Croft Head and Loch Fell

[jgregor]

We arrived at the car park near Selcoth at around half 9. Preparing to set off I belatedly realised I'd left my rucksack sitting in the hall at home. I was reluctant just to go back home, as it's a fair drive from Edinburgh, and that would effectively be the day's hike ruined. We considered our options. It was a mild spring day with neither rain nor wind forecast, so I felt sure I could do without the extra layers I always carry. My son Alex had remembered his bag, so we had the water in that plus another bottle I found in the car. Not a huge amount, but it should do. Leaving the lack of food for the hike, which was all sitting at home in my bag. We decided to go for it - we'd not long had breakfast and felt that should carry us over Croft Head, Loch Fell and back - an estimated 12km, so not a really long walk.

We set off along the track past Selcoth farm as it headed south and then south-east, following Steinstane Burn upstream towards Croft Head, passing though a couple of high gates in the deer fences on the way.

The track ascending just after Selcoth

Looking down on the fish farm

Approaching the summit of Croft Head

View from the near the summit - Capel Fell to the fore (right) with Bodesbeck Law beyond (left)

At the summit of Croft Head we joined the Southern Upland Way, heading north-east down the oddly named Cat Shoulder, with the imposing bulk of Capel Fell before us.

Heading down from the summit towards Cat Shoulder. Capel Fell in the foreground (left), Wind Fell in the middle-ground (right) and Ettrick Pen beyond (middle)

Looking down from Cat Shoulder at Rae Grain tumbling down from Capel Fell, with the steep western slope of West Knowe to the right

We descended Cat Shoulder by the zig-zag path down to the bottom. To get to Loch Fell from here is either a fairly steep climb up West Knowe, or following the Southern Upland Way round to the foot of Capel Fell and then climbing up to the path joining Wind Fell to Loch Fell. We elected for the former approach, but instead of heading straight up we followed the Southern Upland Way as it headed up at an angle. When it started heading down again we left the path and zig-zagged our way up to the less steep ground nearer the top.

View from part way up West Knowe, looking down Selcoth Burn on the other side of Croft Head, and the route we'd be taking back down later

We then contoured around West Knowe to join the path heading up to the summit of Loch Fell. Both energy and morale were flagging by this point, due to the lack of food and dwindling water supply - not helped by having lost some of it somewhere up the side of West Knowe.

Contouring around West Knowe towards Loch Fell (right)

Loch Fell trig

Still, most of the hard work was done by this point. Just the top of West Knowe to do...

West Knowe summit, with Hart Fell, the Saddle Yokes and White Coomb in the distance

...which we found somewhat off the path, marked by a rotting post stump. All down hill from here!
Descending West Knowe down the fence line we had a good view over to the distinctive zig-zag path we had descended Cat Shoulder on.

Descending West Knowe, looking over to Croft Head and Cat Shoulder with its zig-zag path we'd descended on

When we reached the tree line we angled down the slope to the sheep fold at the bottom of Cat Shoulder, and stopped at the near-by bench for a breather while we summoned up the energy for the final stretch along the Selcoth Burn and back to Selcoth.

On the rough path above Selcoth Burn

Continuing along the track on the other side of the burn

Almost down, but a fine view of the Saddle Yokes and White Coomb

Looking the other way, up the track past Selcoth that we took up Croft Head

On the way home we stopped off at the Co-op in Moffat and bought a load of food which we wolfed down in the shop's car park before heading up the road home for a late lunch