Appendix B A fellranger’s glossary
Appendix C Alphabetical list of fells in the Fellranger series
Helvellyn seen from Hard Edge on Nethermost Pike
Looking to Little Hart Crag from Scandale Head
AUTHOR PREFACE
This land of living dreams we call the Lake District is a cherished blessing to know, love and share. As we go about our daily routines, we may take a fleeting moment to reflect that someone, somewhere, will be tramping up a lonely gill or along an airy ridge, peering from a lofty summit or gazing across a wind-blown tarn and taking lingering solace from its timeless beauty. The trappings of modern life thrust carpet and concrete under our feet, and it is always wonderful to walk the region’s sheep trods and rough trails, and to imprint our soles upon the fells. This series sets out to give you the impetus and inspiration to make space in your schedule to explore them time and again, in myriad different ways.
However, the regular paths of long tradition deserve our care. Progressively many of the main paths are being re-set with cobbles and pitching by organisations such as Fix the Fells, to whose work you have contributed by buying this guide. But in many instances, the best consideration we can give these pathways is rest. The modern fellwanderer should show a new ‘green’ awareness by choosing to tread lightly on the land and to find new ways around the hills. One of the underlying impulses of this guide is to protect these beloved fells by presenting a diversity of route options for each and every fell – and also, in this new edition, recommending ‘fell-friendly’ routes to each summit which are less susceptible to erosion.
Another feature of this latest incarnation of Fellranger, apart from the smaller size to slip in your pocket or pack, is the addition of a selection of inspiring ridge routes at the end of each volume for those of you who like to spend a little longer with your head and feet in the heavenly realms, relishing the summit views and the connections between the felltops, as well as some accompanying online resources for readers with a digital bent.
Mark Richards
STARTING POINTS
The view into the gap from the top of the final tower on Striding Edge
INTRODUCTION
Looking up Grisedale towards Nethermost Pike with St Sunday Crag looming on the left
Valley bases
The area covered by this guide lies between the primary valley roads that strike through the heart of the Lake District linking Windermere, Keswick and Penrith – core corridors of travel, popular from the birth of tourism. Walks springboard from Rydal, Grasmere and, over Dunmail Raise, from Thirlmere and Threlkeld, at the far side of St John’s in the Vale. To the east, just below the A66, the area also takes in gentler fell country from Pooley Bridge to the foot of Ullswater and along its gracious shores by Glenridding and Patterdale, then over the wild passage of Kirkstone Pass and down by Stock Ghyll to Ambleside.
The fells are held in tight rein between Ullswater and Thirlmere with deep sylvan valley approaches leading to impressive hanging valleys (coves) and soaring peaks (pikes). This extended family of fells running north by Fairfield and Helvellyn to Clough Head and sustaining the highest continuous ground in the National Park is the great focus of this guide. For the most scenic introduction to the massif, arrive from the northeast, along the shore of unparalleled Ullswater, taking time to stop, stare and anticipate some truly great fell days.
Facilities
Being right in the thick of the accessible scenic action has its upsides. No surprise that there is an abundance of luxury hotels, cosy B&Bs and self-catering cottages, as well as hostels and camp sites, all in close proximity to these fells. Your search engine will home in swiftly on the choice, as a first port of call the Visit Cumbria website www.visitcumbria.com (click Accommodation) is a reliable database.
Getting around
Year-round bus services ply the main roads giving added flexibility for route planning. Only the Kirkstone Rambler service from Bowness to Patterdale is necessarily seasonal – the narrow-walled road over the Kirkstone Pass is tough driving even for cars in summer, let alone buses. The 555 service runs at an almost-urban frequency on the southern and western side of the range, between Ambleside and Keswick, the Patterdale Rambler 108 service from Penrith travels by Ullswater to Glenridding, turning tail at the head of the lake in Patterdale, and the X4/5 service between Keswick and Penrith calls in at Threlkeld.
Parking is not to be taken for granted anywhere in the Lake District. Always allow time to find an alternative parking place or be prepared to switch to a different plan for the day. Alternatively just set out directly from your door – perfectly possible if you choose to stay in one of the nearby valleys. Always take care to park safely and only in laybys and car parks and avoid the side of the narrow country roads. Depending on where you are basing yourself, consider joining the National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) in order to use their several car parks for free. Consult the Starting Points table to locate suitable car parking areas and designated car parks.
Fix the Fells
Rydal Head from Heron Pike
The Fellranger series has always highlighted the hugely important work of the Fix the Fells project in repairing the most seriously damaged fell paths. The mighty challenge has been a great learning curve and the more recent work, including complex guttering, is quite superb. It ensures a flat footfall where possible, easy to use in ascent and descent, and excess water escapes efficiently minimising future damage.
The original National Trust and National Park Authority partnership came into being in 2001 and expanded with the arrival of Natural England, with additional financial support from the Friends of the Lake District and now the Lake