| May 2023 |
| Black Fell (664m) |
| Tom Smiths Stone Top (637m) |
| Grey Nag (656m) |
| July 2023 |
| Thack Moor (610m) |
| February 2024 |
| Cold Fell (621m) |
Peaks climbed : Black Fell (664m), Tom Smiths Stone Top (637m), Grey Nag (656m)
Total Distance : 17km, Total Ascent : 548m
I parked just past the Gilderdale Burn near the Gilderdale Bridge at a small car park and was quickly off, following the course of the burn upstream. The weather was superb, warm without being sunny and a breeze blowing that was not too cold, allowing me to walk in a T-Shirt for most of the day and a long sleeved top whilst walking along the ridge. It was good going initially, but soon deteriorated into a battle, crossing and recrossing the stream, negotating bank edges with no path and so I finally gave up and took a more direct line towards the summit of Black Fell. The going was tough, with no path and lots of tussocky grass and damp sections, but eventually, after almost two hours I crested the ridge and walked the short distance to the summit cairn. Black Fell is nothing special and warranted little more than a quick stop for a drink.
The next summit; Tom Smiths Stone Top was easily visible in a more or less straight line, although the path followed the fence which took a dog leg before heading directly to the summit. Again, it started well enough but any path soon vanished and I was left to make my own way, zig-zagging around the various groughs and bogs to eventually arrive at the summit.
Again, there is nothing special, in fact there is nothing to even mark the summit, the nearest is the Tom Smiths Stone. Who Tom Smith is or was is a mystery but his stone denotes the meeting point of three parishes and is on the border of Cumbria and Northumberland. Grey Nag is a short distance further on and is at least slightly interesting with a Trig Point and a walled enclosure, handy for lunch.
The route back heads across to the obvious ridge and down the far side to reach the Roman Fort of Whitley Castle, or Epiacum as it was known in Roman times, and in fact, the quickest route back to the car was directly though the fort. There is nothing much there other than the grassy ramparts and a considerably imaginitive mind would be needed to see anything more than that.
Back at the car I was done. The walk, although relatively short, was by no means easy, with no path and difficult ground, the peaks did not yield easily and would have been significantly harder in less clement weather.
Peaks climbed : Thack Moor (610m)
Total Distance : 7km, Total Ascent : 414m
I parked in Renwick and decided to have lunch before setting off. It had been raining all day and still continued, so I was in no real hurry to get out. Renwick is a pleasant village three miles down a very narrow lane which seems much further.
The walk is a simple one, follow the minor road at the end of the village, straight on to a farm track, follow that until it forks, take the left fork and continue steadily upwards. Thack Moor, or Renwick Fell as it is also known is directly ahead. The path is a good one, but thins out near the top and also steepens for the final 100 metres of ascent. The summit is in no doubt, there is a trig point. As mountains go, this one just squeezes into the club, being exactly 2,000 feet high, so in fact, has the title of lowest mountain in the mountain club. Descent is the reverse. I was back at the car in under two hours.
Peaks climbed : Cold Fell (621m)
Total Distance : 9km, Total Ascent : 421m
There is a very small car park maintained by the RSPB near Hallbankgate which is ideal for an ascent of Cold Fell. The route follows the ongoing track up to some dwellings then skirts around them and heads upwards. The track is a good one but deteriorates with increasing altitude.
As I approached almost the crest, I elected to take a direct route across the heathery terrain in the general direction of up. There were a few small tracks which I followed hoping for a glimpse of the trig point. It remains hidden right until the last moment, but is an impressive structure with a seating area.
The views from the top across to the Lake District were very impressive, but oddly, nothing of the hills of Scotland. I guess they are still too far away. It was a nice day, but even so, I was soon off, retracing my steps down to the track and I followed it in reverse all the way back to the car.
This was the final peak in the Black Fell area and a very nice one to finish on.
