A Royal Wedding Hewitt bagging special

[johnkaysleftleg]

With Harry and Megan getting hitched there was one one place I wanted to be, yes that's in the fells Fortunately the weather was holding so opportunities abounded. I've been concentrating on Lakes so far this year so I decided to top up on a few Dales Hewitts for a change.

Gragareth and Great Coum, 14.9km, 530m 4hrs 5mins

These two fells have a reputation of being quite boggy so I figured climbing in the midst of a dry spell may well be a good idea. I managed to arrive at the end of the single track road to Leck Fell House at around 8 o'clock unsurprisingly the only car. I wish I lived a bit closer to the fells meaning getting up at 5:30AM would see me witnessing the sunrise from the first top rather than just arriving early in hill walking terms. Still I was not expecting to see too many people today and apart from a couple of walkers in Ease Gill it was just me, Hughie, sheep and a couple of million mayflies for company.

I must confess that following the interest provided the three (or nine depending upon your point of view) men of Gragareth these fells didn't really do it for me and would probably be purgatory in bad weather, still apart from the haze eradicating distant views it was a decent day out and a million times better than watching the royal wedding.

Looking up to the Three Men of Gragareth by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Starting out at 400 meters by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Leck Fell House by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Climbing up next to the boulders by Anthony Young, on Flickr

The Three Men of Gragareth by Anthony Young, on Flickr


The "other" Three Men of Gragareth by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Highest Dog in Lancashire! by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Whalebacks by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Once Gragareth was bagged the route to Great Coum is a trudge, thankfully a relatively dry one today, but with distant views very hazy there is little to look at given the wide ridge by in large prevents views down any valleys. I still avoided the worst of the bog remembering coming close to getting stuck fast in similarly dry conditions on nearby Baugh Fell last summer.

Just follow the wall by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Still some bog remaining by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Still Following the Wall by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Looking down to Leck Beck by Anthony Young, on Flickr

A Glimpse of Dentdale by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Looking Down to Ease Gill by Anthony Young, on Flickr

County Stone by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Gatty Pike by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Eventually I arrived at Great Coum's summit and decided the cairn on the other side of the wall looked better and we had brunch there enjoying a nice view of the Howgills not available from the actual top. Repast over I decided to head back to the stile over the wall not knowing if following the wall on this side would see be having to clamber over it. (for reference there was a stile further on).

Great Coum Summit by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Dentdale from Great Coum by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Howgills from Great Coum by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Hughie at the Lunch Stop by Anthony Young, on Flickr

I soon picked up the grassy path/quad bike track on the way down for some nice easy walking down to Ease Gill. Close to the bottom the ground got quite rough and would be unpleasant in the wet but today it was fine.

Barbon Dale by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Grassy track on the way down by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Hughie by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Approaching Ease Gill by Anthony Young, on Flickr

In contrast to the relative dullness of the fell tops I found Ease Gill fascinating with its spectacularly eroded rocks, wild flowers, pot holes and enjoyed another refueling stop before a leisurely amble along the gill. Along here I wondered if this route is really be best way to enjoy these fells? Perhaps following Ease Gill as far up as is practicable my add more interest (similar to following Rawthey Gill up Baugh Fell) before descending to Gragareth.


Ease Gill by Anthony Young, on Flickr


Under the Bridge by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Ease Gill by Anthony Young, on Flickr


Primroses by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Across to Brownthwaite by Anthony Young, on Flickr

I don't particularly enjoy climbing upwards at the end of a walk, one of my pet peeves, but with the ground dry it was an easy enough return to the car.

Sheep and a Fell by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Back towards Leck Fell House by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Great Coum.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

With the time being barely past mid day I decided a detour on the way home past Great Knouberry Hill was in order so off I set along more winding single track roads. What I found was the road between Gragareth/Great Coum and Whernside AKA Kingsdale, has far more interest and better views than the fell tops I'd just been over instigating thoughts of another alternative route for these fells involving parking along this road, which would be fine to walk along, and linking the two tops this way.

Great Knoutberry Hill, 3.8km, 182m 1hr 10mins

Following a quite exhilarating but thankfully uneventful drive we got out of the car on the Coal Road for the simple wander up Great Knoutberry Hill. Unlike the previous walk views are far more open even on a hazy day and this short route was most enjoyable. I'm not sure Hughie enjoyed it too much however as he had recently had his booster jabs and was a bit sluggish all day (he has been fine since btw). With this in mind I decided to just do an out and back to the top rather than a bit of a circular which was a shame but did enable me so see the fine sight of a Short Eared Owl Hunting on the way down, a rare privilege but thanks to not having a zoom lens on me an insufficiently recorded one.

Over the wall to Great Coum by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Pikes Edge and Ingleborough by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Mallerstang by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Yorkshire Skies by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Epic Hughie Shot by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Back Down again by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Back along the Bridleway by Anthony Young, on Flickr


Flowers by the path by Anthony Young, on Flickr

All in all a pleasant day bagging some Dales Hewitts but if you come to bag Gragareth and Great Coum I'd perhaps consider and alternative route as Kingsdale really did look worthy of exploration.

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

[trailmasher]

Nice job well done there JK Great pics The days that I walked those fells were very similar to yours but a cold wind on Gragareth and as you say, nothing inspiring about them to hasten a visit back

As I was in the same frame of mind as you were about the RW Chris and I had a walk around the Martindale area A far better way to spend ones time rather than wasting away watching the countries privileged spending tax payers hard earned brass

[malky_c]

I quite liked the summit of High Coum, and great views as well, but I feel much the same as you about Gragareth and the trudge between summits. Reminded me that the Dales have plenty of unexciting high moorland too, if you are daft enough to seek it out .

[johnkaysleftleg]

Nice job well done there JK Great pics The days that I walked those fells were very similar to yours but a cold wind on Gragareth and as you say, nothing inspiring about them to hasten a visit back

Yep very possibly single vist fells these two.

As I was in the same frame of mind as you were about the RW Chris and I had a walk around the Martindale area A far better way to spend ones time rather than wasting away watching the countries privileged spending tax payers hard earned brass

Come the revolution brother

I quite liked the summit of High Coum, and great views as well, but I feel much the same as you about Gragareth and the trudge between summits. Reminded me that the Dales have plenty of unexciting high moorland too, if you are daft enough to seek it out .

Aye the views from Great Coum were nice but Great Knoutberry was better for very little effort. I'm just about down to unexciting moorland for my remaining Dales Hewitts, and yes I'm daft enough

[dav2930]

Nice report and pics JK, I enjoyed that. I've yet to venture onto any of those ones. Maybe not as exciting as some but it's surprising how enjoyable wandering on the featureless moorland can be. As you say, way better than watching some hyped-up wedding on the box!