Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell, quick route

[Charles Wallis]

Wild Boar Fell, seen from deep cleft of Mallerstang, gives the impression of being quite a substantial mountain even though it's not actually very high. I had first climbed it in the 1980's and was keen to give it another go. I was breaking up a long distance car journey from Scotland to the south on the M6 and turned off at Tebay and headed for Mallerstang.
I had not really done my homework, and having done this hill before thought I knew the quickest way up, as I was short of time. I parked where the B6259 crosses over the railway at Far Cote Gill where I knew there was ample parking, and it was about the highest point on the road.

I has assumed that like popular peaks in Scotland, a good high parking place close to a hill would result in a well trodden route to the top. How wrong I was! I headed north west direct towards the escarpment of Wild Boar Fell. Immediately it became apparent that no one else came that way. It was rough under foot with soft heavy moor grass and tussock, soggy from recent rain. Then I came across a new forestry plantation surrounding the upper reaches of Ais Gill. This was mostly Alder that seemed to be thriving though the connifers had specactularly failed. Though there was a stile over the fence it did not connect to any path, and the ungrazed grass was even longer. Then there was the deep defile of Ais Gill itself to cross, and the burn was in spate from the rain and required some care.

Eventually I managed to gain some height and coming up the ridge the going got easier with the summit cairns in sight to spur me on. Once on the ridge the view down Mallerstang was superb and well worth the effort.

Wild Boar Fell with a collection of cairns to mark the ridge

The summit itself is just to the west on a large flat topped moor. It had good views of the Howgills and the Lake District to the west. I followed the "ridge" to the col and up Swarth Fell. The summit there gave exellent views back to Wild Boar Fell. Once on the tops the going was easy with little sign of path erosion from overuse.

Wild Boar Fell, as seen from Swarth Fell

For my descent I chose a rather direct route from between Swarth Fell and Swarth Fell Pike down the eastern scarp slope heading for Far Cote Gill. Again the going got tough with more forestry, and then high bracken to slow me down.
Overall this was a quick but hard route, I am sure there are better but it suited my purposes given lack of time.
It is good to know that these lonely tops of the northern Pennines remain just as untouched and wild as I remember them.

[The English Alpinist]

I have fond memories of Boar Fell (and not so fond memories of getting on it!). I'm not sure where is the best place to access it. I went up further north than you, from that lane, but still found myself negotiating fences and conifer plantations, with plenty of moisture. Once on top, though, great terrain and underrated countryside.