HardKnott and Harter Fell

Hard Knott and Harter Fell (Eskdale)

1st June 2007

Today's walk was originally going to be one long one - Middle fell up to Haycock and down to Seatallen - Buckbarrow. However the forcast was not that good, and because I had uploaded 4 different walks into my GPS I plumped for what I thought would be an easier one.
After travelling over Birker fell, we parked up on top of Hard Knott pass, a quick walk up to Hard Knott itself taking only a drink and our coats, and then back down to pick up our butties and the rest of our kit. We would walk up to Harter fell and then down and across to Green Crag.
As it turned out things were not to go to plan.. the area between Harter Fell and Green Crag was just too wet and so we came back down spothow gill to meet Odette at the Woolpack Inn.

Hard Knott

Parked at a spot just after Woodend Bridge on Birker Fell we stopped to give the dogs a bit of a stretch.
The outcrop you can see closest to camera is called Great Crag, behind it to the right a little you can see
Crook Crag which is the fell right by the side of Green Crag. This is the way I plan to walk to Green Crag next time.

Just about to set off, I'd told the kids to take only their coats and one bag... they forgot the bag
and put the coats on.. guess who ended up carrying them...???

Crossing one of the many wet parts. Most folks head up to Border End, and another day I will do this myself,
But they have errected an electic fence around it and so we headed up a more direct route to the summit.

Looking down to Eskdale and the sea.

From near Hard Knott's summit looking back from the route we had taken, Harter fell in the distance.

One of many pictures taken today of the Scafell range. If you click the pic you will get a great close up.
From left to right, Slight side, Scafell, Scafell Pike - Broad Crag a little behind and then the one fell in the whole of the lakes
that I believe should be a Wainwirght, and isn't - Ill Crag... Great End is on the end of the range before it rises again to Esk Pike.
I will say that there may be larger mountains in Scotland, and of course in other coutries,
but this range of mountains just has something about it.. totally majestic!

Far left Great End - Esk Pike and then the pointed top of Bow Fell, with Crinkle Crags to the right.

Going to have the original of this blown up to A2 size and framed

Or maybe this one???

Still on Hard Knott's summit, looking up the Wrynose Pass

Back the same way.
One we had got back to the car, we loaded up for what was going to be a five hour walk and set off up...

Harter Fell

All well so far, although again very wet under foot.

Just below this steep climb my youngest Charlotte stepped two feet off the path.
Her leg disappeared right up to her thigh, and had her eldest sister not had hold of her hand
I think the rest of Charlie would have followed. It really freaked her out and this was one of the reasons we did not
go the planned route to Green Crag.

Looking back to Crinkle Crags and Cold Pike, the area on the map marked forrest is now a lot smaller.

Same thing a bit further over

Final ascent

There are three or four very large outcrops of rock on top of Harter Fell and the highest part is NOT
where the summit cairn is, the only trouble is you would need either a nerve of steel, or ropes
and experience to get to the top of them.

There's them fells again

Charlie with her pants rolled up, great picture

Had there been another adult with me I might have tried to get up this.. thought better of it though..

Kim shows off her pici taking skills again.. she is getting better.. well done honey..

Still on the summit, what was our next objective, Green Crag, which if you look at the shaddow on the ground,
is the one above the right hand edge of the shaddow. You can see Devoke water in the distance.
The brown area in the valley is the part that was to lead us to turn right and head back to mom..
no getting over this today.

Hard to explain what is what, but Burnmoor Tarn is almost center of picture, above that and to the left is Illgill Head.
The mound obscuring most of the tarn is Great How.

Still on the top, this was our lunch spot.

Another great pic taken by Kim

Want to see the big one??

Might just get this framed..

My best man, so to speak.. Mr Jay

Stilllll on the summit, looking down on Hardknott Castle Roman Fort

Once off Harter Fell we hit a wall and a fence.. this side was wet.. the other side was just bog.

Walking back to the Woolpack Inn the kids heard a noice. then a loud noise.. then deafening..
Can u see it.. sorry our camera is so rubbish...

An RAF jet flying very fast up the valley and over Hard Knott.
Odette said they cleared the top by only a hundred feet or so.. she was at the Woolpack by this time.

Having decided not to do Green Crag I was feeling a little down..
only because it meant another trip back to the lakes to do a single fell.. more petrol money...
It was also still quite early so on getting back to car, I took the family over to Wasdale..
have a look at what happened. (Editing Page, will be up soon)

Please do email us if you have any comments. Chris

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