|
|
|
|
- Broom Fell from the Whinlatter Side - Date & Time: Tuesday 18th Sept 2007. 12.25 pm start. Location of Start : Darling How Farm road, Whinlatter, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 182 258 ) Places visited : Darling How plantation, Graystones, Widow's Hause, Broom Fell, Darling How. Walk details : 4.25 mls, 1425 ft of ascent, 2 hrs 55 mins. Highest point : Broom Fell 1670 ft ( 511m )Walked with : Ann and the dogs, Harry and Bethan. Weather : Overcast but forecasting a dry spell till later in the afternoon. |
Forestry marker 28 on the Darling How plantation road junction. (No real help for our navigation however without a forestry map) |
|
A shorter but hopefully interesting walk for ourselves and the dogs today, over on the northern side of the Whinlatter forest.
We motored the short distance to Whinlatter Valley and parked on the track to Darling How plantation, just above the Scawgill Bridge. This is the bend as we start the climb up through the plantation after leaving the upper part of the Aiken Beck valley. We would return by the track next to the large trees in the centre of the photo.
Above the plantation now as we have a similar view from the previous photo, but higher up the forestry road. Lords Seat is the high ground opposite - not on the plan for today !
Darling How Farm from above - we had gained height but not gone very far on the map. There's a great view of Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Ladyside Pike and the Hobcarton Valley from here.
There's a great view of the approaching rain shower too - that wasn't planned !
The forest road had ended at the wall and we were faced with a short but steep climb to reach the summit. Still, it wasn't as long as if we had climbed from Scawgill Bridge below, and the forest road had been very pleasant in itself.
She would get a fine view of Criffel on the Scottish side of the Solway Firth, if only she turned round.
Sorry, we've not brought lunch today.
Our next objective is Broom Fell further along the ridge.
First there is a slight descent to Widow's Hause to negotiate before walking across behind the forest wall. We're looking out past Ling and Sale Fells here, and across to Binsey.
This must be a really old wall, predating the forest by many years. The damp conditions and the poor light under the trees has allowed a superb covering of moss to grow along most of it's length.
Graystones behind us now as we climb Broom Fell. The brief rain shower had passed and conditions were dry again but there's a cool breeze up here. Clearly seen below is the forest track we used on our ascent.
Ann shelters in the wind shadow of the big cairn rather than put on a coat, as we stop to look at the view.
Taking advantage of a small wind shelter, we stopped by the cairn and found a drink and a flapjack in the rucksack. " I hope you can find a dog treat in there too" - I feel someone is trying to say by expression, if not by voice.
Navigation is easy here - follow the old wall down.
Navigation is not so easy here as we reach the bracken in the bottom of the valley. A slight line in the greenery leading to that big set of trees is what we are aiming for, once we cross the beck.
Ahh - a technical problem here - as Ann negotiates the last of the path back to the road.
|
- - - o o o - - - Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon G7 and Ixus cameras. Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder. This site best viewed with . . . a bracken strimmer or a perhaps a periscope. Previous walk - 15th September 2007 Robinson to Dale Head A previous time up here - 30th September 2006 The Whinlatter Fells with Jo and the dogs Next walk - 19th Sept 2007 A Striding Edge Invitation from Sean
|
