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OS Grid ref: NY 31847 25601
Lat/Long: 54.6209290,-3.0569940
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I checked the weather forecast on Monday evening and was
pleasantly surprised how calm the wind would be for Cumbria on
Tue. On three previous occasions I'd planned to climb Gategill
Fell Ridge & on to Blencathra, Cumbria. The weather was either
heavy rain, low mist, strong winds or all three so I found
alternative low level walks. Today I had a windless drive along
the M6 & passing Tebay it was clear and -1degC. I reached the
car park above Threlkeld and it was still below zero. |
Start of the climb. |
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I set off up the path by Kilnhow Beck, over the bridge and
through the gate at the end of the trees. Above me was the open
fell and the way I was going, and above blue sky.The path headed
up between the river and wall but ice on the small stones made
the going tricky so I kept to the grass wherever possible. Above
the wall the path became fainter but I was surprised to come to
an interesting stone feature which looked like a path following
the contour but it didn't go anywhere. Wainwright called it an
old wall. I continued up but the path became fainter and for a
while I lost it and had to wade up through deep steep heather.
It was horrible and must have been the reason that Wainwright
described this part of the climb:
==
Getting up to Knott
Halloo is collar-work - an easy but unremitting ascent over
stones and heather.
==
Eventually I reached the rocky
outcrop that marks the wonderfully named Knott Halloo and the
going was much easier. |
Gategill Fell Ridge. |
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I crossed the impressive Gategill Fell with excellent views up
ahead and behind. To my right was the sharp edge of Hall’s Fell
ridge. I chose a grassy spot to stop and eat my sandwiches. As I
sat there a walker came up, passed and headed along the ridge
ahead. I soon set off again and was glad of someone ahead to
show the way. At the end of he ridge where it butts up to
Blencathra it looked quite steep but as I got closer the path
was much less formidable. At the final bit there was an easy
diagonal path across a snowfield but I chose to scramble up a
rocky outcrop to the summit ridge snow cornice. The views along
the ridge were excellent and I enjoyed the wander along to the
summit trig marker ring set at ground level. After a quick photo
I followed the zig zag path down to Scales Fell. |
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View to Halls Fell Top. |
Summit Ordnance Survey trig point marker ring. |
Distant view of Cross Fell and Dun Fell. |
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It was cold when I set off but now the sun felt warm.
Instead of descending steeply down to the White Horse Inn I took
an easier diagonal path down to Scales Cottages and joined the
path by the busy A66. Build in the wall was a milepost that I
hadn’t noticed before. It even had a OS Bench Mark cut into it.
I followed the path to the old road and back to Threlkeld where
I followed the path up by Kilnhow Back back up to the car park.
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Milestone and O.S. benchmark. |
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