BB1713 : How Terribly Strange To Be Seventy

Monday 24th April 2017

The route will start and finish at the Beer Hall in Staveley and will pass over three separate hills:  Reston Scar, Brunt Knott and Potter Fell - all Wainwright Outlyers if anyone is interested in Outlyers.

I had a pretty good idea of the route, aided by Bryan passing me that taken by the C group of the Kendal Fellwalkers for their Christmas outing.  However I felt it needed checking out.  Stan kindly volunteered to accompany me.

Reston Scar

Reston Scar was of particular interest to me.  It lies just outside Staveley.  I had been there before but only as an "up & down".  When AW wrote his book, that is what you had to do.  I hadn't realised that Right to Roam had opened up a much better opportunity.

The Up is from Staveley, as before.

Staveley from the ascent of Reston Scar

Coniston Fells from Reston Scar

However the Down heads north before circling round to Black Crag and descending to Scroggs Bridge where Stan helped a maiden in distress.  Her dog was in the river and on no account would it come back to her.  Stan, the dog whisperer, just whistled gently and out came the collie to greet him.  One very appreciative lady.

Sorry, no photo.  In fact, sorry for the overall poor quality of photos in this report.  I thought I had charged up my camera battery but clearly not so therefore I had to use my phone.  Some worked reasonably but a lot didn't.

The path north from Reston Scar, Kentmere Fells behind.

Looking over to Brunt Knott

The path across the valley, never previously used by me, proved very pleasant. Especially nice was the wonderful vanilla scent of the gorse bushes in full bloom.

Brunt Knott was approached direttissimo, as we have done previously (BB1621).  It is steep and grassy but firm underfoot and as long as old men take their time, it is a good climb.

Howgills from Brunt Knott summit

Our descent led us to the path that climbs along the wall that takes you almost to the north-eastern top of Potter Fell.  That was a mistake.  It meant a lot of bounding over heather and I think it is the less interesting summit.  For the 47DON=70 walk we will take the more direct route to the south-western summit (which Wainwright says is 4 feet inferior but is actually 5 metres higher according to the OS map).

Glimpse of Potter Tarn and.... surely not Blackpool Tower? !!

The route thereafter is a little tedious until you come to the descent to Gurnal Dubbs, which looks a treat.  Which it is.

Approaching Gurnal Dubbs

Gurnal Dubbs

Next came Potter Tarn where the wind was whipping the waves to test the overflow.  I hope this is not a problem on Saturday as I want to have a team picture on the - not quite sure what to call them.  Concrete bollards?  Anyway, those things at the bottom of the overflow ramp.

Descent to Potter Tarn

The path then drops down by the Ghyll Pool and on to the river near Hag Foot.  The bridge was washed away in the storms but that proved a bonus as there is now a very pleasant riverside path through the bluebells.

The only nasty part of the route is the sewage tank and the field adjacent which has been used as a tipping ground for old settees and other junk, including a derelict caravan.

Once beyond, it returns to being a pleasant path all the way back to the Brewery, which also has its pleasures.  It doesn't yet seem so terribly strange to be 70.

Don, Monday 24th April 2017

Old Friends; sat on their park bench like book ends
Can you imagine us years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be 70
Paul Simon, 1968, age 26

Comitibus: Don, Stan

Map shown: OS 1:25k by Memory Map

BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1713 .

To discover which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing - although it may not be that up to date - or for the totals of the mileages and heightages (ditto) see the Excel file: BB Log.

You can navigate to the required report via the Home Page

Photos have been gleaned from many sources
although mostly from me and other BOOTboys. Likewise written comment.

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BOOTboys 2017

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