poppiesrara wrote:Quite an epic and some very good views, Broggy.
Did it seem like Potter Fell would be rough going even at a dry time? That gets a pretty good write-up in the Outlying Fells (modern update) and I had been rather more tempted before I read your report!
Hi Poppies,
I'm probably being a bit harsh on Potter Fell. It's more that I was expecting a really rough walk between Brunt Knott and Hollow Moor and it to be relatively well pathed between the other summits. It just seemed to take a long time quite early into the walk.
The approach to Ulgraves from Staveley is really great on good green paths (with gates!), two lovely sheets of water and there's also clearly a good path to Brunt Knott from the valley...which is a good summit.
It's more the bits between the Potter Fell summits. The ground is rough and wet (I did choose a day after lots of rain so that's my own fault). There are bits of vehicle track about but they seem to lead off in all kinds of directions (I followed one and lost way too much height at one point) and the walls don't seem to have any gates or stiles...or none that I could see. They aren't the hardest to get over but can feel like a bit of a momentum breaker.I also extended to Sleddale Forrest - which Wainwright doesn't add - and that was pretty rough for a while.
It's not like it goes on forever though and the solitude is really fantastic. If you do it after a dry spell I'd even recommend carrying on to Hollow Moor (there was one really wet bit to cross).
So I'd say definitely do it. The positives outweigh the negatives and if you know it's coming you probably will find it easier. It's nothing like North Pennine rough to give you a comparison (the difference being I always expect it to be rough there).
Hope that helps
