Tuesday 29th June 2004

Start point: Greendale (NY 144 056)

Greendale - Buckbarrow (79) - Glade How (80) - Cat Bields - Seatallan (81) - Greendale Tarn - Middle Fell (82) - Greendale

Route Map

Weather: Mist and rain.

Today's walk is to some of the unfashionable fells overlooking Wast Water; Buckbarrow, Seatallan and Middle Fell. When I completed this round last year, it was teeming with rain and I really wanted to do theses fells in nice, clear weather. However....

I parked at Greendale by the side of the road and followed the tarmac west to Harrow Head. The path to Buckbarrow isn't obvious from the road; it is a grassy track between the wall and Gill Beck immediately before the road triangle at Harrow Head. If you walk slightly past Harrow Head and look over the wall, you will see the hidden Tosh Tarn.

Gill Beck waterfall on the ascent to Buckbarrow.

Tosh Tarn from further up the path.

At the top of the path, the crags to the right of the summit are worth climbing for the view of Wast Water - if it is clear! From this point, the summit is across the dip on a rocky knoll.

Wast Water through the mist from Buckbarrow.

From Buckbarrow, head north for Glade How where there is a prominent cairn. From Glade How, the next target is Cat Bields which lies to the north west and here lies another cairn which marks the ascent of Seatallan.

Cairns on Glade How, left, and Cat Bields, right.

Seatallan summit - no views today then! The large pile of stones is an ancient burial mound, reputed to be 1000 years old.

From Seatallan, I headed east to the hause marked on the map at 465 metres. From here I made a slight detour south to Greendale Tarn, back to the hause for the easy ascent to the summit of Middle Fell.

Greendale Tarn.

Beware of the bogs on Middle Fell - I fell in up to my waist on here!

Middle Fell summit, left, and Wast Water appears through the mist on the descent, right.

A long descent from Middle Fell, the path meets up with the one from Greendale Tarn and from here it's a direct descent southwards to Greendale.

Buckbarrow from the descent of Middle Fell.

Cascades, Tongues Gills from the descent of Middle Fell.

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