Walking Forum
Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Yorkshire Dales & Moors => Topic started by: richardh1905 on 18:50:59, 21/06/20
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Western Howgills from Fairmile Road 20th June 2020
On the spur of the moment I decided to go for a walk in the hills rather than just have the dog drag me up Hampsfell. My youngest son was keen to come too, and we set our sights upon The Calf, the highest point of the Howgill Fells, approaching from the Fairmile Road to the west. This ancient route runs up the eastern side of the River Lune, skirting the fells in a delightful manner.
(https://i.ibb.co/L9njB7Z/00-Map.png)
https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzEzMTk5OA== (https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzEzMTk5OA==)
We parked below the ominously named Gibbet Hill just south of Carlin Gill Bridge, which looks as if it is about to collapse, and got on to the hill just after 10:30. Ample parking in a number of places.
(https://i.ibb.co/B3RXZdq/01a-Swaledale-Family.jpg)
Swaledale family
Our route took us up onto Back Balk, the northern shoulder of Linghaw, easy going at first. Tess helped me a lot - she was pulling like a train this morning. As we climbed, we got good views into the deep valley formed by Carlin Gill, and the forbidding ravine housing Black Force. Nice views back over Tebay Gorge, Borrowdale beyond, our car becoming a pixellated dot in my photos.
(https://i.ibb.co/cgz667h/02a-Black-Force-Ravine.jpg)
The forbidding Black Force ravine picked out by the sunshine
(https://i.ibb.co/ypWZFqy/03a-Carlin-Gill-Ravine.jpg)
The head of Carlin Gill - I fancy following the beck up as far as I can (but not with the dog) - there appears to be an escape route up the grassy slopes to the right
(https://i.ibb.co/phwqK55/04a-Tebay-Gorge.jpg)
Looking back towards the Tebay Gorge, Borrowdale and the eastern fells of the Lake District beyond
The slope steepened as we approached the first top, Linghaw, and the steep ground proved to be of the false summit variety, still a bit to go, but easing now, and we stopped at the top for a snack.
We had to drop down a bit to the saddle before Fell End. I got a good view of the path that traverses northwards across steep ground above Black Force - didn't fancy it with an excitable spaniel bungeed to me, to be honest, and my son was keen to press on to The Calf, so up the slope we plodded. Nothing like as hard as the climb up Yarlside earlier in the year.
(https://i.ibb.co/T16Rszx/05a-Looking-Back.jpg)
Looking back as we climb Fell Head - Linghaw is the grassy top below us
Fell Head forms a grassy ridge stretching north eastward over Breaks Head, pleasant grassy walking with fine views. My son suggested taking a more direct route towards The Calf, not realising that the yawning gulf of the Long Rigg Beck valley lay between. We had to drop down a bit to Windscarth Wyke, which lived up to it's name, before climbing up onto Bush Howe, but from here the route over White Fell Head to The Calf was easy.
(https://i.ibb.co/Lh07FDF/06a.jpg)
A jumble of hills to the north east, with the Northern Pennines in the distance
(https://i.ibb.co/jZ1qdp6/07a-Tess.jpg)
Tess enjoying a well earned rest at the top of Fell Head, The Calf in the distance
(https://i.ibb.co/YhQ0hPj/08a-NEfrom-Top.jpg)
East from Fell Head - Randygill Top centre left, Yarlside centre right, flat topped Wild Boar Fell in the distance to the right of Yarlside.
(https://i.ibb.co/tK4xGFz/09a-Long-Rigg-Beck.jpg)
Long Rigg Beck far below - not such a good idea to try a short cut, son.
(https://i.ibb.co/FBTwHPV/10a-West-To-Fell-Head.jpg)
Fell Head from White Fell Head
(https://i.ibb.co/KLbsXcQ/11a-Memorial-Stone.jpg)
A poignant memorial stone at The Calf trig point - there were a group of 6 people sheltering nearby - I wondered whether they had placed it
We returned by the same route, stopping for lunch on the lee side of Windscarth Wyke - humongous Higginsons sausage rolls purchased from our local petrol station just a few hours earlier (my lame excuse for such excess was that there was no bread in the house for sandwiches). It was a pleasant lunch spot, sheltered from the wind with fine views down towards the secretive Langdale valley, which is at the head of my wild camping 'to do' list. Up until now the weather had been bright and breezy, with some sunshine, but we did get a few spots of rain on the way down, nothing to worry about. I didn't mind just retracing our steps, as the views ahead across to the Lake District were lovely, if a little hazy - Black Combe, Coniston Old Man, Scafell Range, Great Gable, Ill Bell to name some of the more easily identifiable peaks in the far distance.
(https://i.ibb.co/hd01Tx1/14a-Lunch-Stop-View.jpg)
Lunch stop view - Langdale far below, Rangygill Top is the rounded hill far right.
(https://i.ibb.co/7y3Kn1s/15a-Fell-Head-With-Coast-Beyond.jpg)
Fell End with Morecambe Bay beyond - home sweet home
And finally - my wild camp:
(https://i.ibb.co/PhXqqNL/16a-Wild-Camp.jpg)
Finished the day with a 'wild camp' in the garden. It poured!
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Lovely pics, looks like you both had a good time.
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Some really lovely pics there Richard. I love the views looking down into the valley - makes you realise the Howgills aren't as soft and furry as they look!
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Great pics richard O0
Tess looks like she was loving it :)
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Thanks Ridge, Mel, Beefy :) - it was a great "spur of the moment" half day - we are lucky in having the Howgills within short driving distance.
The Howgills have some nasty surprises in store for careless walkers, fine on the top of the broad grassy ridges, but the slopes are very steep in places, and are cut by some vicious ravines.
Tess thoroughly enjoyed pulling me up the hill, so it seemed, but she can be a menace going downhill - very hard trying to resist gravity AND the pull of an excitable spaniel. But to be fair, she is learning to respond to 'STEADY' (and the strategic use of a walking pole to block her).
Really looking forward to some wild camping in Langdale.
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Great pics Richard O0 some very familiar views there ;)
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Great pics Richard O0 some very familiar views there ;)
Thanks Karl - some of the shots are remarkably similar!
Langdale next.
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Looks a cracking walk, Richard. I really am going to have to try these Howgills soon.
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Great pics Richard and l am pleased you enjoyed your wild camp O0
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Looks a cracking walk, Richard. I really am going to have to try these Howgills soon.
It was, pdstsp - you will not be disappointed.
Great pics Richard and l am pleased you enjoyed your wild camp O0
Thanks April - hardly the real thing, though - but good practice, and whets my appetite for when we are let loose :)
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Gorgeous scenery . Spur of the moment walks can be great . !
Although if like me , I can dither a tad too long deciding , & end up wishing I had gone first thing with a well prepared rucksack , instead of forgetting my camera or something . ??? O0
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Gorgeous scenery . Spur of the moment walks can be great . !
Although if like me , I can dither a tad too long deciding , & end up wishing I had gone first thing with a well prepared rucksack , instead of forgetting my camera or something . ??? O0
I find that in summer I can get up and away really quickly, just throw a few things in my rucksack and away I go - the compass and first aid kit live there permanently in their own separate pocket. Things get progressively more complicated when it is a family walk, flasks of tea are brewed, sandwiches made, sons reminded to pack waterproofs and an extra layer etc.
Winter is a bit more of an expedition, especially if heading for the fells in full on winter conditions.
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hardly the real thing, though - but good practice, and whets my appetite for when we are let loose :)
We were talking about when we go camping again, wondering if we will have forgotten how to pitch the tent lol I have checked a few websites and some campsites seem to be taking bookings from 4th July.
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Fantastic to see the views!
When travelling back home from Lakes, the evening sunshine always makes these appear to be like huge sand dunes! Well that's what they've become known!
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We were talking about when we go camping again, wondering if we will have forgotten how to pitch the tent lol I have checked a few websites and some campsites seem to be taking bookings from 4th July.
Like swimming and riding a bike, you never forget!
Let's keep our fingers crossed about the 4th of July ;) O0
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Fantastic to see the views!
When travelling back home from Lakes, the evening sunshine always makes these appear to be like huge sand dunes! Well that's what they've become known!
Glad that you enjoyed them. Yes, going through the Tebay Gorge is always the high point of a journey up the M6. I'm always struck by the contrast between the hills on the different sides of the valley.
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Another super walk and pics in the good old punishing Howgills O0
Tess helped me a lot - she was pulling like a train this morning.
You need all the help you can get in those hills :)
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Thanks vghikers. Tess can be a real help on the steady climbs, but an absolute pain coming downhill, a positive menace on really steep descents - I let her off the lead for a short while yesterday coming down the steep (!) eastern ridge of Bannisdale Crags, it was the safe thing to do. No sheep around, and she was back on the lead pronto once the gradient eased.