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With the weather being largely dry I decided to spend my day off in the Dales ticking off the Hewitts of Fountains and Darnbrook Fell. This paring can be climbed from various places but given I only had a finite amount of time I decided to head to the point where the Pennine Way crosses the Road between Pen-y-Gent and the former so I could include them both quite efficiently. As I suspected I spent more time driving than actually walking which is never ideal but I had to get around to them sometime.
The starting point is a fine remote feeling location, very much deepest darkest Yorkshire and the ascent up Fountains Fell is easy enough with good views for Pen-y-Gent and a very hazy Ingleborough to look back upon.
Starting point Pano by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Pen-y-Gent Mono by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Pen-y-Gent again by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Ahead to Fountains Fell by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Pen-y-Gent and Ingleborough by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Hughie by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Across to Plover Hill by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Just when things are turning more interesting with more exposed rock you top out onto the Fell's huge pock marked plateau and the walk becomes a bit of a moorland trudge. A warning sign tells you to keep to the path due to old mine workings but I like so many ignored this and followed the distinct trod by the fence up to the summit.
High on Fountains Fell by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Summit of Fountains Fell by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
The views have no depth due to the large flat summit area and distant views have been seriously curtailed by the haze which means even Pen-y-Gent is lacking detail. With the ground being very dry I decide to visit the Tarn and the South top before heading for Darnbrook.
Fountains Fell Tarn by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Wiggly Wall by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Fountains Fell South Top by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Following wet weather it is clear this journey would be quite torturous but on this day we crunch our way merrily over the parched ground before a brief reintroduction with the Pennine way. Our next target looks some what dark and uninviting but at least the bone dry ground enables me to cut off the corner to reach the wall that will take me most of the way.
Pennine Way by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Along the Wall to Darnbrook Fell by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Back to Fountains Fell by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Finally I find a few still boggy patches along here but they are easy to negotiate dry shod. The wall seems to separate this fell quite cleanly into fairly easy grass on the North side and horrible looking peat hags on the south, thankfully we are on the North and soon enough we are setting off up the short out and back to the summit.
Darnbrook Fell's summit is a fairly desolate place with the trig point laying bare the scale of erosion the peat has suffered up here. Still with it being dry I sit on the edge of a peat hag and have lunch amid the devastation before heading back down the fence to link up with the bridleway.
Over the Hill by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Lunch Time! by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Darnbrook Fell Trig by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Fountains Fell and Pen-y-Gent face off by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
It's a nice simple wander back to the car along Dawson Close and I reach the end of the walk just inside three hours in which time I saw only a distant farmer on a quad bike. I suspect more typical conditions would have added to that time but today this has been a pleasant moorland wander and an easy couple of ticks.
Typical Dales Scenery by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Looking up to Fountains Fell from Dawson Close by
Anthony Young, on Flickr
Pen-y-Gent by
Anthony Young, on Flickr