Wet Sleddale is a quiet backwater of the National Park, much overlooked by visitors hurtling past on the M6 or heading for the busy interior of the Lakes. It's a beautiful place with very easy access and a joy to explore the area. The dam was built to provide water for Manchester and it links into the Thirlmere Aqueduct.
The dam itself is not a thing of beauty, but the shining level of the water reflects the hills and sky. The valley has lost most of its farmers with only the farms east of the dam now occupied. At times it has a sleepy, abandoned feel, especially around the empty farms. The lower slopes still provide good, rich grazing for sheep and cattle. All the cattle we've met have been no trouble. The water company have an eye to managing the area to assist its wildlife value.
The proposed circuit includes four caches and is a lovely tour of the valley and back down the high north ridge. The whole route is just under 8km/5m and needs at least a couple of hours. Most paths are good with only a few spongy spots - less than one might expect of this area. The boggiest bits are between the first and second caches, but the rest is just a normal hill walk or on good tracks.
Parking: two options, either at the car park by the dam, or near the new footbridge at Cooper's Green, which you pass on the way in. Cooper's Green means you do a bit of road walking to start, but then have less at the end; the dam means you start straight away but have a short walk up the road to finish. If you want to do the circuit anti-clockwise, park at Cooper's Green.
If you want a longer walk, this route also connects with the series around Ralfland Forest, giving a circuit about 16km/10m and about 5 hours. You could, of course, visit here more than once for even more enjoyment!
The cache. OK, enough introductions! From the car park by the dam it's a simple walk along a good track to the cache, past an abandoned farm at Poor Hag. As you near the cache the path splits, the FP continues ahead towards a newer bridge with high sides. Head south of the wall towards the old bridge. A permissive route goes south of the wall over the older bridge, and may be the slightly better way to follow after finding the cache.
Cache log is 'double wrapped' to help keep it dry. Please ensure you screw the main lid tightly shut. Be gentle with the moss/grass.