to rise over the brow. The path heads west above a fence and a ragged pine copse. Where the fence turns up the fellside at a stile/hand-gate, continue up the grassy slope. After crossing a stile some 40m above the main path, this higher path duly drifts down to converge briefly with Route 7 but diverges up again after a few metres along a narrow, unheralded, green path. This is the old path again and it rises through heather and bilberry, slightly sunken in places, climbing in two zig-zag stages above stone-retaining edges to level out as it approaches the Hole-in-the-Wall stile.
9 Follow Route 7 as far as the hand-gate on the far side of the valley. Here take the path going left (southwest) beside the wall above Braesteads (Breasteads on Harvey maps). Shortly after the third hand-gate, with Eagle Crag looming ahead, an old miners’ path branches half-right to a wall-stile at the entrance to Nethermost Cove. Cross and walk up beside the steep wall (no path) to reach Hole-in-the-Wall and rejoin Route 7 to reach the summit.
The summit
The slender ridge wall crosses the top of the fell in such a manner as to put the actual summit – the unmarked grassy knoll on the south side – out of reach of all but the most dedicated peak-baggers. The shambles of a cairn beside the trail hereabouts is an adequate compromise. Wisely, the excessively worn wall-side path east of the summit has been given a break with a new path pitched to the north. A far better place to deliberate is the north top. A path leads from the main track, passing pools, to the delightfully panoramic environs of the cairn.
Safe descents
Follow the ridge-top wall off to the E initially to return to either Glenridding or Patterdale. For Glenridding adhere to the newly engineered path E (3), down Mires Beck. For Patterdale keep beside the wall as far as a gate/stile, and there go right passing down through trees to reach the minor valley road.
Ridge route
Helvellyn via Striding Edge →3.2km/2 miles ↓35m/110ft ↑240m/790ft
No more thrilling ridge route exists for the Lakeland fellwalker. Follow the ridge wall W, where this breaks left at the Hole-in-the-Wall, and continue with mounting drama over the rocky crests of Low and High Spying How to test your balance (or prudence) on the rocky arete of Striding Edge. Put your walking poles in the pack and bring your fingers (white knuckles?) into play! Treat the path with reverence. The final tower is perhaps the most trying, with short chimneys down to left and right. Great care is needed in winter, with icy rocks and a strong gale, but also in summer when algae on the rocks has a similar slick effect to ice. A rough, loose scramble culminates upon the plateau edge.
3
Birks 622m/2241ft
| Start | |
| Climb it from | Patterdale 24 or Deepdale Bridge 23 |
| Character | Staging post ridge on the rise to St Sunday Crag |
| Fell-friendly route | 2 |
| Summit grid ref | NY 380 144 |
| Link it with | St Sunday Crag or Arnison Crag |
In essence, Birks is little more than the broad shoulder of St Sunday Crag, a rather plain northeasterly ridge stepped down from the higher fell, holding altitude for half a mile before plummeting into Grisedale. It is, however, bound by crags to north and east, and those overlooking Grisedale, notably the lower and glacially smoothed Elmhow Buttress, are a playground for eager rock climbers. Divided from the parent fell by Cold and Blind Coves, neither of these hanging valleys being of scenic note, its most charming face is the Black Crag scarp overlooking Glemara Park.
Few walkers set out to climb Birks – most commonly its summit is a pleasant incidental, drawn into the descent from St Sunday Crag. Even then many pass the summit cairn without faltering their stride, preferring the Thornhow End viewpoint over the head of Ullswater. There are, however, a number of contrasting options combinable to make a low-level circuit from Patterdale, perhaps taking in Arnison Crag en route for a closer survey of the lake. A westerly tack from Deepdale Bridge is another option for the fellwanderer.
Birks from the Helvellyn path across Grisedale
Ascent from Patterdale 24
Three contrasting routes lead up from Patterdale – straight up the steep northern ridge, gently up the Hag Beck valley and a longer walk-in along Grisedale leading to the Elmhow zig-zags on the northwestern flank.
Via Thornhow End →3.5km/2¼ miles ↑470m/1550ft
1 Walk round to the right of the Patterdale Hotel and follow the path to a kissing-gate onto open fell from Mill Moss. Through the gate turn right to cross the foot of Glemara Park and meet a stiled footpath rising direct from the Grisedale valley road. Bear south, climbing the steep Thornhow End ridge, and rise above the open woodland skirting a crag to reach a low stile in the park wall. A grooved, heavily worn path continues. Divert almost immediately left onto the leading edge of the fell and wind onto the grassy crest above Black Crag, curving southwestward (right) to reach the summit.
Ullswater from Thornhow End
Via Glemara Park →3.2km/2 miles ↑470m/1550ft
2 Set off from Patterdale with Route 1 but, after crossing Hag Beck, turn off left to ascend the open woodland of the Glemara Park valley. Halfway up to the dale-head, cross back across the beck to complete the climb close to its east bank. At the top, cross the metal ladder-stile spanning the dale-head wall and continue to where the broken wall kinks right. Here, climb the steep grass slope, pathlessly, beside the broken wall, to emerge just northeast of the summit and rejoin Route 1.
Elmhow Buttress
Via Blind Cove →4km/2½ miles ↑470m/1550ft
3 About half a kilometre up the main road towards Glenridding, at Grisedale Bridge, take the minor road leading into Grisedale. Follow this southwest for about 2km as it becomes a gated track and eventually leads past Elmhow. Directly after the gate beyond the ruined barn, break off up left from the track and climb beside the walled plantation. Ford the gill at the top and swing round the left-hand side of the little knoll to a green path which becomes more apparent as height is gained. These, the Elmhow zig-zags, climb the fellside into Blind Cove. As the slope eases, the path drifts east (left), away from the shallow hollow to meet a path running southwest from Thornhow End. Turn right to join it and then at the shallow depression above Blind Cove bear sharp left with the grassy ridge path to locate the summit cairn.
Ascent from Deepdale Bridge 23
The approach from Deepdale is a little rougher and less distinct.
Via lower Deepdale →5.2km/3¼ miles ↑470m/1550ft
4 Begin by following the walled lane to Lane Head. Turn left to follow the gated track bound for Wall End, passing to the right of Deepdale Hall Farm. Continue to where the telephone wires slant across the path above you and go right, keeping beneath their line on a ramped green track, and