A Blencathra Circular (three Wainwrights)

 

In this post. I recount a walk I undertook at the end of August. The walk takes in three Wainwrights, Souther Fell, Bowscale Fell, and the main attraction, the mighty Blencathra. I won’t be providing a highly detailed description of the route; there are enough of these available online. Aside from taking in three Wainwrights, this route is also notable for its descent down Sharp Edge – the aptly named ridge which slopes down Blencathra. Be warned, this is not for the faint hearted. A good head for heights is a pre-requisite. And this route should not be attempted in poor visibility or in wet or icy conditions. As far as Lakeland goes, it is an accident hotspot. That said, if visibility and weather are good, and you are up to the job, sharp edge is an enthralling conquest, with splendid views of Scales Tarn below.

Our walk begins just off the A66, in Mungrisdale; a quiet but charming village, surrounded by peaks. On weekends, parking can be difficult. I parked on the roadside car park which, at the time of writing, requests a £2 donation. Proceed through the village, past the Mill Inn on your left and the old lime kiln on your right. The correct way to proceed from here would be to take the left turn shortly after passing the road to Hutton Roof on your right. Being distracted by my trail of thought, I missed this turn by some way. And instead found myself on the path that leads to the Bowscale tarn, which is way below the summit. What I should have done was retrace my steps. What I did instead was to depart from the path and charge up the side of the fell. This was a big mistake, for its steepness left me severely drained by the time I got on the correct path. It was, however, a safe detour, for this part of the mountainside is grassy – the crags appear closer to the tarn.

I knew the main path was in sight when I saw a fellow solitary walker charging over the fell. Be mindful as you proceed, for the terrain that follows is boggy. By walking to the side of Bowscale, you can take in the tarn below. To your right, is Carrock Fell, a sleeping beauty whose red coat was a warm sight, the result of dying bracken. I did not, at this point, realise its reputation, until I discovered that it is included in Wainwright’s 12 favourite mountains book – no mean feat considering that the majestic Helvellyn failed to make the grade.

The summit of Bowscale fell affords fine views, from the hills of Scotland to the north, to the Pennines to the east. And of course, there are the views of its fellow Lakeland Fells, especially the domineering Blencathra.  From the summit of Bowscale fell there is a slight deflation as one is faced with the irksome task of skirting peat bog. However tempting it might be to admire the surrounding landscape, do not indulge it! Many walkers, especially the inexperienced, have not treated this natural feature with the respect it deserves. Even the great A.W came perilously close to danger in the Peak District, when he fell into a peat bog on black hill. These features are both wonderful and wicked. Wonderful in the vital environmental role they play in storing carbon. Wicked in the threat they pose to fell wanderers. While skirting bog, keep your head down and eyes fixed on where you are placing your feet – there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the views later.

There are several different ways of ascending Blencathra. Coming from the direction of Bowscale fell, I stayed on the right-hand path up to Foule Crag. It has been known for walkers to take Foule Crag for the summit, especially those who ascended via Sharp Edge. In fact, the summit lies further ahead on the other side of “The Saddle” – the alternative name for the fell, obviously inferior to its more common name, named as such because the dip between the two peaks. On route to the summit, keep your eye out for a large white cross made of quartz. According to A.W, this labour of love was the handy work of Harold Robinson of Threlkeld. Before Robinson’s monumental effort had been completed, there was a small cross of stones laid as a memorial to a walker who lost their life on the mountain. Robinson was a prolific walker of Blencathra and one can understand why. He completed his quartz cross in a succession of visits from 1945 onwards.

The true summit of Blencathra, marked on the map as Hallsfell Top, reaches 868 metres. There is an unusual summit marker at the top. Instead of a triangular trig point, summiteers are greeted by a concrete ring marked “Ordinance Survey Trigonometrical Station.” Most of those who have heard of Blencathra are aware of its knife-edge ridge, aptly named Sharp Edge. The first time I ascended Sharp Edge was in unfavourable conditions of rain and mist. From experience, I strongly urge against attempting this ridge except in dry conditions with good visibility. Even then, it is an endeavour that should only be attempted by those with a reasonable level of experience; and ideally, with the exception of seasoned fell wanderers, with company. The dangers of Sharp Edge are very real. It is one of the accident hotspots of the Lake District and needs to be treated with respect. With that precautionary advice in mind, I can also say that it is exhilarating and offers a wonderful vantage point to admire Scales Tarn below.

I did not intend to descend by Sharp Edge on this walk. But given that visibility was good, unlike the last time, the allure was too hard to resist. Also, despite the fine weather, there were few people on the ridge. There was a couple to whom I briefly spoke as I began my decent. One of whom, looking somewhat depleted, told me it was “hard enough going up” and that he was not envious of the descent awaiting me. His thinking was wholly rational. There are times when the descent is preferable to the ascent, but not when it comes to steep ridges like Sharp Edge. For one thing, extra care is required to avoid slipping. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it is much more technically difficult, and can be tough on the joints.

Having descended sharp edge, take some time to admire the view from the foot of Scales Tarn looking up to the summit – it is my favourite of the walk and an ideal camping spot. I followed Scales Beck to the river Glendermackin, which I followed before heading over Souther Fell. Souther is, it has to be said, a dull beast, but there are decent views out to Blencathra. It is also the subject of a popular ghost story. Allegedly, in the summer of 1735, William Lancaster’s servant witnessed a set of ghostly horsemen crossing the fell. The same sight presented itself to Lancaster and his family, precisely one year later.

Toward the bottom of the fell, I followed the fence to a gated road, before taking a narrow path to cross the river and returned to the car park. Unfortunately, due to lockdown restrictions, I was unable to sample a pint at the Mill Inn, though I had a bottle or two waiting for me upon my return home.