walkhighlands

This board helps you to share your walking route experiences in England and Wales... or overseas.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Breezy Bannerdale circuit from Mungrisdale

Breezy Bannerdale circuit from Mungrisdale


Postby malky_c » Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:20 pm

Wainwrights included on this walk: Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell, Souther Fell

Hewitts included on this walk: Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell

Date walked: 12/09/2020

Time taken: 3.9

Distance: 6.5 km

Ascent: 700m

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Hewitts: Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags
Date: 12/09/2020.
Distance: 6.5km.
Ascent: 700m.
Time: 3 hours, 55 minutes.
Weather: Overcast and windy.

For the last umpteen years, it turns out my parents and Jackie's parents have been going to the Lake District in the same September week as each other, and staying a couple of miles apart in Langdale. This year it looked as if we'd be able to join them for a bit, and wound up staying the whole week with Jackie's parents.

Having come down from Inverness to Glasgow on Thursday evening, we left for the lakes at lunchtime on Saturday, arriving at Mungrisdale a couple of hours later. I thought this edge of the Lakes would be relatively quiet but there were cars lined along the road into the village. Fortunately, being late we were able to park easily. We had looked at various routes, settling on this horseshoe as a best-case walk and knowing we could cut it short in a couple of places if Jackie wasn't up to it.


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


Image
Start of the route at Mungrisdale

The floor of the valley was very wet but the path was largely OK. We passed a few people down here, but soon found ourselves alone in Bullfell Beck. We were avoiding the northern arm of the horseshoe to stay out of the wind, which was pretty gusty today.

Image
The Tongue

Image
Heading up Bullfell Beck

Once past the water intake, the path became less obvious and the going steeper, and we followed a tongue between two corries up onto the plateau. I took us north so we could look out over Bowscale Tarn before heading to the summit of Bowscale Fell - this minor detour was worth it for the views of the tarn and Carrock Fell.

Image
Upper Bullfell

Image
Bowscale Tarn

Image
Across Bowscale Tarn to Carrock Fell

It was certainly breezy, but just annoying than actually difficult to walk in. We made good progress round the top of the crags, able to stay out of the wind a little as the path dropped slightly from the plateau. Nice views over the crags and to the back of Blencathra from Bannerdale Crags, although the weather wasn't up to much photography-wise. The east ridge of Bannerdale crags looked interesting, but probably better in ascent. Jackie was feeling quite reasonable anyway, so we decided to continue to Souther Fell.

Image
Back of Blencathra

Image
On Bowscale Fell summit

Image
Around the top of Bannerdale Crags

Image
Down Bannerdale

Image
Foule Crag and the back of Blencathra

There was a bit less in the way of a path down to the river, but the going was easy over grass. Once over the River Glenderamackin, the ascent to Souther Fell was much shallower than it had looked so far. There was a glimpse of sunshine to the west, but the weather stayed fairly similar throughout the day.

Image
Souther Fell and Bannerdale

Image
Descending to Glenderamackin

Image
River Glenderamackin and Blencathra

Image
Clough Head and St Johns in the Vale

Image
Blencathra

Image
Great Mell Fell and High Street

Image
Blencathra and Bannerdale Crags

Jackie began to run out of steam as we crossed the various summits and bumps of Souther Fell, but before too long we were on the final descent. We took a right fork initially, before changing our mind and reversing a short section to pick the route that drops more directly to the car. I was vaguely aware of some 'gerroffmyland' attitude in this area, but I wasn't sure where it was - it now became obvious that it was the final field that we needed to cross to reach the road! The detour looked tedious so we just climbed the fence anyway and dropped down to the gate at the roadside. Not sure why this particular landowner doesn't allow this.

Image
Descending towards Mungrisdale again

Back at the car, the rain had just started, and it got more frequent (but never too heavy) as we headed down the side of Thirlmere and over to Langdale. Not a bad start to what ended up being over a week of walking!
User avatar
malky_c
 
Posts: 6342
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:219   Donalds:80+37
Sub 2000:313   Hewitts:281
Wainwrights:140   Islands:39
Joined: Nov 22, 2009
Location: Glasgow/Inverness

Re: Breezy Bannerdale circuit from Mungrisdale

Postby Alteknacker » Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:24 pm

I crossed Bannerdale Crags in frozen conditions, but from the quantity of ice on the ground I'd have expected you to have been walking through bog at this time of year - but evidently you weren't!
User avatar
Alteknacker
Scrambler
 
Posts: 3473
Munros:176   Corbetts:33
Fionas:1   
Hewitts:264
Wainwrights:118   
Joined: May 25, 2013
Location: Effete South (of WIgan, anyway)

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Outside Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests