UK Mountains Expedition Report

Peaks climbed : Lunds Fell [Sails] (667m), Hugh Seat (689m), Archy Styrig [Gregorys Chapel] (695m), High Seat (709m)

Total Distance : 17km, Total Ascent : 663m

There is a choice of starting points but either way it is a circle so I decided to park in Outhgill which is at the foot of High Seat, my final peak of the day, this would have the benefit of being close and mean that for the first half of the walk I would be heading away, then the second half heading back to the car which seemed like a better option than finishing the mountains and still having a couple of miles to walk back to the car.

The first section follows the river down for a while before emerging onto a road for a short section, then off on a good wide track to gain some height. Eventually the track flattens and there is a further half mile or so to Hellgill which signalled time to leave the good track and head cross country up towards the summit of Lunds Fell, or Sails as it is known. There is a very visible cairn on the skyline which is a good aiming point as I made my way across the lower slopes.

The going was mixed, I picked up some sheep tracks which I followed for a while, but then had to head out where no tracks were visible and the going distinctly damp underfoot which made it hard work. Finally I reached the cairn which is not the summit, that is a few minutes further on and marked by a very small pile of stones. I'd read that there were two summits and whilst I was at the lower one according to the OS map, apparently recent checks had it higher. Not to be outdone, I visited the other summit to be on the safe side. The weather wasn't brilliant, being cold and windy so I stopped to put on my mid-layer and waterproof jacket, looking across towards Wild Boar Fell I fancied I could see rain approaching (spoiler alert: it didn't rain all day!) Continuing past the second summit I made my way across featureless, and largely pathless moorland in the direction of Hugh Seat, my second summit of the day.

On Hugh Seat, the wind had dropped and there was a cairn large enough to shelter behind so I took the opportunity of a drink and biscuit before I set off to Gregory Chapel, also known as Archy Styrigg. Lo, there was an actual path so the going became distinctly easier and I motored along. The cloud had come down quite low and it was still damp in places, but overall the path was a good one and I quickly completed that section. There is nothing exciting at this summit so onwards to the final summit of the day, High Seat, which, again, due to the good path, arrived quickly. This is an interesting summit and clearly one that is not agreed upon as there are at least three cairns appearing to denote the summit, plus another one that is clearly not the summit, but much larger than the others and it was that one that I headed for to stop for lunch. It was still pretty cold and I was worried about the rain, so as soon as my lunch was finished, I set off, retracing slightly to walk to each of the summit contenders before heading due West to pick up the steep descent.

There is probably a much better descent than the one I took, but I lost height very quickly initially, which, as any schoolboy will tell you, meant it was very steep! Eventually it eased off and I was soon down at edge of the village. Looking back, it is indeed steep and requires some pre-planning (which I did) to ensure that the correct route is taken as there are some rocky crags around which would be fatal or at least very painful should one stray over them. Within a minute or two I was back at my car, the day done.

Peaks climbed : Rogans Seat (672m), Water Crag (668m)

Total Distance : 18km, Total Ascent : 565m

There is a convenient good sized car park in Keld which is ideally located for the final peaks in the Great Shunner region. The route initially follows the Coast to Coast walk and having done it, I fully expected memories to come flooding back. Apart from the village Youth Hostel (now a hotel) there was nothing I recalled. Oh well, it was 30+ years ago and it is almost 200 miles so I can't be expected to remember it all! It is a good path out of the hamlet, along the stream and past a number of waterfalls. One of the main reasons for having no memory is that the guidebook I used describes the path as narrow, grassy and muddy. These days, it is anything but with man-laid flagstones defining the path!

It soon starts to climb through the old mine workings, past Crackpot Hall and out onto a good moorland track. This is followed for a while before another good track leads off and in the direction of the summits. It is also the parting point for the Coast to Coast which continues straight ahead.

The track leads steadily upwards past a number of shooting butts, the track presumably services those. As it flattens out, the summit of Rogans Seat can be seen 20 metres or so to the left, marked by a small cairn. Over I went for my first bag of the day and after the obligatory photo, headed back to the path and followed it to a gate. From here, a thin track leads to the right in the direction of Water Crag, its' Trig Point having been visible since Rogans Seat. The track in fact leads directly to the summit via a large cairn. The summit is obviously unmistakable. There is even a circular shelter nearby. This peak is clearly more popular or maybe more important than many others in the area to warrant such impressive constructions.

I'd originally planned to go cross country to pick up a path about a mile away, but initial tests of the going proved that it was going to be more trouble than it was worth, so I elected to retrace my steps and return the way I had come. The mountain had one final surprise though, the path vanished at one point or I took my eye off it and it took the opportunity to hide, either way, it left me floundering in soft bog and heather before I spotted it again.

The descent back to Keld was ineventful apart from taking lunch just above the mine workings on a fine grassy bank in the bright afternoon sunshine. The remainder of the walk went quickly and I was soon back at the car and heading home, happy with my bag for the day.