Sat 6 Sep 2014
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| "Banzai!" |
Andrew picked me up at 7 a.m. and we drove to the foot of the Hard Knott Pass and parked above Jubilee Bridge. Rain had been very persistent in Preston but as we arrived in Eskdale the skies had cleared and although there was fog rising as the air warmed we had good views all morning. The climb up Harter Fell was easy and steady for the first part and then quite steep. The path looked as though few people used it. My last visit was on 1 June 1997 and I couldn't remember much of the detail of the route.
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| Jubilee Bridge at the foot of Hard Knott Pass |
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| Early valley mist dispersing |
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| The OS Column and the summit rocks |
After Andrew had performed his summit ritual on the top of the rocks, we found a place out of the chill breeze and had our lunch snack. Hill fog threatened to hide the valley but it evaporated quickly. After we had eaten I too climbed easily up the rocks, the true summit of the fell. I am sure I didn't do that on the other occasions I had climbed Harter Fell, (the first time from the Duddon Valley in 1970 with Colin. I wonder how many more fells there are where I have not actually reached the true summit because it is necessary to climb rocks? I even managed Helm Crag).
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| Oh yes I did! |
Our next destination was Green Crag. Having become rather chilled we were glad to start the descent of Harter in warm sunshine. We decided to cut straight across to Crook Crag and were lucky to be able to climb the new fence easily and find very little wet ground, though the trek through heather was tedious.
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| Green Crag summit is left of centre |
We rounded Crook Crag and as we stopped again to enjoy the sun a number of other walkers appeared who had come up from Wha House. They were soon way ahead of us but we caught them up on the summit of Green Crag.
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| The summit rocks of Green Crag |
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| The cairn on Green Crag with Harter beyond |
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| The Sca Fell range from Green Crag |
After taking photos and admiring the complete panorama we set off over Crook Crag and headed back the way we had come. The view before us of the head of Eskdale with its surround of high fells from Sca Fell to Crinkle Crags was superb as we descended the easy path to Jubilee Bridge and the car.
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| Eskdale and the Sca Fells from above Jubilee Bridge |
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| Harter Fell and Green Crag from Birker Fell |
Tired but happy after the day's walk we drove back over Birker Fell, stopping to admire the fantastic display of the fells on which we had just walked.
