BB0819 : The Northern Tip

Thursday 29th May 2008

Thank goodness for people who have an eye for detail. Enthused by our successful use of bus passes last week, I had a cunning plan that would enable Tony to make big inroads into his Eastern Fells deficit. We would ditch the car at Windermere, take the bus to Ambleside, cross the high fells to Patterdale and catch the bus back to Windermere. Fortunately Bryan had the good sense to read the small print. He was therefore able to warn us that the wait for the return bus might be rather too long as until 21st July it only ran at weekends!

The revised plan switched attention to a couple of the remoter peaks in the Northern Fells- Carrock Fell and High Pike. No bus but a rather long drive, not that it is any great hardship driving up via Keswick to the upper right hand side of the Northern Fells at this time of year. Especially as the weather had still not really broken and a decent day was expected.

First stop was at Mungrisedale's lovely little St Kentigern's Church with its triple decker pulpit and variety of embroidered kneelers. Kentigern, it seems, was the Bishop of Glasgow in the sixth centruy. I didn't even know there was a Glasgow in the sixth century, never mind a Kentigern.

St Kentigern's Church

The triple pulpit

We parked near Stone Ends Farm and intended to take the gently meandering footpath up the hill. However the route on the map was replaced on the ground by a rather steeper path that took the direct ascent alongside a fortunately dry Further Gill.

It was a fairly severe pull but the redeeming feature was that a youth of less than half our age was making much heavier weather of it than us!

Even Tony, with the residue of eight pints of lager still in his system yet looking like an Italian tank commander, was climbing faster, after a bit of encouragement from the singing of my climbing song "Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer".

Mind you, Bryan is getting worried that with church visits and hymn singing, BOOTboys walks are becoming more like Sunday School outings!

Commander Ryan emerges from the climb

We had a geography lesson en route. The area contains a considerable amount of Gabbro. I thought it was called Gabro and I was disappointed to discover this was not the case as it somewhat spoilt my silly little joke-

"What did the Gabro rock say?"

Answer: “I want to be anole!”

Geddit? Say it out loud- a knoll- anole- alone- Gabro- Garbo!

Well, it amused me.

Gabbro is the plutonic equivalent of basalt, if that makes you any the wiser?

No? It didn’t me, either! Seemingly it is rare in the UK other than in the Cuilins on Skye. Of more practical concern, it hurts if you fall on it- it is rough and cuts you up!

On the top of Carrock Fell there is, according to the map, a fort.

After exploration, we came to the conclusion that the whole of the top was the fort as there was a lot of piled up stones that could well have made a decent defensive wall hundreds of years ago.

But other than a sheepfold, there is no obvious sign now of any building as such.

There is however an interesting panoramic view.

The Carrock Fell fort walls?

The 360 panorama from Carrock Fell- click on photo for detail

It was an easy stroll from there over Miton Hill to High Pike where we felt as if we were right on the northern tip of the Lake District. However, perhaps we ought to have gone to Great Lingy Hill first. Bryan had wanted to inspect the bothy and had promised Tony lunch there. But Stan and I were a little ahead and were not aware of this aspect. So when Tony reached High Pike he insisted on eating there and then, which was fine by me. There was a very decent wind shelter nearby. There was also, at the summit, a slate memorial seat looking out to the west. Just right for a team photo. Pity the result looks like four poofs and a park bench!

Team picture. Not four poofs and a park bench!

The Great Lingy Fell hen hut bothy

We retraced our steps somewhat and on reaching the Cumbria Way Higher Level Route headed south to find the Great Lingy Hill bothy, which looked rather more like a hen hut. There were good views down Grainsgill Beck and over to Blencathra.

The view down Grainsgill Beck from the hen hut bothy

We offered Tony the option of an extension to Mungrisedale Common but he had learned from BB0818 and declined the extra 5 miles and 1,500 feet, preferring to return another day.

We then headed back up the Cumbria Way to drop down by the workings of the disused Driggeth Mine but we could not work out for what they had been mining. Later Bryan discovered it had been for tungsten.

Lower down Carrock Beck we had a coffee break in the sun and then strolled across the bog back to the road where there was a large group of fell ponies.

Driggeth Mine

Fell ponies

As we returned to the car Great Mell stood proudly across the plain on the horizon.

Great Mell on horizon

It was a rather gentler outing than last week, as required by Tony as part of his training for Scafell in a few weeks time!

Don, 29th May 2008

Afternote: Bryan has found this link that tells more about the geology and history of Carrock Fell

Statistics:	BB0819
Distance:	8.6 miles
Height climbed:	2,026 feet
Wainwrights:	Carrock Fell, High Pike

If you have Memory Map on your computer, you can follow our route in detail by downloading BB0819.

For the latest totals of the mileages, heights and Lakeland Fells Books Wainwrights see: Wainwrights.

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

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BOOT boys

2008 Outings

BB0801 : Avoiding the Graupel;
16 January

BB0802 : Lyth in the Old Dogs; 22 January

BB0803 : That's Lyth;
27 January

BB0804 : Tony's Memory Lane;
30th January

BB0805 : Fell's Belles! Thank You Mells?
6th February

BB0806 : The Langdale Skyline and a Fell Race!
13th February

BB0807a: An Outbreak of Common Sense;
21st February 2008

BB0807b: Askham Fell and the Lowther Estate;
13th March 2008

BB0808 : Thanks to the MWIS
19th March 2008

BB0809 : High Street and Kidsty Pike but no Fairy
28th March 2008

BB0810 : Prelude to Spring
2nd April 2008

BB0811 : Spring in Lakeland
6th April 2008

BB0812 : Wet, Wet, Wet Sleddale to Mosedale Cottage
Thursday 10th April 2008

BB0813 : What's It All About, Tony?
Thursday 17th April 2008

BB0814 : The Hidden Mountain
Tuesday 22nd April 2008

BB0815 : The Bowland CROW
Thursday 1st May 2008

BB0816 : High Cup Nick:
The Gurt La'al Canyon
Wednesday 7th May 2008

BB0817 : Travelling Light
Wednesday 14th May 2008

BB0818 : Pensioners’ Day Out
Thursday 22nd May 2008

BB0819 : The Northern Tip
Thursday 29th May 2008

BB0820 : The Bannisdale Horseshoe
Wednesday 11th June 2008

BB0821 : Black, White or Grey Combe?
Thursday 19th June 2008

BB0822 : Thunder on the 555
Thursday 3rd July 2008

BskiB08 : Bootski Boys in the Sella Ronda
23rd February - 1st March

Click on the photos for an enlargement or related large picture.

Wainwrights

Bryan has kindly produced a log of which Wainwrights have been done by which BOOTboy in the "modern" era, i.e. since the advent of Bootboys.

To download the Excel file click on Wainwrights.

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

BOOT boys

This page describes an adventure of BOOTboys, a loose group of friends of mature years who enjoy defying the aging process by getting out into the hills as often as possible!

As most live in South Lakeland, it is no surprise that our focus is on the Lakeland fells and the Yorkshire Dales.

As for the name, BOOTboys, it does not primarily derive from an item of footwear but is in memory of Big Josie, the erstwhile landlady of the erstwhile Burnmoor Inn at Boot in Eskdale, who enlivened Saint Patrick's Day 1973 and other odd evenings many years ago!

If you want to contact us, click on