Height: 550 metres / 1804 feet Grid reference: NY 28259 33711 Category: The Northern Fells

Looking across Meal Fell summit

Meal Fell – the summit is the small shelter to the left

Little Sca Fell, Great Sca Fell and Knott from Meal Fell
Height: 550 metres / 1804 feet Grid reference: NY 28259 33711 Category: The Northern Fells
Looking across Meal Fell summit
Meal Fell – the summit is the small shelter to the left
Little Sca Fell, Great Sca Fell and Knott from Meal Fell
Walked on
Start point: Longlands (NY 266 358)
Longlands – Longlands Fell – Lowthwaite Fell – Brae Fell – Little Sca Fell – Great Sca Fell – Meal Fell – Trusmadoor –Great Cockup – Longlands
Distance: 6.9 miles Total Ascent: 673 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 40 minutes Start Time: 10:20
Weather: Warm but windy on the tops. 12oC
Firstly, thanks to all (the many!) who attended the book launch in Keswick and Bowness this weekend, it was great to meet so many of the StridingEdge family and I was humbled by the amount of people that had travelled from far and wide to attend the event and meet Dougal and Casper (and two blokes that have brought a book out!). Thank you.
The weather has completely turned around from my last walk with the temperatures reaching a heady 12C and the snow has completely disappeared from the fell tops now. I wasn’t expecting much from the weather but was pleasantly surprised when the weather was much brighter than expected on these rather dull fells. The wind however was biting up there and it was really quite cold on the tops.
It was mighty windy once up on the top (as demonstrated by my able assistant, Dougal) and hat and gloves were required from here.
Bassenthwaite Lake. Today's tale from the fells...when I was descending steeply towards the River Ellen, I could see by looking at the lie of the land the best route of descent. I could also see a crossing of the River Ellen and a path on the opposite bank marked by the gap in the bracken. The person a little further ahead of me had a hand held GPS at which he was intently gazing. He managed to descend the horribly steep way without lifting his eyes from the screen and continued across a bog towards a crossing of the River Ellen which would have been a nightmare, as it goes into a deep ravine further downstream from the crossing. I could see him looking around for a crossing place when I was well on my way back to Longlands...they are alright those GPS's but sometimes it's better just to look!
Walked on
Start point: Longlands (NY 266 358)
Longlands – Brae Fell (484) – Little Sca Fell – Great Sca Fell – Knott – Frozen Fell – Burn Tod – Trusmadoor – Great Cockup – Meal Fell – Lowthwaite Fell (485) – Longlands Fell (486) – Longlands
Distance: 9.75 miles Total Ascent: 970 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Very windy with showers. 16oC.
What a day! I passed through major rainstorms throughout the central Lake District to find it fairly clear behind Skiddaw. The tail end of Hurricane Gordon hit while we were up there today though, with very high winds and showers. Although it is usually relatively easy going, the fells being grassy and most unlike other fells in Lakeland, today the wind made the going much tougher.
The Uldale fells are known as ‘The Back o’ Skiddaw’ and are on the northernmost boundary of the Lake District. They certainly are off the beaten track and we completed this circuit without even catching sight of a single soul.
The wind started to pick up during the ascent of Brae Fell and the sun was fleeting in and out. Casper has a look north over to Aughertree Fell with a ghostly figure behind...
It was soooo windy on the summit of Brae Fell. Casper and Angus are lying low - looks like Angus is in the right place, sheltering behind Casper.
The weather was not really conducive to taking photos - here is a quick shot of the way ahead to Little Sca Fell up to the right - taken full on into the wind. I could hardly stand up!
Lowthwaite Fell and Longlands Fell from Little Sca Fell. In the distant left are Over Water and Binsey.
The sun fleeting in and out again on the steep descent of Burn Tod, here looking to the gap of Trusmadoor. Looking at this photo, it appears to be a nice day; I can assure you it was anything but! The strong wind made every step difficult.
A broody looking Skiddaw from Great Cockup. Skiddaw never came from beneath this cloud blanket all day and it seemed to shelter these northern fells from the worst of the weather.
Walked on
Start point: Orthwaite (NY 253 337)
Orthwaite – Orthwaite Bank (162) – Little Cockup (163) – Great Cockup (164) – Trusmadoor – Meal Fell (165) – Little Sca Fell (166) – Great Sca Fell (167) – Knott (168) – Frozen Fell (169) – Burn Tod (170) – Orthwaite
Weather: Wind and rain.
A walk around The Uldale Fells today at the ‘Back O’ Skiddaw’. This area is a real wilderness and in the main the fells are grassy hummocks. A place of solitude, I didn’t see another soul today.
Skiddaw and Bakestall through Trusmadoor from the ascent of Meal Fell. My descent from Great Cockup was the path coming down diagonally from the right while later, on the return, I descended Burn Tod from the left of the photo, crossed Burntod Gill, and followed the path towards Skiddaw.
Brae Fell, Little Sca Fell and Great Sca Fell from the grassy hump that is the summit of Frozen Fell.
Walked on
Longlands – Charleton Wath – Brae Fell (100) – Great Sca Fell (101) – Great Calva (102) – Knott – Meal Fell (103) – Trusmador – Great Cockup (104) – Little Sca Fell – Lowthwaite Fell – Longlands Fell (105) – Longlands