BB1430 : The BOOTboys Black Combe Walking Festival

Wednesday 20th August 2014

At the time I had no knowledge of any festival but perhaps it explains why neither of them could be bothered to answer their telephone nor to respond to the message I left on their answerphone.  Perhaps they expected to be so overwhelmed with festival goers that any extra custom was likely to be an unwelcome incumbrance.

The churches were much more accommodating. Parking was available outside both St Mary's at Whicham and St Anne's at Hallthwaites,  It was at the former that we learned about the Black Combe Walking Festival.

There is a very clear path winding up from Kirkbank to the summit of Black Combe although we detoured to take in its south top.  

Isle of Man

Duddon Estuary from  the south top, Black Combe

What a contrast to 2008.  Visibility was superb.  The only demerit was a cold, northerly wind and a few more light clouds than ideal.   Describing the route we took is mostly very simple.  Around the top of Black Combe Crags, out and back to and from White Combe, around Stoupdale Crags to Gray Stones and down.  And at every stage, the views were outstanding.

Lakeland panorama from Black Combe

Looking down Stoupdale to the Duddon Estuary

The only navigational challenges were:

the dense bracken encountered on the lower slopes of Force Knott,
self imposed confusion about the path through Whirlpippin (thinking, wrongly, that it had been diverted to put in a caravaln site) and,
once over Baystone Bank, how to get past Bank House where a footpath seemed to have been diverted but the diversion signs required a contortionist to read them. Bryan obliged.

Don, Wednesday 20th August

The Spectre of Stan

Mike sent me this remarkable photo that he took en-route.  Either Stan has a guardian spirit looking after him or he really can be in two places at the same time.

BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1430 .

To discover which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing - although it may not be that up to date - see: Which Wainwright When?

For the totals of the mileages and heights (ditto) see: BB Log.

Photos have been gleaned from many sources although mostly from me!
Likewise written comment.  
Unless stated otherwise, please feel free to download the material if you wish.
A reference back to this website would be appreciated.
If I have failed to acknowledge properly the source or infringed copyright, then I apologise.
. Please let me know and I will do my best to put things right.

E-mail addresses on this web site are protected by

 Spam Trawlers will be further frustrated by
 Spam Blocker: help fight spam e-mail!.

BOOT boys

If you want to join
The
Inter-continental
Fan Club
let us know and
you will receive
automatic notification
of new BOOTboys reports.

Click on
to contact us.

For the Index pages
of our various outings
click on the relevant
link below:

Click on the photos
for an enlargement
or related large picture