The Rossendale Rambler

SPRING ON BLENCATHRA

by Mike McGough

The weekend before Easter seemed like a good time to visit Blencathra in Northern Lakeland. A fine sunny morning promised a fine day on the hills. Blencathra (also known as Saddleback although the ancient name has a more dignified poetry to it ) is a solitary hill standing between Keswick and Penrith. Although it is perhaps seen at its best from Threlkeld we decided to walk to the summit from Mungrisdale after first going over Souther Fell.

It was on Souther Fell that in the mid seventeen hundreds 26 people testified to a local magistrate that they had seen a long unbroken procession of ghostly soldiers complete with horses and carriages marching along its length. Where they were going no one could tell but the following morning not a footprint or carriage track could be found in evidence.

However no such sightings on the day we climbed to its fine summit cairn, just a good view over to the steep cloud-misted slopes of Blencathra which was reward enough.

A touch of spring was in the air and we noticed that the birds were displaying their customary vigour as they went about the rituals of courtship, swooping this way and that above the high fells.The walk over to Blencathra is easy enough taking in the grassy heights of Scales Fell until the clearly defined ridge walk towards the mountain summit is picked up.

The wind was gusting strongly on the airy route to the top. In fact at one point it became so strong that we had to stop until it relented slightly and we could continue upwards.

The hill was busy on this first day of Summer time with many people choosing to take the lower path to the impressive desolation of Scales Tarn and then climbing Blencathra via the formidable route of Sharp Edge and Foule Crag or, I suspect having assessed the seriousness of this particular route, the more fainthearted choosing to take the more reasonable path that winds around the right hand side of the water and then up towards the top.

Arriving at the summit the sun had been obscured slightly by cloud that was moving in from the West and, although the strong wind prevented it from settling, there was enough to give a short flurry of snow. The temperature was below freezing, as the presence of surface ice on the many pools of water testified, and the hot coffee was welcome.

The weather was still clear enough however to allow us to enjoy the fine views over Skiddaw and the surrounding valleys before descending to the Tarn the sensible way and following the fast flowing Glenderamacking Beck as we walked back along the old mining path towards Mungrisdale and the car.

Back to The Rossendale Rambler Contents Page

Back to The Rossendale Ramblers Home Page

Walter Waide
Our e-mail address is: waidew@globalnet.co.uk