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A thrilling climb of one of the Lakeland giants, and then a tramp around its less distinguished foothills…
From Scales, the path contouring the feet of Blencathra’s south ridges is pretty and obviously well-trodden, but actually quite testing – only a really awkward scramble over wet rock takes you out of the little gorge after a tricky hop over Scaley Beck. Unusual to find the hardest bit of a climb only 200m up, but definitely the case here! The rest of the walk along to and up Hallsfell ridge is terrific though. A good path wends up to the ridge over its steep butt, and then you can pick between a comfortable bypass path or a practicable enough traverse of the crest of the rocky ridge – the latter is definitely recommended, challenging and painstaking- going but never as difficult or exposed as it looks; you stumble out at the very summit quite suddenly and rather sooner than you might expect.
- Towards the top of Doddick Fell over Scaley Beck
- Above the beck crossing
- South-west from the start of the ascent of Hallsfell
- The face of Gatesgill Fell
- The summit in mist from near the start of the ridge
- Scales & Doddick Fells
- Derwent Water over Gatesgill Fell
It’s a sudden change of terrain here, clear of rock and onto a grassy plateau with Blencathra’s many subtops stretching either side and broad and damp-looking moors ahead to the north. Great views from the start of the onward route, down to the tarn below and of the profile of Sharp Edge: plenty of bravehearts there seemingly scampering along the crest before crawling up the fiercely steep-looking slope at its end – many might think otherwise, but it would be hard to say that this looked a tempting prospect…
- Scales Tarn
- Sharp Edge
- The path to Bowscale Fell, with High Pike and Carrock Fell behind
Somewhat anticlimactic and pretty marshy tracks/boghops head around Bowscale Fell and Bannerdale Crags, although views of the clear paths snaking up the valleys to both offer a glimpse of what might be their better sides. The sight of even the gentler face of Blencathra holds the eye throughout.
- Blencathra with Bannerdale Crags left
- …and, the four main tops in view, with Lonscale Fell right
- A bleak-looking Bannerdale below its Crags
- Blencathra from Bannerdale Crags summit
A narrow but obviously well-used path (so eroded that you risk knocking knees against its edges much of the way) heads along the Glenderamackin valley, past the highway up to Scales Tarn and over craggy zigzags back to the start. Plenty of sights along the way of the many other enticing routes to the top of a mountain that you almost immediately feel like climbing again.
- South face of Bannerdale Crags
- Head of the Glenderamackin valley
- Close-up of Sharp Edge