Western Howgills from Fairmile Road 20th June 2020On 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://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.
Swaledale familyOur 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.
The forbidding Black Force ravine picked out by the sunshineThe 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
Looking back towards the Tebay Gorge, Borrowdale and the eastern fells of the Lake District beyondThe 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.
Looking back as we climb Fell Head - Linghaw is the grassy top below usFell 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.
A jumble of hills to the north east, with the Northern Pennines in the distanceTess enjoying a well earned rest at the top of Fell Head, The Calf in the distanceEast from Fell Head - Randygill Top centre left, Yarlside centre right, flat topped Wild Boar Fell in the distance to the right of Yarlside.Long Rigg Beck far below - not such a good idea to try a short cut, son.Fell Head from White Fell HeadA poignant memorial stone at The Calf trig point - there were a group of 6 people sheltering nearby - I wondered whether they had placed itWe 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.
Lunch stop view - Langdale far below, Rangygill Top is the rounded hill far right.Fell End with Morecambe Bay beyond - home sweet homeAnd finally - my wild camp:
Finished the day with a 'wild camp' in the garden. It poured!