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Dodd Fell HillNow that the weather has hopefully turned the corner of giving its worst to those pursuing their many and varied outdoor activities I have re-commenced my own self inflicted mission of ticking off the 23 remaining English Hewitt's of which three live in Derbyshire, two on Dartmoor, and the remaining 18 in the South Yorkshire Dales.
We - E and I - are not just fair weather walkers as past reports will endorse, the trouble has been access on a lot of occasions. Once off the main drag and getting onto the smaller, steep and narrow roads in the Dales can prove to be quite a mission and we have had to turn back due to snow and ice on the roads, the most recent being last Tuesday 21st March when having got to Hawes and then on my way to park up to get on with climbing Dodd Fell Hill and Drumaldrace I couldn't get up the steep part of the Kettlewell road as frozen slush and ice was laying the full width of the road to well below where Cam High Road crosses it. I couldn't even turn around so had to reverse very slowly way back until I had left the slippery hazard behind stopping just once to let someone driving a 4x4 pass me, him giving a smug smile as he passed me by and waved. It wasn't an entirely wasted journey as I called in at the Wensleydale Cheese factory and large shop come restaurant where I bought an overly indulgent and obscene amount of various mixtures and flavours of what they make best, cheese.
The weather from then on hadn't been too good but surprisingly was due to change for the Saturday so I planned to make another skirmish over Hawes way to try and complete what I had set out to do on the previous Tuesday.
Right enough Saturday dawned with blue skies and a frost on the ground but conditions were perfect for a day on the fells with me just hoping that the high road to Kettlewell was now devoid of frozen snow and ice. I had a great drive over with quiet roads all the way. I passed through a peaceful Kirkby Stephen to turn left onto the B6259 at the traffic lights and head off for Hawes, a further journey of some 24 kilometres or 15 miles in old money, and then passing through Mallerstang, below Mallerstang Edge and Wild Boar Fell, both resplendent in the sunshine and both wearing pure white caps of snow. Beautiful indeed.
Turning left at the Moorcock Inn onto the A684 it now wasn't far to the start of the walk. Just before entering Hawes itself I turned off to pass through Gayle where the aforementioned cheese factory outlet resides to then make my along Beggarmans Road through Sleddale to steadily begin the climb up passing along part of Cam High Road, the short section of Roman Road that has been incorporated into the main road and then to the parking place and view point at SD860838. This is from where I would climb the first of the two hills, Dodd Fell Hill. The car parking area is not a massive affair but can hold a good few cars if done sensibly and the views over the surrounding fells give credence to the place as a view point. North, looking along Sleddale and way in the distance there is Great Shunner Fell, Lovely Seat and many more of which I'm not sure of their names. East the view comprises of Woldside with Jeffery Pot Scar and a great expanse of wild, open moorland. South we have Pen-y-ghent, Fountains Fell, and Ingleborough, but just now the view west is dominated by the snow scattered bulk of Dodd Fell Hill, although once on top of it the views are sure to continue on into infinity.
I had the car park to myself with just the odd car passing by as I got ready for the short walk ahead. I had chosen this spot to start as it was at a good altitude at 580 metres giving me a head start in preference to the one suggested by the Nuttall's which starts and ends in Hawes, is 18.5 kilometres long - 11.5 miles - with 488 metres or 1,600 feet of height gain. I don't mind a long walk but I didn't fancy an 18 kilometre walk over a sodden fellside, not today anyway.
It was 7°c when I set off with a chill breeze blowing off the fell but the sun was warming my back as I crossed over the road that now has the name of Oughtershaw Road and stepped onto the rough grass of Long Slack, one of the many walled enclosures that sit between the road and the old Roman highway of Cam High Road. My aim was to cross over the rough pasture land and follow the intake wall around in a clockwise direction and then leaving it to climb up the easy looking slopes of the northeast ridge. I didn't know if there were any gates or stiles set in the walls but as no paths are shown I was ready for the probability of having to scale the one that lay across my path just prior to reaching Cam High Road - Roman Road - that has now been laid with a covering of tarmac. The immediate area shows indications of past mining and quarrying activities but little now remains apart from some massive Swallow Holes and the odd section of boggy track.
There was a wall to my right that starts from the edge of the road in which there is a narrow gap that at one time was blocked off by an old metal gate - now falling over - and this is where I passed across to the rough ground on the far side. The ground comprises of large solid grass covered humps and I wondered at this strange landscape as I hadn't seen anything like it on the moors that I had walked in the past. As I progressed up the gentle slope snow made an appearance and being the less matured kind of person that I should be I wanted to be the first to make footprints in the snow. You know the feeling folks, a large expanse of untouched, pristine snow and you just have to be the first one to mess it up, we've all been there.
As I climbed higher the humps began to reveal themselves as the high points of a limestone pavement that was slowly being taken over by moss and rough grass and as I had now got tired of stepping into unseen holes under the snow I opted to use these now useful humps as stepping stones to assist my passage over the rough ground.
- The limestone pavement is disappearing beneath a blanket of moss and grass.
I was now approaching the wall that runs north to south across my path and just prior to reaching it I passed a number of connected sheepfolds…
- Old sheepfolds at Green Side with Dodd Fell Hill behind.
from where I checked out the wall for access and found that the only way was to climb over it. As it was topped by wire but not of the barbed type I made for the south corner from where I thought that it would be easier to get over the wall. My assumption was correct as those that had gone before me proved with the evidence of slack wire and scuffed stones were there to see.
A quick scramble and I was over said obstruction to find myself on a gentle slope leading down to the old Roman Road. So far so good and I stopped to have a look around and survey the situation in hand. As the ground at the foot of the fell is littered with blue lines reminiscent of the veins on the back of a hand my original plan was to follow the wall around in a clockwise direction until it broke away to the southwest and then make my way up the northeast ridge to the summit. But it didn't pan out that way as when I reached the first corner from where the wall turned from going to the northwest to southwest I realised that it was probably only about 80 to 100 metres of a climb straight up the fellside. So that is what I began to do as the ground underfoot didn't appear to be as bad as it showed on the map.
I left the wall behind and began the climb up the fellside but after just a few metres the ground dropped away into the catchment area so realising my error I swung around to the west trying to avoid the worst of the bad ground but to no avail. I continued west until I reached the wall again and my original route but found that the ground was no better so I bit the bullet and after a few metres I took off northwest and fought my way through the bog, hags, and what have you until I reached firmer ground.
- Wet ground on the lower slopes of Dodd Fell Hill.
It was a mission finding my way through it all but with wandering about here and there I finally made it without getting wet feet although the same couldn't be said about my pants.
- The view east from the foot of Dodd Fell Hill.
- A glimpse of Ingleborough.
- Looking northeast to Drumaldrace.
Once that part of the walk was over the walk to the top was quite pleasant and easy going. The grass is fairly short and the ground even with no hummocks or hidden holes to trap the unwary foot or leg and I made good progress. There was snow about but not in great amounts, mostly small scattered patches with the occasional 'my footprints will be the first ones there' large drifts that I walked around as I had already worked hard enough getting past the lower reaches to arrive at this point.
The ground eased off considerably as I approached the summit trig column and although it had seemed like an age for me to get here it actually only took me 30 minutes from the bog to the summit. The top of Dodd Fell Hill is large and virtually flat and featureless with just a slight upwards curve to it with the trig column surrounded by ice and water.
To the south Pen-y-ghent is to be seen, southwest there is Ingleborough, and over to the west Whernside can be seen.
- Wild Boar fell from DFH trig point.
- Ingleborough and Whernside from DFH summit.
It's a glorious day with blue sky and a warm sun even up here and with the snow about it's very warm. There was very little haze and the views were far reaching with many hills and mountains rolling away into the distance. I could even see the snow capped mountains of the Lake District on the extreme skyline. What a day and what a view. This is the reason why we do this. I haven't seen a soul, it's silent apart from the eerie cry of the curlews, and the only other sign of life are a couple of sky larks rising up high and then falling back down to the cover of the rough grass.
I took a quick drink after spending a good few minutes looking around and decided that I didn't fancy returning down by the way that I had arrived here and crossing over the bog again so I elected to return by what would have been my original route up to here, by the now, southwest ridge.
There are a couple of paths leading away from the summit with one of them pointing towards the southwest ridge, that's the one I took. The path was either covered for the most part in either snow or water, the exposed sections being very boggy making it - today anyway - virtually useless as a means of leaving the fell. No matter it's there and it will have to do, acting as a guide if nothing else. I nevertheless made good downhill progress and reached the intake wall in good time.
Now all I had to do was follow the wall back to North Gate and then re-trace my steps back to the car but that was easier said than done. From reaching the wall and getting back to North Gate was far worse than my outward trek as the line of the wall seemed to be a collecting place for all the water that runs off Dodd Fell Hill. From the wall corner and back to North Gate must be some of - if not - the worst ground that I have crossed and any thoughts of climbing the wall with its nearly metre high wire fence topping it were soon cast to one side especially as the ground immediately over the other side was not much better than I was now on. There is some high ground adjacent to the wall in the odd place but all in all it's a trudge, or a wallow through some very wet ground. Above the old mine workings the ground has washed away to form a couple of deep and wet, boggy hollows making for a slippery access and egress whilst still trying to maintain some semblance of cleanliness to the wardrobe.
- The bog follows the wall until it bears right.
I finally reached North Gate and Cam High Road again and was now looking forward to the nice easy stroll back the way that I had arrived at this point. A nice gentle slope upwards kicking the snow as I went along until it became time to start hopping along on the grass and moss covered bare topped lumps of exposed limestone pavement, scaled the wall and then back to the car. Just before I arrived back at the car I took a photo of Drumaldrace behind a stretch of limestone pavement…
- Limestone pavement and Drumaldrace.
and a couple of pointed cairns that were sat either side of an old track. From those and looking east I got a view of Woldside and Jeffery Pot Scar.
- Woldside and Jeffery Pot Scar.
It appears that there was a car rally on that day as there were a couple of old sports cars with a number and name of the club that was running the event that began at Kirkby Lonsdale. As I was having a drink quite a few more passed me by and with the sun shining it was a perfect day to be out and about in an opened topped car.
Well that was the first part of my walk for today and now I must drive back along the road towards Hawes and find a parking place somewhere near where the Cam High Road begins to make its way towards Drumaldrace.
- Dodd Fell Hill.
DrumaldraceFirst of all I drove back to the point where the Cam High Road forms a Y junction with the regular road section at a fairly sharp right hand bend, parked up and had something to eat and drink whilst enjoying the views along Sleddale looking at the shallow rounded shape of Dodd Fell Hill. There were a few cyclists both of the pedal and engine powered type parked up enjoying the views and the old cars were still passing by climbing up the hill going I presume to Kettlewell and beyond.
Once that I'd got sorted from my foray into the hills - little and short as it was - I set off to drive a few more metres along the road to find a fairly wide strip of wet but fairly firm ground just wide enough to set the car upon at SD862852 that was just a few metres back from where the now rough track of the Cam High Road begins and starts to make its way northeast making an almost direct line towards Drumaldrace.
With only about 90 metres of climb over 3.5 kilometres it hardly seems fair to be posting or indeed climbing this, but a hill is a hill and this one is also a Hewitt so it has to be done.
The old Roman Road is around 2 metres wide…
- Cam High Road - an old Roman Highway to Bainbridge.
and would be a good way to go after a dry spell but today as everywhere else the ground is wet and muddy with large patches of soft snow about. Water was more or less constantly running and to make things a little messier the farmer has set up a series of sheep feeding stations along the length of the track.
- One of the many sheep feeding stations along Cam High Road.
However, it's a good way to go with the views across Sleddale…
- A view down Sleddale.
and over to the same fells as from DFH clear to see.
Dodd Fell Hill…
- Looking southwest along Cam High Road and across to Dodd Fell Hill.
- Drumaldrace.
blocks the view to the southwest for now with the lower ground of Bardale and Marsett over to the northeast. The walk along the road was uneventful and I met just one couple on my way up as they were going down. Within twenty minutes I was looking down over Bardale and into Raydale I could just see a corner of Semer Water nestled between Countersett, Marsett, and Stalling Busk with the dale breaking up the wide open flatness of the surrounding moorland.
- A glimpse of Semer Water in Raydale.
Within another 10 minutes I had reached the gates across the track…
- Drumaldrace.
and had found my way to the summit via a good and visible path through the brown grass that then ran into a shallow snow filled gully from which point I went straight up the easy grass covered fellside to then cross a similar fairly flat top as was to be found on Dodd Fell Hill. I followed the edges of quite a large patch of snow…
- The fairly flat and large top of Drumaldrace.
that was adorning the top to reach the metre high or so stone built cairn or currick from where the views were once again outstanding where the local noted fells were mostly visible along with the ones in the Mallerstang area, Howgills, and I think that I just about spotted Cross Fell and its neighbours.
- The hills of Abbotside Common in the north.
- Widdale Fell and Baugh Fell in the distance.
After a drink and a potter about I left by a path that was running over to the west with the intention of picking up the bridleway that runs alongside of the wall just to make the walk a few metres longer but as the path began to turn to the south I just followed it back to the path that I had taken on the way up. Once back at the track I came across a family who appeared to be having a discussion as to whether they would be going up Drumaldrace or not. After saying hello I left 'em to it. Further along I came across a convoy of vehicles that I first thought was a shooting party as there were lots of people milling about the fellside. But no, it was six camper vans that had all made their way up the rough track and of course making it worse than it already was and as they couldn't turn around I presumed that they would be going on to Bainbridge or parking up somewhere for a wild one.
Apart from now walking back down the Cam High Road there was nothing left to do but enjoy the views in front of me as I made my way back to the car with a warning not to buy any more cheese.
- The view southwest from Cam High Road.
A short but excellent walk in great weather and despite the ground conditions on Dodd Fell Hill's lower slopes it proves that one doesn't have to walk far to get a good walk in with tremendous views. The advantage of a high level parking area helped to greatly reduce these two short walks. It may appear a bit wimpish of me to start so close to the summits but I really couldn't be bothered to trudge up and down nearly 12 miles, 6 of which would have been over sodden ground. The snow was melting and the ground was thawing out making what little paths I did find very claggy, sticky, and not pleasant to walk along. However, it was warm and sunny with a temperature of 7°c when I set out and 16°c when I got back from Dodd Fell Hill resulting in the shedding of my Primaloft thinking that it would be a lot colder up there than it actually was.
Hopefully I shall be back in the Dales next week to continue my walks in this better than excellent part of the country.
