Words & Photos Andy Stothert

December 03 2009

There are two stages in life when we deem it necessary to undertake pointless expeditions or exceptional feats of human endurance which prove nothing to anyone except yourself. These two vulnerable times are when y’r young enough to need to prove your worth, or old enough to want to show what you are still capable of.

Well I was sat in the parlour one evening not long since, with the melodious Van Morrison whinging along in the background, surrounded by maps, and planning nothing in particular, but filling the empty upper quarter with visions of days out in the Lakeland Fells. I don’t know about the rest of you but I find it difficult to drag my reluctant eyes and feet away from the rocky central heights of Lakeland to the softer more rounded fells at the Back o’ Skiddaw, but for some reason, with Van the Man softening me up, I started to examine the hills beyond Blencathra.

The day I did almost the whole lot while in “proving myself” mode many years ago seeped to mind, and I thought “I wonder if I can do that again?” I’d obviously reached that sad old sod second stage of life. What I’d done was park the car (a Ford Cortina 1600E) near the old Carrock Mines next to the River Caldew, taken Carrock Fell first, then High Pike, Great Lingy Fell, Knott, Great Sca Fell, Great Calva and Little Calva. This lot fly under the boots once you’re up there, and the most direct route onwards was, and still is, down to the top of Whitewater Dash.

I know it’s a bit anoraky but I’ve still got the notes from that day in 1974, and Charles Aznavour was number 1 with “She”, and I couldn’t quite get it out of my head. Still it could have been worse as “When will I see you again” by the Three Degrees followed it, and that’s the last thing you want in y’r brain all day. Skiddaw came next, and it’s a lovely high level romp across Skiddaw to Lonscale Fell before following remnants of a wall down to down Burnt Horse and across the Glenderaterra Beck by the footbridge. I then went up Roughten Gill and crept up on Blencathra from behind, and the notes indicate that this was a bit of a trudge on tiring but willing legs. Over Blencathra, across to Bannerdale Crags, and thankfully the river wasn’t running too hard, as it has to be crossed to get back to the car.

23 miles, and I’d proved I could do it. Fast forward to last summer, 34 years later, and I got as far as the Glenderaterra Beck, but the legs couldn’t face Blencathra. The Moral? The Peugeot obviously isn’t a patch on the old 1600E.

Distance: 23 miles/37km Ascent: 6920ft/2110m Time: 13-15 hours Start/finish: Mosedale road end (GR: NY 327327) Maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer (1:25,000) sheets OL4 (The English Lakes, North Western area) & OL5 (The English Lakes , North Eastern area; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Lakeland North; OS Landranger sheet 90 (Penrith and Keswick) Information: Keswick TIC, 01768 772645

Technical Spec
Follow path NE up Carrock Fell, W over Milton Hill, N to High Pike, S and SW over Great Lingy Hill to Knott. N to Great Sca Fell, SW then SE to Great Calva, W to Little Calva. Descend W then ascend SW to Skiddaw, S to Little Man, E to Lonscale Fell, N (pathless with wall remnants) to Burnt Horse. E to footbridge over Glenderaterra Beck, then follow Roughten Gill up E then SE to Blencathra. Descend N to Bannerdale Crags, N over Bowscale Fell and descend to River Caldew and cross river. After heavy rain this crossing will be inadvisable, and an alternative omitting Blencathra and returning along the NW side of the river is advised.