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Well, another Friday has come around and it’s the day that we leave the Lake District fells to others more akin to heavy traffic and swarms of visitors, so today it’s a walk in the western Howgills, that whole group of hills so aptly described as ‘a huddle of squatting elephants’, a description and phrase that was coined by that great wanderer of the district, Alfred Wainwright. His other, and lesser quoted descriptions that are rarely mentioned in relation to these magnificent fells ‘sleek and smooth’, ‘like velvet curtains in sunlight’, and ‘like silken drapes at sunset’ are a great depiction of what they are like at different times of the day and what that days conditions are like. I have walked on, and seen these hills in all seasons and weather conditions and can only agree with the above observations of these fells being sleek and smooth, as at times they appear to consist of varying shades of a green, brown, and grey mottled surface of folded and wrinkled fine textured cloth.
I used to work in London and on my way home, usually late evening on a Friday, it was with a feeling of great joy to see the Howgills just starting to appear as I drove along the M6 and as they unfolded before me it was sometimes a quite magical sight as they were clothed in red and orange from the setting sun and it was quite frustrating to not be able to stop and grab a few photos on these rare occasions that I saw them in such splendour. Although it was no less pleasurable to see them dressed in a coat of snow with their defining contours marking their way back into the distance.
But that was then and here we are now on a cloudy but sunny day, a hazy distance and a mild start at around 18°c with a cool breeze that saw us driving into Tebay and taking the A685 through Mount Pleasant on the Kendal road where a few minutes driving saw us at the southern tip of Jeffrey’s Mount where we turned left, sign posted Carlin Gill, under the M6 flyover and follow the narrow road to the sharp U turn at Carlin Gill where we passed below Gibbet Hill that back in the day the dangling occupants were a timely reminder of what was in store for miscreants leaving the Lune Gorge to enter the area of the Eden Valley and then a drive along the Roman legacy of Fairmile Road to where we would find our parking place at Fairmile Gate - SD62951 97998 - where there is plenty of room for a good few cars.
There was one other vehicle when we arrived, a mobile home with no sign of life and thinking that maybe they were still stuck to their mattresses we kept as quiet as we could although if out ‘camping’ you would think that an early rise would be the order of the day. Although the sun was warm there was a cool breeze and although we have quite a climb ahead of us we felt it prudent to fleece up for a while. The cloud was low over Fell Head and the other higher tops but we were certain that it would soon burn off as we progressed up the hill.
The first short stretch of path would have us going through a patch of bracken and follows, more or less, the line of Dry Gill to pass over its head just before the summit of Linghaw.
Far White Stones and Linghaw background to the car park
Start of the walk alongside Dry Gill The path stretches into the distance, wide and obvious as we leave the easier slopes to the progressively steeper ones with no difficulties apart from the steepness and the loss of momentum that comes to a definite halt at times. At the first one at 322 metres and just above the field of bracken there is a decent view to the west towards both the Whinfell and Whinash hills behind the mast mounted on the summit of Dillicar Knott.
West towards Dillicar Knott-Grayrigg Pike and the M6 corridor Looking up the ever lengthening fellside there is nothing to see but a winding path running through the rough grass.
Ascending Far White Stones At nearly 400 metres there is a wide panorama to the south where it’s too hazy to pick out Morecombe Bay today and from where we could still see our car and the mobile home parked up.
The view south across the River Lune and M6 It was warm work on the climb up and layers were shed for now and as we reached the summit of Linghaw at 498 metres the next part of the climb appeared as we prepared to make the short descent to the col at the head of Small Gill one of the many feeders of Carlin Gill far below us. Before us lies the cloud covered western slopes of Blake Ridge with its northern ridge leading down to Little Ulgill Beck and the head of Black Force Waterfall.
The west face of Blake Ridge Just peeping up behind the grassy top of Linghaw we could see the cloud covered tops to the north.
North towards Uldale Head and Blakethwaite Bottom
Taking a moment on Linghaw top Typical of the Howgills is its broad expanse of grass devoid of any rocks or stones. Of course there are the odd exceptions where a small up thrust of rock can be found, Rispa Pike being one, and of those with cairns adorning the summits one has to admire the fortitude of those whose endeavours of collecting and transporting the material for these summit markers has to be admired.
South we have a different view of long sloping and rolling fell sides over to the long eastern ridges running down towards Sedbergh.
South towards the lower Howgills and Sedbergh The col is where we decided to have a break to top up on lost fluids.
Uldale Head from the head of Small Gill A bit of a break did us good before embarking on this next climb up to the top of Blake Ridge before reaching the easy final slopes up to the summit of Fell Head.
Final climb to Fell Head summit Looking back to Linghaw from the slopes of Blake Ridge.
Linghaw After more sweat loss after this latest climb the lower and subsidiary top and cairn came into view.
Fell Head from point 623 The views had opened up considerably by this time and Uldale Head and Blease Fell were the two prominent fells to the northwest.
Looking northwest from point 623 Just a short stroll and short climb and we were on the actual summit of Fell Head at 640 metres.
Fell Head There was low cloud hanging about in many places and the views were not that great from this top but one thing we could see was our next objective of The Calf barely discernible in the far distance with the cloud barely covering our route forward, a route that although easy enough could break the heart and spirit of many a person with the thoughts of having to do so much more after such a long climb has already been done.
East ridge to The Calf But after getting to this point the going is easy with only the thoughts of the climb up Bush Howe to deter any ideas of continuing on. So gird the loins, straighten the back and carry on regardless along the long and easy track to the highest point of the Howgills, The Calf. It is now a lovely stroll over easy ground to Breaks Head at 638 metres so no big loss or gain in height as one strides out and within a few minutes we were taking in some of the great western slopes once again.
Some western Howgills from Breaks Head Soon enough the large grassy mound of Bush Howe appears beneath the low cloud.
Bush Howe ahead We then soon arrived at Windscarth Wyke, a narrow strip of ridge with the head of West Grain on its north side and Crooked Ashmere Gills on the south side. To the east of West Grain there are the massive ridges of Cobles and Hazlegill Knott and a hazy Randygill Top on the far skyline.
The Cobles ridge with Hazlegill Knott behind
Bush Howe from Windscarth Wyke
Langdale and Langdale Beck from Windscarth Wyke We lingered just long enough to grab a couple of shots and what I wouldn’t give for clear views instead of this haze that has been with for so long recently and then we were off on this last of the steepish climbs along the good path to reach yet another cairnless summit.
Hazlegill Knott from Bush Howe We now had The Calf firmly in our sights on the far distant skyline and it looks so, so, far away and over to the right is the ridge of White Fell Head that we take on our return journey back to the car, eventually.
Height of Bush Howe-White Fell Head-The Calf The walking is good and we made good time to the gentle last uphill slope of the day...
The Calf to find the white trig column surrounded by a crowd of likewise walkers who did move away to park themselves up looking south when we arrived leaving us to the trig column and views.
The way back to a distant Fell HeadI’ve never seen as many people in the Howgills on one day and it must be about a dozen that we have seen and spoken to so the great influx of visitors to the LD is obviously changing the choice of walking venues for many people with these obvious signs of more life on what were the quieter fells.
A few photos of the surrounding fells were taken before setting off for White Fell Head and the long descent back down to the metalled Howgill Lane and the walk back along same to the car park.
North towards Simon's Seat and Randygill Top
Bram Rigg ridge-Brant Fell and CaldersWe retraced our steps back to White Fell Head from where a look back gave us a decent view of The Calf and Bram Rigg Top.
The Calf and Bram Rigg Top All we have to do now is to follow the good path down the long easy fellside and enjoy the far reaching, albeit hazy views with the motorway services feature of Killington Lake in clear view just short of the skyline. At 470 metres we decided to take a last rest and view stop before reaching the bottom.
Descending White Fell Head The waters of Long Rigg Beck soon come into view making its way down from Fell Head Scar to run below the feet of Brown Moor and Castley Knotts, two interesting hills that will need a closer look at in the next few weeks. Not big fells but I’m sure a decent walk can be made out of them if mixed up with a couple of the other local ones.
Brown Moor and Castley Knotts
Bram Rigg's west ridge left with Seat Knott left of Castley Knotts On the climb up to Fell Head we took a layer off due to raising a fair head of steam on the climb up, a layer that was put back on somewhere along the ridge between there and The Calf but now they have to come off again as it was so warm and humid dropping down to the beck.
Bram Rigg-Brant Fell-Calders above Arant Haw and Seat Knott
Looking up to Fell Head Scar From well down the ridge a look back gave a clear view of our way down.
Looking back up to White Fell Head We saw a walker on the far side of the beck and it looked like he may have made his way down from Fell Head Scar as there are signs of a wide path, maybe a quad bike track, dropping off the right hand side of Fell Head and like so many of these new paths/tracks is unmarked on the map.
Looking down on Long Rigg Beck gave us the feeling of a nice place as it winds its way through the confines of the surrounding fells and upon reaching it hadn’t told any lies as it’s a most enchanting spot with the slow easy run of the water with only the sound of it bubbling over the stony bed breaking what was the complete silence. This moment was priceless. The sun shining, the varying colours of these great fells and gullies between them containing the becks that flow down from on high to help fill Long Rigg Beck. The dying bracken and the coming into flower heather all helped to make this a most beautiful place to be.
We made it to the ford and crossed without incident to pick up the good track that rises easily out of the valley.
Long Rigg Beck
White Fell Head and Bram Rigg Top
A view back along Long Rigg Beck
Seat Knott
Bram Rigg Top to Calders skyline
Bram Rigg Top to White Fell Head skyline The track out from the beck eventually put us through a gate and into a walled lane that we would follow all the way to a concrete lane to Castle How Farm.
Seat Knott and Arant Haw A little further on we passed Top Withens Farm just prior to meeting Howgill Lane right opposite the signposts for Appleby and Sedbergh where we turned right for the fairly long and hot walk along the road and also this bridleway marker that could indicate a good long linear walk through the Howgills to finish at either Gaisgill or Bowderdale Foot depending on which route one takes.
Looks like a good walk We now had roughly 2 kilometres of a walk on blacktop on a hot day and no shade and E got a bit tired, maybe dehydrated, on this bit of the walk but with a few stops and plenty of drinks she made it back to the car park alright.
Old and new transport options
Fell ponies on the car park below Linghaw One of the fell ponies was about to give himself a good scratch against my car just as we arrived but we managed to stop him in his tracks before he started or I may have had to replace a wing mirror, or worse.
Well this has been a bit of new ground for me, well all us really apart from me passing across from The Calf and the full ridge walk down to Carlin Gill a while ago. A new way up and down with a couple of lower tops chucked in had made for a good days walking in these beautiful fells. I shall certainly return to pick off some other likewise routes and new lower tops from this western side of the Howgills and with so many paths and tracks and many of them unmarked on the map the options are endless. It’s been a warm day with the temperature at 27°c on our return to the car and with no pub to call in at it was back to the old homestead for a couple of cold ones straight out of the fridge. Cheers.