Haweswater Hike will show you lovely areas around Haweswater and the series makes a grand day's walk: 18km/11m. The first four can make a pleasant shorter circuit, returning along the lakeside path for a round trip of 8km/5m. Great walk for families. Can be boggy in places. Fine views and easy paths although it is a 'hill walk' so go prepared. The last 5 can also make a good short circuit.
For an excellent weather forecast specifically for mountain users see: Mountain Weather Information Service
There are several places to park in the valley but they can become busy on popular days, especially Mardale Head. The best place to park for this cache is at the small village of Burn Banks, recently renovated. There's an info board just by the red telephone box. Other places would be back near the junction with the 'main' road, or just before the drive to Naddle Farm.
Burn Banks was originally built to house the navvies who built the dam. In Jan 06 it was extensively rebuilt. The original inhabitants of the valley had to leave when the dam was built and there are many sources of info about 'lost Mardale'. The water from here connects with the Thirlmere aqueduct, taking water to Manchester. Despite the man-made nature of the reservoir, the Mardale valley still retains great beauty - from the open moors of the north-east to the enclosed southern end surrounded by impressive hills and sharp ridges.
This series replaces an earlier one called Mardale Madness. See: GCT9X8
Directions: From the parking in the village, go back along the road (east) until you see an obvious gate on the left leading onto the hill. Follow the obvious track and then pick up a small path that does a rising traverse heading for the crag up to the left. Although there is bracken around in the summer, there are a lot of tracks and paths and you should be able to get to all the caches without having to wade through it. The cache site should be obvious and a small screwtop container will be found just inside - no torch needed to explore the short tunnel. Watch out for sheep poo on the floor!
Please re-hide well but don't push it too far into the hole!