Stay at home

[johnkaysleftleg]

With the spell of unseasonably fine February weather due to come to an end I was fairly desperate to squeeze in a walk before normal service was resumed. Following dropping Grace off at college I made my way up Weardale, through Alston and over the Hartside pass. The fell in my and Hughie's sights was the far westerly outpost of the Main North Pennine ridge, Melmerby Fell. I was well aware that I had driven past a route up the fell which would have saved my legs several hundred meters of ascent but I had another, what I hoped, more interesting approach in mind.

We arrived in Melmerby and took the small single track road up to Rake Beck Wood. Just before the road takes a right hand bend there is room for several cars, not that you will probably ever have issues parking here, and I was soon booted up and heading off up the track on a beautiful spring like morning.

Track from the parking area by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Crossing Rake Beck by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Exiting Rake Beck Wood by Anthony Young, on Flickr

The track goes through the wood and climbs out the other side, it wasn't too bad from a mud point of view but following a wet spell it may well be a challenge. Once out into the open the track rises gently and is good going underfoot with fine views along the North Pennine escarpment opening up.

Along the track with Melmerby Fell ahead by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Across the fields to the fells by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Higher up the track by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Intake wall by Anthony Young, on Flickr

The main reason for approaching from this side was to take in the Dewey of Cuns Fell, you can of course just visit it as a out and back but I wanted to do a more natural route, so to speak. I wasn't sure which of Melmerby or Cuns Fells I was going to visit first, but judging by the the wall/Barbed wire fence on the Southern side of the track a direct descent from the later would leave me with one gate to aim for and many fences/walls in between with this in mind I decided to go for Cuns fell first but waited till I was above the intake wall to cut across. Turns out this was a good decision with largely firm ground and in places decent trods to follow as I stayed above the fence having only one wall to cross on the way to my target.

Somewhere above Dry Sike by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Wall leading to Melmerby High Scar by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Rough Brow by Anthony Young, on Flickr

The route across the moor was really easy going and the small remaining climb to this fine little top, a pleasure. Cuns Fell has the feel of Lakeland rather than the North Pennines with it's multitude of rocks and fine places to lodge oneself for a rest. The views were good and would have been even better on a clear day where a tremendous Lake District vista would be on display. The Haze was quite thick however meaning the Eden Valley faded away into whiteness without any sign of what lay beyond.

Hazy Ousbydale by Anthony Young, on Flickr


Rocks on Cuns Fell by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Hazy Ousbydale again by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Cuns Fell in front of Melmerby High Scar by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Haze obscuring views to the Lakes by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Hughie by Anthony Young, on Flickr

I had a snack and an explore of the fell before heading to the col and the climb up Rough Brow. This even though it was the steepest part of the day was still not too bad helped by the path being well graded higher up. There was a bit of clambering over fences to get onto the open fell but we were soon striding out towards the summit. That was until a smallish boulder field required traversing but all in all the way to the summit is a easy wander over firm ground, certainly not what you expect in the North Pennines.

Looking back to Cuns fell by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Top of the path up Rough Brow by Anthony Young, on Flickr


Back down the fence to Cuns Fell by Anthony Young, on Flickr


Lichen by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Cross Fell by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Looking back from the boulder field by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Cross Fell again by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Melmerby Fell Summit by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Views from the summit were curtailed by the plateau and the haze so I didn't linger. By now the haze was being made worse by quite a lot of heather burning going on to the north making me even more happy I'd come this way and not from the Hartside Pass. And then something surprising happened, I came across another walker not really a common event while midweek walking in the Pennines, "Dr Livingstone I presume!" he announced summing up the surprise at running into another human up here, a brief chat mainly about the superb weather, we parted ways and I headed off to Knapside hill for another snack and a rest.

Knapside Hill by Anthony Young, on Flickr

The way down was a little more North Pennines but more just damp ground rather than man swallowing bogs or Mountainous Peat Hags and we were soon back on the main track and heading downwards. This is a really nice way off the fell, good underfoot and plenty of interest even with distant views curtailed.

Currick on the moor edge by Anthony Young, on Flickr

One careful owner... by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Looking over to Cuns fell with Cross fell in the background by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Heading down the track by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Gate Castle by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Heading down the track by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Pennine Views by Anthony Young, on Flickr

Rake Beck Wood by Anthony Young, on Flickr

I was back at the car in no time, happy I had actually grabbed a few hours to enjoy the February sunshine before it returned to normal (the very next day). This is a nice short walk to take in a couple of fine Pennine Fells, highly recommended if you have half a day to spare in this neck of the woods.

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

[Sgurr]

Looks a great walk. Am less surprised to find other walkers in England than in Scotland. When we were ticking off Scottish Marilyns but also had a Lake District visit for the same reason, we had met more people by 8 a.m. on the summit of Blencathra than we had in all Scotland up to then (June). Yes I know this is not Blencathra.

[dav2930]

Looks a good route JK. The west side of Melmerby Fell is well worth exploring. I went along to Gale Hall and up the line of hills just to the south of your route - Sharp Shears and Muska Hill, joining the Maiden Way. Excellent paths throughout, but across private land, so I didn't publish a report.

Another good walk in this area, which you may well have done, starts from Renwick and goes up Thack Moor then along the lovely ridge of Greystone Edge and over Black Fell to Hartside. A big part of the appeal of that walk disappeared when the café burnt down, though!

Nice report and pics

[trailmasher]

Yet another good report and pics JK and looks a great way to go with extensive views back across the Eden Valley as well as the surrounding fells. I attempted Cuns Fell from Kirkland last year, got as far as Megs Cairn then the raging heat of a sunny and cloudless sky beat me as short of fluid

It's a fine looking fell and one that I will get up before too long

[johnkaysleftleg]

Looks a great walk. Am less surprised to find other walkers in England than in Scotland. When we were ticking off Scottish Marilyns but also had a Lake District visit for the same reason, we had met more people by 8 a.m. on the summit of Blencathra than we had in all Scotland up to then (June). Yes I know this is not Blencathra.

I would agree that there are generally far more walkers on English hills, In fact I've never completed a walk in the Lakes without running into somebody else at some point. My experience of places like Melmerby fell in midweek is one of solitude. This is a very nice walk and feels more of hill walk that a largely level wander across the moors.

Looks a good route JK. The west side of Melmerby Fell is well worth exploring. I went along to Gale Hall and up the line of hills just to the south of your route - Sharp Shears and Muska Hill, joining the Maiden Way. Excellent paths throughout, but across private land, so I didn't publish a report.

Another good walk in this area, which you may well have done, starts from Renwick and goes up Thack Moor then along the lovely ridge of Greystone Edge and over Black Fell to Hartside. A big part of the appeal of that walk disappeared when the café burnt down, though!

Nice report and pics

Thanks Dav. Most of the "foothills" of the North Pennines look very inviting, far more so than the tops most of the time, I've never been to Thack Moor yet but with it sounding like one of the less evil NP Hewitts I do think I'll give it a go sometime. Shame about the Cafe but I've read somebody may be whats left of it so it can be re-built. Must be a gold mine in the summer whne the bikers are whizzing up and down the Hartside Pass.

Yet another good report and pics JK and looks a great way to go with extensive views back across the Eden Valley as well as the surrounding fells. I attempted Cuns Fell from Kirkland last year, got as far as Megs Cairn then the raging heat of a sunny and cloudless sky beat me as short of fluid

It's a fine looking fell and one that I will get up before too long

Thanks TM, Cuns fell is well worth a visit, in fact I would like to go back on a clear day to get the distant views to the Lakes and Dales.