Sun 24 Feb 2019
You can find an index to my other walks here
I got up early and called
for Andrew at eight. After leaving the M6 on the Sedbergh road I drove to the
narrow lane that leads north to Fairmile Gate.
We were aiming to walk
along the terrace below Fell Head and then by using Blake Ridge walk right over
to The Calf at 2220 feet. The sun was shining and although there was a
cold breeze later it dropped as we pulled on our boots and it became very warm
for the time of year.
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| Fairmile Gate |
We parked at Fairmile
Gate where AW's alternative track begins, aiming for the terrace which carries
a track from Beck House Farm right over to Black Force. We spent a lot of
energy following AW's suggestion of walking along the top of the bank of
Fairmile Beck to a point where he says the path on the other side can be
reached. It can't - not easily: the sides of both banks are far too steep, and
we had to go as far as the confluence with Blind Gill before we could cross and
start the ascent of Whins End.
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| We crossed Fairmile Beck here |
This was also very
steep, and we were sweating by the time we had scaled the two or three false
summits of this tiny hummock. Once on the true public path we looked forward to
making good progress towards the col between Linghaw and Fell Head.
All was going splendidly until the delightful broad terrace narrowed to a single footpath just
before it crosses the head of Blind Gill. I realised I was going to have a
problem with the drop to the left, and I would need to probably crawl on hands
and knees for the short distance to where the track resumed its width. Rather
than do this with the accompaniment of the nasty feeling of fear I suggested
Andrew carry on and I would go back and explore other parts of the fell.
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| The broad terrace track narrows - but Andrew proceeds! |
He said he would probably look at Linghaw, and then go part of the way to The Calf, and I watched as he crossed the small turf bridge above Blind Gill and climb steadily towards the col. I took photos, and watched until I saw him ascending Linghaw, on the ridge of which he met another walker descending.
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| Andrew seen near the col |
Meanwhile, I walked back along the terrace and sat down to have a snack as the time had now reached eleven-thirty. Eventually the person Andrew had been speaking with came along the terrace towards me, greeting me with 'Are you the uncle?' and we started to chat. He had come from Orton, and visited the Howgills regularly as it was such an easy distance from home. After a while he went on his way. He was heading for the same destination as Andrew but by a rather round-about way.
I packed away my lunch
box and wondered what to do next. Seeing that where the narrow piece of the
terrace began there was a ramp down to the bank of Blind Gill, I
walked along to it and eventually without any problem crossed the beck. I
made my way easily down to where we had crossed Fairmile Gill earlier, and then down to the wall corner which we should have reached by walking alongside the gill from near where we had parked.
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| This looking down from the foot of Whins End |
It was a rather uneven path,
and is obviously not used by walkers very often, and it was only with care that
I reached the beck itself and was able to cross using a boulder in the middle.
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| Fairmile Gill and the path we should have used |
I reached
the car sweating again, and soon divested myself of my leggings and sat outside
the camper with my binoculars waiting to see if I could later spot Andrew
descending. After only half an hour I saw him coming down Whin's End.
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| Blind Gill |
He told me on his
arrival at the camper that he hadn't been as far as The Calf, which
disappointed me, as I felt annoyed with myself once more at having spoilt his day somewhat,
but he didn't seem too put out. It was good of him to shorten his walk in order
to make sure I wasn't left too long with nowhere to go. He will be able to do
the full walk another time.*
We
sat and discussed the route until a slight breeze began to make us feel chilled.
The drive back was a comfortable one, with traffic on the M6 increasing when
the spur from the Lakes was reached. We arrived home around five.
I learnt
later that today the temperature had been officially recorded at around 20 degrees Celsius
in Wales, the highest ever for a winter's day in the UK!
*And did - on Sunday 14 April!
Index
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| The view westward from the Howgills |
*And did - on Sunday 14 April!
Index
