Beatrix Fell Run, Forest of Bowland

It was Saturday morning and Pete and I were going for another fell run.  Pete picked me up and we drove out in to the Forest of Bowland towards Dunsop Bridge.  The temperature in Lancaster was in the single digits (centigrade!) so we were a bit surprised to see the odd patch of ice  on the road up to Jubilee Tower.  However Lancaster is always a few degrees warmer than further land due to it’s proximity to the West Coast, so by the time we got to Dunsop Bridge there was still a fair bit of snow around.

Do the ducks know that they are at the geographic centre of Britain?  I doubt it!
We set off up the path by the River Dunsop, before striking out North-Westwards towards Beatrix Fell.


We avoided the patches of ice as we gained height, and quickly an overcast but still picturesque view of the Hodder Valley opened up.

Shortly after reaching the flat top of the Fell, I noticed something in the grass.  It turned out to be a flask which someone had dropped, and even had some partially frozen coffee inside.  Pete kindly managed to fit it in his bum bag so I could try and reunite it with it’s owner via the various internet forums.

Beatrix Fell Summit Trig
Carrying on from the summit we moved away from the fence to try and find the remains of a crashed World War 2 US Air Force bomber.  All we managed to find was a stunted tree, so we will have to go back and have a look another time!
Our search meant we had overshot our path, so we struck out across the fell towards the Whitendale Valley.

Descending to Whitendale.

The terrain steepens as Whitendale Farm comes in to view.
On reaching the farm we crossed over the river and made our way over the saddle of Middle Knoll to Brennand Farm.  From here it was up to the Ouster Rake Path, which is relatively steep and narrow  for the Trough, traversing above a steep’ish slope and gully.  I have wondered that on the few occasions that the Trough gets substantial amounts of snow, this gully might make an interesting grade 1 winter route.  Today there was a substantial amount of ice in part of the gully, so maybe one day it will come into condition.
Getting to the top of the path we followed the fence southwards.

After a short while Smelt Mill hove into view.

It was then simply the case of taking the road towards Dunsop Bridge, and then a path across the fields back to the car.


Looking back towards Smelt Mill.

Wolfhole Crag, Forest of Bowland Fell Run

Pete suggested a run up to one of the Forest of Bowland’s highest points, and it was high time for me to test my knee out and see if the recurring pain I have been getting on the road was still there.

We parked up at the isolated hamlet of Tarnbrook, and from here followed the Wyre Way across increasingly rough fields, until climbing over a stile and gaining the fell proper.  Following a wall boundary across White Moor, I had quickened my pace and caught up with the ever fitter Pete.  However I was stopped in my tracks, and in fact thrown to the ground by a rabbit snare in the grass!  Dusting myself down, we continued and I kept an eye open for more loops of wire.  Soon we found the path we were looking for, which branched off from the wall and made towards the outline of Brennand Great Hill.


Looking back over Marshaw and Hawthornthwaite Fell

My pace had slowed, in part due to the strong, cold wind that was blowing across our path, but mainly due to my lack of running over the past few months.

Brennand Great Hill has a few gritstone boulders on top.  If it was not for the isolated location, and the wetness of the ground, they would be great for some short boulder problems.  Maybe I will go up there in the summer and see if they ever dry out (I doubt it, this is the Trough!).


The Boulders

Shortly afterwards our destination came into view, and soon we had gained the dry stone wall which follows this long ridge, dividing the River Lune and Wyre catchments.


Pete heads for the Trig

The cold wind meant we only stopped so I could retie my shoe laces, and then we turned back on ourselves, into the wind, heading for the shooter’s track.

The wind slowed us considerably, and it was with a little relief that we reached the substantial shooter’s track.  It is a real eyesore, and an intrusion into an otherwise fairly wild landscape.  However it did allow us to stretch out and make it back down to the car in good time.


Pete picks up the pace on the way down

Coniston Old Man

Several days of high pressure over the north of the UK has brought cold, dry, clear weather to the Lake District, so this Sunday it was high time to get out for a walk.  Tess, Pete and I decided on the classic round of Dow Crag and Coniston Old Man, starting from the Walna Scar road.

Walking up Walna Scar, numerous runners passed us, apparently recce’ing the Lakeland 50 route.  As we ascended, the mass of Dow Crag came into view, reminding us of the quality of this crag as both a summer and winter venue.  Higher up, the view of the south lakes increased, as did the wind!


Coniston Water and Morecambe Bay in the distance.


Reaching our first summit of Brown Pike, there was a substantial frost covering  the ground, with verglass on some rocks.  This made things a little slippery, but not enough for Tess to use her new crampons.


Harter Fell


To the South-West we could see the last fingers of the Lake District extending towards the Irish Sea. It reminded me of my two day walk from Black Combe to Ennerdale, then up Great Moss, over Esk Hause, and down into Borrowdale.


The long ridge of the South-Western Fells, with Black Combe on it’s tip in the hazy distance.


With some extra layers on we continued towards Dow Crag in the biting wind.


Dow Crag from Buck Pike

We descended from the summit of Dow Crag to Goat's Hawse, where we shelter behind some rocks from the increasingly cold wind. After some hurriedly eaten sandwiches we were on our way again, but had to stop to help Tess who was getting hot aches in her hands.  Strangely, as we gained height again, the wind decreased, and as we gained the ridge leading to the Old Man, it had almost completely died.


Cloud lifting from the Sca Fells


Ascending to Coniston Old Man

The summit was fairly busy, which wasn’t surprising considering that this was the first good weather weekend we had seen for several weeks.  In fact we bumped into several Lancaster residents, including the owner of the Yummy Cupcake Company, and some friends of Tess and Pete’s from circuit training.


The summit


Looking back along the ridge towards Brim Fell

After a quick chat on the summit, we descended the front of the the fell towards Coniston, giving views over two of the Old Man’s tarns, Low Water and Levers Water (I’ve swam in both!).


The Tarns divided by the ridge of Brim Fell

We continued down the now substantial path, and took the right turn that lead us back to the Walna Scar car park.  The only thing now was the drive home, with a stop off at Chesters By The River.


Coniston Water