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Whittle Wanderer|
Fellside (Caldbeck) Roughton Gill mines, Great Sca Fell, Cumbria |
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OS
Grid ref: NY 30429 37373 Lat/Long: 54.726510, -03.081749 I left home with the temperature at -2degC. As I was driving through Caldbeck it had dropped to -6degC. Up the track by Fell Side Farm was a small parking area but it was all covered with ice so I had to be careful when I set off. I followed the track towards Roughton Gill mines keeping to the edge to avoid the ice. There was a small building by the track with W.C.W.B. over door. I’m fairly certain it is to do with a water supply as the initials are West Cumberland Water Board. |
 W.C.W.B. West Cumberland Water Board. |
 Bivvy bags at dawn |
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| I reached Hay Gill and the ruins of the old smelt mill. I looked down from the track to see several young ladies and nearby bivvy bags. On the opposite side of the track were several young men with similar bivvy bags by the sheepfold. They had all slept out overnight in the sub-zero temperatures. I noticed what looked like their instructor below. |
 Instructor |
| I continued to cross the beck by a footbridge and then on the head of the valley where the main lead mine workings had been. The whole area was covered in snow so I wasn’t able to see much. A locked building seems to be connected with the lower building I saw earlier as there had been pipeline valve boxes on the way up the valley. |
 Blue skies above |
| I assume the water drainage from the mines is being used and piped down the valley. I had to modify my original route due to the snow. I put my ice spikes on and set off up the gill towards Iron Crag. It soon became too steep and was rather exposed so I retraced my steps down and traversed across the frozen snow to and easier slope below Iron Crag. I set off up the next gill which wasn’t as steep or exposed, but it was very loose in places. |
 Mine building and possible water intake |
| I reached the top and was out on the sunlit and snow covered fell. I was looking forward to the rest of the walk but was soon disappointed. The snow looked nice but was horrible to walk over. It was about knee deep but the top crust wasn’t hard enough to take my weight. It wasn’t soft enough to wade through so I was constantly climbing up onto the crust then breaking through. |
 Old mine workings |
| This happened at every step. My next objective was the summit of Knott but the going was so hard I decided to head west instead towards Great Sca Fell. Occasionally I found some snow that would take my weight and the walking was easy. The sky was clear and the views made up for the misery of getting through the snow. I was hoping that when I reached the main track on Little Sca Fell I would be able to follow the tracks made by previous walkers. |
 View north |
| There were no tracks and the going was just as hard. It wasn’t until I was approaching Lowthwaite Fell I saw some tracks then soon I was off the snow and following the track by Charleton Gill. I reached the main track, crossed the shallow ford to reach the tarmac road at Green Head. My problems weren’t over as there was still a lot of ice about. I stepped on one patch of black ice and fell heavily. After that I was extra cautious on my walk back to the car. I was surprised how many cars were parked on the track by my car. |
 Above the Gill |
 Skiddaw |
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