Bounding around Boredale Bagging Birketts

All of this Yorkshire Dales stuff and idiotic jaunts up the Borders with toddlers AND wandering about on that fence line between Scotland and England has distracted me from my list of target hills wot I wrote up last November and which is almost untouched. So I determined to go and bag Angletarn Pike (South). A quick look on http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/ revealed a bunch of unbagged Birketts in the close vicinity and so, it was with a chicken sandwhich, some rhubarb pie and a banana – and an enthusiastic dog, that the knipemobile screeched to a stop at the little car park at the foot of Hallin Fell.

The legs weren’t too happy today, prolly cos of all the beta blockers and the damn great lumps of wobbly fat around the pieman’s gut – but we struggled manfully up the outrageously steep slopes of Sleet Fell till we go to the top.
Fine views were to be had. Sleet Fell was unbagged Birkett #1 – a 378 metre lump on the side of Place Fell.

The next one was to be Low Birk Fell – 373 metres and hiding in some bracken across the other side of a bit of a corrie. the bracken, I ought to point out, is turning brown and dying back. This is a good sign if you like winter, but a crap sign if you don’t. Low Birk Fell has a cairn and a specially fine view of Ullswater and the Helvellyn range. We lunched here in the sun. I lunched, Bruno just watched and tidied up any debris afterwards.


On to Birk Fell aka Bleaberry Knott 512 metres This is painfully steep at the bottom but gets easier. (maybe the beta blockers were wearing off….) This also has a specially fine view of Ullswater and the Helvellyn range. We tarried a bit.


After tarrying we lurched and stumbled up to Place Fell.(657 metres)  This wasn’t too bad as far as steepness is concerned and it’s rocky top provides shelter from the cold wind. Its a popular spot. A couple I’d met earlier who I’d passed, managed to arrive before me (I blamed the dog’s faulty navigation) – had a little celebration. They seemed quite pleased to have climbed it. Place fell has a cracking view…of..er..you know where…

Down to Boredale Hause and then up to Angletarn Pike (South) at 565 metres. This is almost, but not quite scrambly. It has a fine view…..  

After all of these fine views and with legs decreasingly less heavy, we positively danced along the Beda fell ridge. The path along this lumpy ridge changes sides from time to time, and, therefore, the (fine) views are occasionally varied.

Its bloody brill….   Worra nice ridge. I ended my traverse at a little rocky top just North of Beda fell. Just a bit beyond here, a path goes down through the dying bracken to Winter Crag farm and the Boredale road takes the rambler and his faithful pooch back to his car at the bealach.

Nice walk, that…..
10 Miles (only just… rounded up a bit..) and 2900 feet of uphill.