The Larches - Environmentally Friendly Lakeland Cottage

You can’t miss it as you drive towards Keswick on the A66 from Penrith. Blencathra (868 metres) rises on the right, a huge bulk of a mountain with its fells dropping sharply down to Threlkeld and Scales. The most common routes to the top are from the south, but there’s a spectacular circular 9 mile route with an approach up the mountain’s gentler face. It starts from the north east and is less steep than the southern approaches. Why not try it out?

I hadn’t been up Blencathra for over 15 years. The last time was by climbing Hall’s Fell one Christmas Day morning in snow and getting temporarily lost in the cloud. But this last month I’ve been sizing it up again for the Ski Club of Manchester’s annual May Day walk.

The start of this alternative route is Mungrisdale, (Map reference NY 365303) a small hamlet with a few houses (225 m) at the northern end of Souther Fell, an outlier of the Blencathra massif. There’s also a good pub there, serving lunches and afternoon tea - the Mill Inn.

The walk is initially along the River Glenderamackin, but after a short while the path heads up and away in a westerly direction to leave The Tongue behind on the right. The ascent is gradual until the head of the escarpment when you turn SW, skirt Bannerdale Crags on the left and drop down a little to the col (585 m), where the Glenderamackin rises. 

A steady climb towards the ridge, passing initially Foule Crags, veers to the left over an easy enough scree route to reach Atkinson Pike (840 m). From here the path keeps mainly on the level, until you reach the highest point of Blencathra at the top of Hall’s Fell. 

It feels like the top of the world! If the weather’s good, there are tremendous views to the south and west, taking in the whole of the Helvellyn range, Thirlmere, Derwentwater and the NW fells. To the north you get a glimpse of the Solway Firth. Below are Threlkeld and the old quarries on the edge of Clough Head. 

For the descent retrace your steps a short way, then drop down in an easterly direction. To the left and below is Scales Tarn while on the opposite side of the corrie is the exposed Sharp Edge ascent to the top. There’s a fine path winding over grassy Scales Fell, which soon becomes a ridge with a steep drop on the right to Scaley Beck. Then make for the saddle above Mousthwaite Comb. 

For the last stage of the walk the climb up over Souther Fell is short and easy, but in places a bit boggy. The green fields and copses below and to the east mark clearly the dividing line from these high eastern fells. Our descent now is by picking up some tracks where the sheep over the years have traced out green paths through the bracken. Little known or used by walkers, they are not initially obvious from the summit ridge. They make however an easy descent and bring you to the road, just 300 yards short of the Mill Inn.

I’ve met several fell runners on this route, so will have to try it out for myself now. But I will wait for when the weather’s fine. On the top it can be very cold and it’s easy to get disoriented in heavy cloud.