by just a few trees.
A solid climb up pleasant grassland to the rocky scree ridge between Skiddaw Man (931 m.) and the Little Man of Skiddaw (865 m.). The ridge was catching a harsh wind and it wasn’t a place to stay long. I soon lost the wind descending the scree route down to Carlside Tarn (730 m.) but down from there I after that gained another hazard on the route marked on the map as a footpath, not a bridleway: mountain trail bikers (MTB) descending at speed in tenuous control of their bikes, goggled and armour on elbows and knees; video cameras on helmet.
I enjoyed tea and some local cake back at valley altitude at Mike’s friendly bungalow before returning to metropolitan Keswick. I reckon more than 900 m. up and the same down, a very reasonable day’s hike.