Northern Howgills - Hooksey, Randygill Top, Kensgriff, Yarlside, Bowderdale20th May 2020I have had my eye on the Northern Howgills for some time now, and now that lockdown has been relaxed, I felt justified in venturing out for our first proper walk in the hills since March. I say 'our' as my wife and two sons accompanied me, my youngest can put it down as PE as far as school home working is concerned, all part of his education. The forecast was good, so we travelled light, but my new ebay sun hat had not yet arrived, something that I was to regret later in the day....
We were out of the house at 0830 and 'on the hill' just after 0915, a modest 45 minute drive up the M6 from Grange-over-Sands. We parked maybe half a mile east of the hamlet of Bowderdale, very accessible as it was only a few miles from the Tebay junction of the M6. I deliberately avoided the houses at Bowderdale, instead choosing a remote spot on the minor road running south to Scar Sikes farm, on a gently sloping piece of grass just past a gate on the left hand (eastern) side of the road -
HERE.
We headed southwards, initially along the road, then on to a farm track which gradually climbed up onto the northern ridge of Hooksey. Very pleasant views unfolding all around us, the Howgills ahead, and the high Northern Pennines behind. To the west I could just make out the Scafell range and Great Gable in the far distance. The climb up onto and along the Hooksey ridge was easy, and we reached two stones marking what might have been the highest point of the broad grassy ridge without too much effort (586m).
Looking back northwards from the farm track, Cross Fell to the leftThe view south from Hooksey - Randygill Top to the left, Yarlside centre, The Calf to the rightA jumble of hills to the westThese erosion gullies on Green Bell were particularly striking, Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell in the distanceRandygill Top (624m) was our next objective, and the view ahead suggested that it would be a tough climb, so it proved. I switched to 'low gear' and plodded up, slow and steady in the heat (the cooling southerly breeze had disappeared). I popped out onto the rounded top, marked by a small cairn, and waited whilst my family caught up.
The steep climb up the northern slopes of Randygill Top, the Northern Pennines in the far distanceAnother view of Green Bell from the slopes of Randygill Top - a hill for another dayThe view south from Randygill Top - Yarlside centre left and the highest Howgill tops centre right. The distant hill to the left is Crag Hill/Great Coum south of Dentdale.WE didn't stop but pressed on south eastwards to Kensgriff (574m), an unassuming hill from this direction. I missed the path initially, but angled eastwards and soon picked it up again - a compass would be essential up here in thick weather as the topography is complex, and there is some steep ground. My son spotted a lizard basing in the sun on the descent.
Tess our spaniel had a drink from a small pool at the col; we then walked up the gently sloping grassy ridge to the summit, and had a brief rest before tackling the rather daunting ascent of Yarlside ahead.
As we descended south from Kensgriff, we watched some people picking their way down very cautiously, steep grass between areas of screes and a particularly nasty erosion gully that looked very 'fresh'. There appeared to be a path heading straight up the slopes, then left over some very steep broken ground, but I didn't fancy that, so we angled right a bit and then climbed up steep grass just to the right of some scree and a small gully, dauntingly steep but again a case of "slow and steady does it". I had a bit of a wait at the crest of the slope whilst my family caught up, a welcome rest!
Weather beaten man with hot dog on Kensgriff - eastern Lakeland Fells in the far distanceThe daunting slopes of Yarlside - we ascended just to the right of the patch of scree and small gully in the centre of the picture. Note the steep ground to the left and the very nasty looking gully to the right, this would be a tricky descent in the mistLooking back down the steep northern slopes of Yarlside - Randygill Top to the left, Kensgriff centre right, my family struggling upwards belowOnce we were reunited, we continued easily up the gentle ridge to the summit of Yarlside (636m). We didn't stop at the summit, but continued onwards over the brow of the hill to get a view of Cautley Spout, the well known waterfall. This was a slight disappointment, to be honest, as it has rained so little over the last month or so. But it was still a grand view to the south, so we stopped and had lunch, sitting on a small bank of peat. Whernside and Ingleborough were visible in the distance, and we could even see a bit of hazy Pen-y-Ghent peeping out from behind Baugh Fell. Lovely.
Cautley Crag and Cautley Spout, not at it's best, to be honest, due to all the dry weather that we have been enjoying - shouldn't grumble!We decided that we had climbed enough hills for one day, and returned over the summit towards Bowderdale. We descended the north western ridge of Yarlside, gentle at first but steepening as it plunged down into Bowderdale, but nothing like as steep as the ascent. I made a mess of crossing the river, despite it being so low, slipping on a slimy rock and putting my foot in.
Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell from the north western ridge of Yarlside, Kensgriff to the leftBowderdale far below, a starkly beautiful remote valley - We followed the path that skirts above the west bank of Bowderdale BeckWe regrouped again before starting the long walk northwards down Bowderdale, a lovely deserted valley cutting tightly between steep hills; the only sign of man being a few tumble down sheep folds. By now we were all suffering a bit from the heat, and I regretted that my sun hat had not arrived in the post. I was glad to take a break and refill my water bottle from a mossy trickle running down the hill - with some help from Tess I had drunk my way through the two litres that I had set out with!
A view into upper Bowderdale from where we joined the path after crossing the beckYarlside rising dramatically above BowderdaleAnother view back up Bowderdale towards YarlsideThe path skirts above the valley floor for a couple of miles, before contouring across the western slopes above some fields. The last mile or so back to the car was very pleasant, a cuckoo calling from a spruce plantation, shady trees and buttercups by the river at Bowderdale. Arrived back at the car just after 1500 - we had been walking for almost 6 hours. Back home to a shady garden and cool beer waiting for us in the fridge!
The view down the lower part of BowderdaleA last look up Bowderdale, Yarlside again dominating the view9.31 miles measured on Viewranger, not counting the zig zags on the slopes and all the up and down!
PS - thank you ninthace for enthusing about Bowderdale, and for giving advice on parking