Height: 518 metres / 1699 feet Grid reference: NY 13389 16373
Starling Dodd from the top of Gale Fell, the summit being marked by the fence corner post
Gale Fell
Ennerdale Circuit
Start point: Bleach Green, Ennerdale (NY 085 153)
Bleach Green – Bowness – Brown How (Ennerdale) – Herdus – Great Borne – Gale Fell – Starling Dodd – Little Dodd (Ennerdale) – Red Pike (Buttermere) (357) – High Stile (358) – High Crag (359) – Haystacks (360) – Looking Stead – High Level Traverse – Shamrock Traverse – Pillar – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Haycock – Little Gowder Crag – Caw Fell – Ennerdale Fell – Crag Fell – Bleach Green
Distance: 23.6 miles Total Ascent: 2864 metres Time Taken: 10 hour 20 minutes
Weather: Mainly sunny with lots of snow (!) showers. 7-11°C, valley level – much colder on the tops.
Today’s walk is a long, high level circuit of the beautiful Ennerdale Valley with virtually the whole route being completed at an elevation in excess of 500m. I have had this one on my list of ‘to do’ walks for a while so it was satisfying to complete the walk on a mainly clear day. The photo’s here actually belie the conditions somewhat as the clouds came in when I was crossing from Haystacks to Pillar and there was an icy blizzard. The snow showers continued to come and go throughout the rest of the walk and conditions remained very cold.
Ennerdale Circuit route map.
An early morning silhouette of Ennerdale.
The sunlight on Crag Fell.
A good view from Red Pike of the round completed last Thursday.
Crummock Water from Red Pike.
High Snockrigg and Robinson over Buttermere with Bleaberry Tarn in the foreground.
Looking from High Stile across Bleaberry Tarn and Red Pike to Mellbreak and Crummock Water. Loweswater is visible in the distance.
The sun lights up Pillar Rock across Ennerdale on the north face of Pillar - from High Crag.
Fleetwith Pike and Dale Head from High Crag.
High Crag from Haystacks with Ennerdale to the left and the Buttermere Valley to the right.
Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell at the head of Ennerdale from Haystacks. The clouds were ominously creeping up behind me now and minutes later this view was obliterated by a blizzard.
Thankfully it had cleared up again by the time I reached the High Level Traverse of Pillar. This is a view of Pillar Rock from Pillar.
The east face of Steeple from Black Crag.
Steeple again, from Scoat Fell across Mirk Cove.
Pillar from Steeple. Steeple is a lofty, airy pinnacle and it's shape makes it feel as though you are in mid-air - one of my favourites.
Steeple, Pillar and Scoat Fell from Haycock.
The barren Caw Fell from Little Gowder Crag.
Pillar, Scoat Fell, Little Gowder Crag and Haycock from Caw Fell.
Ennerdale from Crag Fell.
Starling Dodd
Start point: Bowness Knott Car Park (NY 109 153)
Bowness Knott Car Park – Bowness Knott (148) – Brown How (Ennerdale) (149) – Herdus (150) – Great Borne (151) – Gale Fell (152) – Starling Dodd (153) – Little Dodd (Ennerdale) (154) – Bowness Knott Car Park
Weather: Dull and overcast with the odd sunny spell.
Today’s walk takes in part of the High Stile group of fells from Ennerdale Water.
Herdus looms ahead from the Bowness Knott car park - it looks a daunting prospect from here.
The sun shines! Crag Fell across Ennerdale Water from the summit of Bowness Knott.
Sun Rays across the head of Ennerdale Water from the summit of Brown How.
Looking along the Ennerdale valley from the summit of Herdus; Great Borne and Starling Dodd to the left, Great Gable in the cloud, centre, and Pillar to the right.
Fellbarrow from the summit of Great Borne.
Starling Dodd from the top of Gale Fell, the summit being marked by the fence corner post. This summit is un-named on O.S maps.
Mellbreak, Whiteside Pike and Grasmoor from the summit of Starling Dodd.
Looking back to Starling Dodd from the summit of Little Dodd.
Ennerdale Water and valley from the descent of Little Dodd.
Pillar, Scoat Fell and Steeple across Ennerdale.
Rowan berries caught in the sunshine.
Crag Fell and Anglers Crag from the shore of Ennerdale Water.